Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1035650
and got lost. But the trip was a wonderful experience. Te a c h e r s e m p h a s i z e t h a t m o s t chaperone gigs are not official school t r i p s . E d u c a t o r s m o st ly u s e p r iv a t e companies and often fundraise to help families with costs. "My trips are not district-approved trips," explains Natalie Valles, an English resource teacher and digital lead TOSA at Tahquitz High School in Hemet. "Other than allowing me to access the students, the district is not involved. I make sure parents recognize this is not a district trip and that students are signing up with the Education First (EF) tour company through me." O n c e a n E F t o u r h a s si x stu d e n t s signed up, the teacher is free, and with each additional six travelers another free chaperone spot opens up. (is is only for international travel; for domestic tours it is one free spot for every 10 students.) "But it's not exactly free," says Valles. " There's all the preparation, and man- aging students on tour is a lot of work. I don't ever say I go for free; I say, 'My travel is how I'm paid.'" T h e He m e t Te a c h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n m e m b e r h a s c h a p e ro n e d tr i p s t o 1 3 countries and went to Japan last year, w h ere sh e was d elig ht ed to di sc over " being a teacher is the most honorable job there is." She mar vels at how stu- dents go from clinging to her like "baby ducks" in the beginning to becoming confident explorers. " We h av e v i si t e d c a st l e s a n d h i s - torical sites and famous art museums throughout Europe; ziplined from moun- taintops in Costa Rica; enjoyed soccer games during local school visits; seen sp ectacular t ech in Asia ; and gain ed understanding and respect of other cul- tures and religions. We meet people from all over the planet and make friends we otherwise wouldn't make – who we can continue to be friends with and learn from, thanks to social media. I cannot say enough about taking students abroad." B r i a n J a c o b s , a n E n g l i s h a n d " It's a big responsibility. I always remind myself I am taking care of somebody's baby." — Brian Jacobs, UTLA " For me, the biggest challenge is keeping up with the kids. We go nonstop." — Larry Hooper, Los Alamitos Education Association 20 cta.org Feature Larry Hooper's Los Alamitos students on a cold spring day in Berlin, 2018.