Duren stands in the corridors of the lower cloisters of Lacock Abbey, largely unchanged since its construction in the early 13th century. Lacock Abbey was one of the filming locations for the Harry Potter movies, serving as the corridors and several Hogwarts classrooms.
Where did you go?
“England: London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, the Cotswolds, Bath, Dorset, Jurassic Coast”
How long were you there for?
“About 9 days.”
What were some of the highlights from your trip? Fun things that you did?
“The Globe where we took a behind-the-scenes tour, Shakespeare’s birthplace and schoolroom in Stratford (my favorite was the schoolroom presentation), the landscape in the hill country of the Cotswolds as well as the southern coast, and the Medieval inn we stayed in in Norton St. Philip where Samuel Pepys once stayed.”
What did you learn? How can you apply these things to your teaching career?
“Being in England gave me an authentic taste of the “British ethos” that is pervasive in the literature I teach: emotionally reserved but very spiritual. I was most inspired by Shakespeare’s schoolroom as I sat there thinking of how ordinary his circumstances were: a son of a guildsman with only a grade-school education, inspired by traveling theater companies visiting his small town. If he could follow his dreams to become the most widely read English author of all time, what’s stopping the rest of us? It lets me see my role and my students’ potential in a whole new light.”