Ready to Depart!

I am about to take off on a year-long sabbatical adventure with my family as we live in Spain for the 2019 – 2020 school year.  When I announced my sabbatical at the end of the school year, students and parents asked how they could follow my experiences.  This blog is the answer to that question.  I will try to share stories, pictures and videos from my sabbatical.  The blog is geared towards the school community (hence using Mr. Kuk in the title), but it will also be a good place for family and friends to keep up on our adventure.

In this post, I want to give an overview of my plans for the year.

What is a sabbatical?

The word “sabbatical” is derived from the Biblical concept of a Sabbath.  In a tradition that is still observed by some people, the Israelites were commanded to reserve one day for rest and worship after six days of work.  This concept applied not only to the days of the week, but also to years, as the Israelites were also to observe a Sabbath year in which they did not work the fields of the land, but lived off of provision from the previous years.  Although the Sabbath was a “command,” it was intended to benefit people and the land by providing regular time for rest and rejuvenation.

The modern concept of a sabbatical applies similar principles.  A sabbatical is an opportunity to step away from the business of “regular” life and work to rest, refresh, and pursue learning and new passions.  A sabbatical is not merely a vacation from work.  While rest is an important part of a sabbatical, the idea is that someone on sabbatical will have an opportunity to learn new skills and information that they wouldn’t have time during a regular work year.  The sabbatical provides an opportunity to focus on future goals and return to work reinvigorated and prepared to be more productive and innovative.

Why am I taking a sabbatical?                                                

My wife and I have always dreamed of living overseas for at least a year.  When I learned that Baltimore City Schools had a sabbatical program, I knew that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I could not pass up.  We are excited to travel, life in a foreign culture, and new lots of new things.

I also am excited for the opportunity to grow in ways that will help me when I return to teaching.  My main goals are to become highly proficient in Spanish and to become certified as an ESOL (English as a Second Language) teacher.  I will be taking online classes while in Spain and completing an independent reading list to prepare to take the certification exam when I return to the States.  While I still plan to return as a math and science teacher, the strategies that I learn while pursuing certification will help prepare me to meet the needs of all students in Baltimore, particularly as the population of ELL (English Language Learners) continues to increase.

Where will I be living and traveling?

While I don’t have every side trip planned, here is my basic schedule for the year:

August 30 – September 16:  I will be traveling to Guatemala to participate in Spanish language classes.  It will be a complete immersion experience as I will be living with a Guatemalan family during my stay.

      

     September 16 – September 24:  I will be returning briefly to attend a family wedding and make final preparations to depart for Spain.

September 24 – Late December: My wife and two daughters will join me as we depart for Spain.  We will be living in either the city Málaga or Fuengirola while in Spain.  More on that to come later.  I will be volunteering weekly at a school and pursuing other volunteer opportunities to speak as much Spanish as possible.

Winter Break:  We will travel to Italy and Greece.  Some anticipated stops include Venice and Mount Vesuvius.

     Early January – April:  We will continue living in either Málaga or Fuengirola.

     Spring Break:  We will travel to France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands.  Some anticipated stops include the CERN particle accelerator and renewable energy projects in Germany.

     April – Mid-July:  We will continue living in either Málaga or Fuengirola.

     Mid-July – Late-July: We will travel to Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

     Late-July or Early-August: We will return to Baltimore and get ready for the 2020 – 2021 school year.

In addition to the trips described above, we also plan on taking shorter excursions to explore other parts of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. 

First up, though, is my solo-trip to Guatemala to take Spanish immersion classes.  I don’t know what my access to technology will be in Guatemala, but I will post an update on that experience when I have the opportunity.  Have a great start to the school year!