Mediocre

Dear potential Loop Abroad Traveler,

Please read thoroughly as this (hopefully) comprehensive feedback encompasses both positive and negative aspects of Traveling Teacher 101.

Traveling Teacher 101 was poorly executed on behalf of all staff members and the living arrangement was sub par for the price of the program. All students slept on one-inch mats, under mosquito nets, in a hill tribe village (not bad for a couple nights, but 9 nights was far too many). All living areas and bathroom/shower areas were infested with mosquitoes, beetles, and bugs. For some, this may be an appeal of the program, but for most (7/8) of the girls on my trip it was not. The living accommodation (having met the individual from Nepal who built the hut we stayed in) was only ok, although the individual who built the hut mentioned he only lives in the hut twice a year and lets whoever else stay in it for free which begs the question, "Where is my program fee going to, if not living arrangements?"

Our Loop Abroad point of contact was difficult to work with mostly because he was a "know it all" and continuously told the girls on the trip that he could tailor activities to our liking but we had to tell him what we wanted to do, but there is one big problem - we didn't know what our options were. Therefore, while in the village, we had TOO much down time (hours of it) and we could have been in the city exploring. Ultimately, one week in the hilltribe village would have sufficed and there could have been more touristy, travel based, options. The ultimate truth is: there is nothing to do in the hilltribe village and you stay there for 9 nights and 10 days (the trip is only two weeks long). You will see elephants and we saw them 4 times, but each visit only lasts an hour. We got bored.

The TEFL certification was a hoax mostly because the teacher was new, inexperienced, and uneducated. The TEFL program promises 120 hours although you do not receive adequate training in the classroom (one class period per day, do not get to practice your lesson plans, and often the school and Loop Abroad had miscommunication and we wouldn't end up attending the school many of the days as promised). If you are looking to gather MUCH experience in the classroom and lots of hours accumulated with hands on training than this program is not for you.

Overall, very authentic experience, but not productive enough for the cost of the program. Would I do it again? No. Would I recommend it to an enemy? Even though s/he's an enemy, NO.