In early January, CHS history teacher Debra Wiens will leave the CHS to embark to Tokyo, Japan.

Wiens’s husband, Douglas, is a Geophysicist and professor at Washington University St. Louis. Douglas specializes in seismology and studies earthquakes and the movement of the earth. The University of Tokyo has invited Douglas to perform research there.

“The University of Tokyo has been wanting him to come for a long time because it is such a seismically active part of the world,” Wiens said.

Even though the trip was initiated by her husband’s studies, Debra Wiens has plans of her own while living in Tokyo.

“Japan is such a highly ranked nation, in terms of their achievement in education,” Wiens said. “I want to get into their schools to discover their secrets.”

Wiens has been invited by a few principals to join their school communities.

“I will probably tutor some English.” Wiens said. “I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing. But I am really looking forward to it.”

In terms of the language barrier, Wiens is apprehensive of her speaking abilities.

“I have a lot to learn,” Wiens said. “I did take a Japanese language class, I was a disaster.”

Wiens is hopeful that the language barrier will not cause many problems with communication.

“I hope that the Japanese people will be patient with me and gracious when I mess up,” Wiens said.

Wiens is also planning on traveling to other parts of the continent while in Asia.

“I’d like to go visit some very good friends of mine who work in Bangkok, Thailand,” Wiens said.

Wiens has traveled to many places around the world, including Egypt, Israel, Europe, Argentina, Costa Rica, Fiji and China. Her husband’s studies also took her to Australia where she lived during the 2005-2006 school year.

Wiens feels that the School District has been very generous and has treated her well over the years.

“I work hard for the District,” Wiens said. “They have always supported me when I have needed to take a leave and the times that I’ve need to go be with my husband.”

During the second half of the school year, other faculty members will take over the courses that Wiens teaches.  But Wiens will likely return for the 2014-2015 school year.

“My plan is to return to Clayton and hopefully bring some Japanese secrets with me,” Wiens said. “I hope to come back with a much deeper understanding of the political system of Japan. As well as their educational system.”

Even though Wiens has to leave her life in St. Louis to accompany her husband, she feels that traveling the world has been a benefit to her teaching.

“I’ve learned a tremendous amount through my travels,” Wiens said. “It changes the way I teach … It gives me more global perspective. I’m able to make connections from place far away to draw connections I would not be able to make otherwise.”

Overall, Wiens feels very privileged to have been given the opportunity to travel the globe.

“It’s given me a whole new perspective that I will cherish forever.”