Published: Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 5:57 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 5:57 p.m.

DELAND Sarah Altier arrived in Russia prepared to share bits of American culture with students and teachers there. In her suitcase, she packed photos of alligators and Disney World and postcards from Volusia County students.

The Russian students had something they wanted to show Altier, too: A mini-museum they had curated themselves, featuring artifacts theyd uncovered around their village, which was near Yelnya. The collection included eerie reminders of World War II, such as German dog tags, machine guns and live grenades.

A teacher at the local school had encouraged the students to collect and research the objects as a way to preserve the areas history. Back in Florida, Altier has tried to use a similar hands-on approach to teach students and other educators about other cultures.

Altier, a veteran DeLand High School history teacher who now helps new teachers hone their craft, took a turn as a student during a recent two-week trip to Russia, where she visited schools and met students and teachers. She also helped a professor record Russian songs and culture (her travel was paid for by the American Friends of Russian Folklore, a California-based nonprofit organization).

A seasoned world traveler, Altier has visited six of the continents at least twice (she said she doesnt have any plans to tour Antarctica). In Volusia classrooms, she incorporates her international experiences into local classrooms, often telling stories and showing photos to students and teachers. History, she said, has all of the themes of a dramatic novel or movie: Love, anger, jealousy, revenge and more.

I wanted kids to see history as something alive, not just dusty old books, Altier said.

Her adventurous spirit has taken her around the world. In 2011, she spent six weeks during the summer in Thailand and Vietnam on a Fulbright grant. She taught at a school in Namibia, Africa, for nearly three months in 2007. She walked to her school during her stay, using markers like trees (there were no streets or signs) to find her way.

As DeLand Highs teacher of the year in 2008 and one of five finalists for the countywide award that year, Altier is well-known in Volusia schools. She also appeared on TV screens across the country as a competitor on the game shows Jeopardy and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Her colleagues describe her as a natural teacher, but Altier who turns 55 Wednesday didnt always feel that way. As a Stetson University graduate and newly married woman in her early 20s, Altier said she was undecided about her career. She and her husband, Jeff Altier, moved to Australia during their early 20s so he could play professional baseball (Jeff Altier is now the athletic director at Stetson. They have three grown children. On the way back, they flew to Kathmandu and took a bus all across Asia and the Middle East and ended the three-month trip in London. During that time, Altier realized she knew little about many of the places she visited.

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World is her textbook: Teacher brings travel lessons to classroom