Mexico's vast culture, great food, and sunny beaches make it a favorite destination among Americans. And while its convenient location just south of the border makes it easy for many to visit, it's still out of reach for many people. Hoping to offer her class at Trinity Leadership Public School in Cedar Hill, Texas, a taste of travel, a first-grade teacher named Sonja White prepared a detailed mock trip to Mexico without ever leaving the school.
In a now-viral video that the teacher posted to social media, White shares the lengths she went to (and the many roles she played) to make this pretend voyage an unforgettable experience for her students. The “trip” was part of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, but it also served as a simulation of how traveling works in real life. The devoted teacher went to great lengths, making play passports and tickets for each kid, boarding them onto the “plane,” handing out snacks “mid-flight,” and processing them at “customs,” as well as setting up a gift shop with souvenirs from Mexico.
“I started traveling with my own kids really young,” White told The Washington Post. “They were both under a year old when we started to travel.” Since she was born in Germany to a military family, she traveled a lot from a young age. “It builds culture, and I feel like they have to go to different places and see how different people live to really understand life. I want them to have a desire to travel.”
The mock trip was also inspired by the fact that many of White's students had never traveled outside the Dallas area. This prompted the dedicated teacher to capture as many details as possible. The “plane” was a cleverly placed group of chairs inside her classroom, and she projected a video showing a view from a plane window. “I feel like they really loved it,” White told People. “I feel like in some ways their imagination let them believe that we really went to Mexico.”
The teacher also engaged the parents leading up to the trip, asking them to help prepare a suitcase with clothes and other essentials, and hyping them up ahead of the adventure. One particular mom played a key role in the adventure. Nathalie Vazquez, who is from Mexico, showed up with a feast made up of beef and chicken enchiladas, tortillas, rice, and a tres leches cake for the 19 students, including her daughter, Nia.
The effort caught the eye of Southwest, who White selected as the carrier of the pretend flight. Moved by their curiosity, the airline rewarded the class with a visit to their headquarters in Dallas and a chance to explore an actual Boeing 737 Max 8 plane. On her social media, the news reached Mexican viewers, who thanked the students for their “visit,” asking them to come back soon. Beyond this trip, White has been really interested in giving her students lessons about the real world, prompting her to turn her classroom into places like a coffee shop and a farmers market.
To stay up to date with her education ideas, follow teacher Sonja White on Instagram.
An educator in Texas named Sonja White loves sharing insights about teaching first graders.
@sonjawhite_teach As we approach the end of the year, I am grateful for many things but mainly that God showed me how to create healthy boundaries and not look back! #teacher #boundaries101 #firstgrade #gratefulforgrowth #getyousomecounseling #teacherlife #happyteacher ♬ original sound – Sonja White❤️❤️
Sometimes she shares truly precious and funny moments of dealing with young kids (who love to tattle tale).
@sonjawhite_teach This tattle phone is Harper’s whole life and I’m happy to gift her something so important! #teacher #firstgrade #happyteacher #teacheroftiktok #fypp #tattle #tattlephone #m ♬ original sound – Sonja White❤️❤️
Recently, White wanted to offer her class a taste of travel, so she prepared a detailed mock trip to Mexico without ever leaving the school.
@sonjawhite_teach Come along to Mexico with us for Hispanic Heritage Month!! @Southwest Airlines @Doritos #firstgrade #firsties #teachertok #teacherlife ♬ original sound – Sonja White❤️❤️
Sonja White: TikTok
Sources: A teacher turned her classroom into a plane to ‘fly’ her kids to Mexico; Teacher Takes Class on Magical Field ‘Trip’ to Mexico: ‘I Want Them to Have Culture’
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