Jannel McCallum
Jannel McCallum is a Spanish teacher at Wausau East High School in Wisconsin.
She is also the school’s Department Head and International Club Advisor. Some of the International Club activities include offering monthly cooking experiences of a variety of foods from around the world. McCallum has also been extremely involved in efforts to obtain the Seal of Biliteracy in the Wausau School District. This year, it was Jannel’s idea to plan a trip with both high schools, and they will be traveling with 56 people to Spain, France and Italy.
From the Nominator:
If you have a particularly illustrative story that demonstrates why this nominee deserves Traveling Teacher of the Year, let us know:
Along with her undeniable talent to teach her students, she has always been a joy to work with. She represents the department on multiple district committees and works closely with district administrators to continuously support the study of languages in the district. I thoroughly enjoy my time working with Jannel, as she is truly a valuable asset to our team. She is honest, dependable, and incredibly hard working. Her dedication to the teaching and promotion of Spanish is very impressive and she strives to share her love and passion for the language and the Spanish-speaking world with her students.
Even to this day Jannel will say “that was my favorite trip”… despite the many obstacles she had to face. Including everyone getting sick with diarrhea!!! I just smile and laugh at her good nature no matter what the trip throws at her she always remains positive and tries to give her students an amazing experience. Without a doubt, Jannel deserves this award in so many ways! She is amazing teacher in and outside of the classroom.
From Jannel McCallum:
What is a major highlight from your student travel experiences?
Every time I travel with students, it is exciting to see them experience something they learned about in class: a food, an animal, a monument or a place. I also love seeing students use their Spanish in real-life situations: ordering food in a restaurant, asking for a towel at the front desk of a hotel, bartering at a market or having a conversation in Spanish with their classmates at dinner.
My favorite trip to date was Ecuador. We had an extremely engaging tour manager on that trip that took our kids to a nearby park on two different occasions. There he organized soccer games with the local children. Our students had so much fun playing with and talking to the children. They were so impressed with the soccer skills of the kids even though they didn’t have cleats (or even closed toed shoes) or shin guards. That experience will definitely stay with the travelers for the rest of their lives.
What is the greatest lesson you or your students have learned from your trips?
One of my goals as a teacher is to inspire my students to be multilingual citizens of the world who appreciate and celebrate the diverse cultures of the world. While it’s exciting to see famous landmarks, I have found that most lessons happen in the small, everyday moments. It’s the realization that a meal can be a leisurely social event, rather than a rushed refuel. It’s navigating a big city on foot or public transportation. It’s throwing the toilet paper in the trash can instead of the toilet. It’s drinking from a bottle with a tethered cap. It is experiencing life at a high altitude. It’s honoring the customs and traditions of ancestors. It’s caring for and conserving the resources of our small planet. These experiences show my students that their lifestyle is just one of many ways to be human.
Why are you passionate about student travel?
My favorite part about traveling with students is seeing students have new experiences for the first time—flying in a plane, trying a new food, exploring a big city, seeing a monkey or sloth in its natural habitat, wading in a hot spring, ziplining through a cloud or swimming at the base of a waterfall.
I want my students to travel to see the diversity of the planet. Although the United States accounts for less than 5% of the global population, we often mistake our own way of life for the universal standard. By traveling, students step beyond that 5%, opening their eyes to the vibrant, varied cultures that define our planet.
How do you try to tie your travel experiences back into the classroom?
As a Spanish teacher, I like to use the photos from my travels to tell stories about the monuments I’ve visited, the food I have tasted and the customs I’ve observed. By sharing these personal moments in the classroom, I can bridge the gap between our lives in the United States and life in Spanish-speaking countries. I hope that the pictures, stories and experiences I share will spark their curiosity and give them the confidence to one day use their Spanish to navigate their own global adventures.
Photo courtesy of Jannel McCallum.