Practical tips for teachers preparing for their first international teaching experience abroad
Read: 6 minutes-Author: Jeremy Frye french teacher Cannon School,NC
In January 2026, JD Agency Experience welcomed a group from Cannon School for an immersion program in Martinique. The trip was chaperoned by French teachers : Amy Nguyen and Jeremy Frye. After the program, Jeremy offered to put his experience into words, his honest, first-time-leader perspective, written for other teachers who are considering doing this for the first time.
“This was my first time leading an international trip, and I’d say that I felt a bit of anxiety with the role because, to be honest, you really don’t know what you don’t know. The remedy is to establish your support system”
1) Establish your support system
My support was my coteacher / chaperone who had leadership experience, and she not only gave great insights but also knew what to look out for. Your support could look like mine, but it could also look like gathering advice from others’ experiences as leaders who might not be with you on the trip or doing online searching of others’ experiences.
2) Ask “what if?” and plan for Plan B
Speaking of looking out for things in a proactive / preemptive manner, it’s a good idea to always ask “what if” and think about the Plan Bs in every circumstance. Due to a flight delay, we had to stay overnight in a hotel, and my co-teacher knew what to do in that circumstance. Thinking of the “if this falls through” scenarios will help in managing the trip better and building your own confidence.
3) Use backward planning to guide your trip
Use backwards planning to guide your trip. With our trip, we wanted to make sure that the students received a cultural and language immersion experience. Although Jessica beautifully curates the trip, we were able to work with her in shaping the activities based on the goals we’d defined. Even once you’re on the grounds of your destination, the goals you define will shape how you guide your students; we, for instance, pushed our students to speak in French during mealtimes and asked tour guides to use French for their benefit.
4) Select your travelers wisely
Select your travelers wisely. It’s great to offer international experiences to students, but a bad attitude or behavior can affect the trip. We didn’t experience this issue, and from having a great group of kids, I can say that having responsible students contributed greatly to the trip’s success.
5) It’s okay to make mistakes
It’s okay to make mistakes. Even as a leader, you’re still human, and much more so as a first time leader. As long as you do your due diligence, it’s okay to make errors and learn from them. This also shows students how to do the same. I personally made mistakes not only with some logistical details, but I also didn’t always know all the French said. You must be kind to yourself and have an attitude of growth.”
Jeremy’s reflection is exactly why we build our programs the way we do at JD Agency Experience: clear academic goals, a plan that’s workable for a school calendar, and logistics that don’t rely on chaperones improvising in real time.
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About the guest author
Jeremy Frye is an Upper School World Language teacher at Cannon School, where he has taught since 2023. He holds a BA in Chinese Language & Literature from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s in ESL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Although he primarily teaches French, he speaks multiple languages and brings a love of culture, music, and salsa dancing.