Every time that we met with a new class, whether in a public school, or private school, we introduced ourselves to the students and shared something special about our lives and the United States. The students were curious about the lives of teens in the U.S. and were surprised about the similarities. In all the photos, note the environment.
I have not used chalk and chalkboard in a long time. Teachers move their location for each class and therefore cannot place anything on the walls. They must carry their chalk and erasers with them. In this one particular school, there is electricity for computer run presentations (power point) in one or two rooms that could be locked. Note that the room is open to the elements. It works because of the milder climate (no snow). Everyone wears jackets when chilly. Note the white jackets that only the girls wear. I asked and Fatimezzahra, my host teacher, said that they were uniforms for modesty.
This is a photo of my wonderful host teacher, Fatimezzahra Massaq, who not only took care of us, but quite willingly let us teach and collaborate with her in her classes. As we observed her classes, we saw her accessing students' prior knowledge on the topic of her lesson, but webbed their ideas. She used authentic teaching and learning tasks, such as sending her students out to research local non governmental organizations (called associations here) and to carry out civic engagement actions on behalf of these associations.
Here I am introducing what topics we study in How the World Works course. This is the private school (more to come on this school later). Again note the environment.
Here in the private school that we spent some time in, I am presenting what topics we study in How the World Works. The students are creating their Peace One Day peace flags that I will be bringing back to JSEC. Again, please note the environment.
This is Mr. Hamdi Srissar, the teacher from Dahkla who was to be my host teacher, before I was reassigned. He and his students will be partnering with JSEC on Peace One Day next September 21, 2013.
Here is Mr. Srissar in his traditional clothing. He wore this beautiful clothing with great pride in his culture.
This is Khadija Rahaoui posing in front of the teachers' training facility. She kindly gave many informative seminars on history, culture, and education for Morocco. She is from the North. Moroccans often refer to which section of their country that they come from North, South, East, and West.
Samira Idel is a friend of Ms. Lallo and me. I was happy to get to see her in Rabat where she is studying to be a supervisor, a lead teacher but with more duties and responsibilities. She will be in charge of teacher evaluations and teacher development. All teachers and education administrators are government employees and must go to work where the government tells them. They can however apply for postings in the part of the country that they wish. Samira hopes to be posted in the south as she is from the city of Tiznet. She worked to make Somerville, Massachusetts and Tiznet sister cities.
Fatimezzahra Massaq is our host teacher in Beni Mellal and she and her family have been above and beyond gracious! She is in the center of the group. Sorry that the picture is so dark. I am sure that I have other pictures of her, but as usual there are issues with technology...
Not on the same level with the friends in the above frames, but still interesting is the tortoise that was in Fatimezzahra's backyard today. Notice the painted shell which was a mystery to her, but she asked a child that lives with her who said that the house painters painted it. This animal only shows up once or twice a year. We were happy to see him? Her?
We were told that the bus trip from Rabat to Beni Mellal would take three hours...but it actually took about two hours to travel to Casablanca (much traffic and slow going in this city) and then after a short layover in the bus station (Here was my first turkish toilet of this trip) it then took another five hours to get to Beni Mellal. The best thing about this trip was that the land was interesting and beautiful. Visible were many people who grew, and gathered crops and raised cattle, sheep and goats. In the suburbs and even in the middle of no where there were also incredible mansions. I sat beside a Moroccan woman who is currently living in Sarasota, Florida. She gave me some French lessons as I tried to remember my high school studies. I am trying. Beni Mellal is right at the edge of the mid Atlas mountains. The view from the high school's windows is breathtaking. I told a student today that I wanted to keep looking out the window and she said that she too was often tempted.
Following are some
Ann Adams, one of the teachers with whom I am traveling, and I at the Rabat bus station. We were loaded onto one bus and then had to change busses for some unknown reason and then we were on our way to Casablanca.
The highway ran parallel to the Atlantic ocean as we traveled from Rabat to Casablanca.
Downtown Casablanca. Do you see from the name of the city how Spanish is integrated into the Moroccan culture (along with Moroccan Arabic, French, and the Amazigh language.
Flat farm and grazing land gave way to rolling hills with occasional breaks of higher terrain.
Fields of olive trees and fruit trees are visible on the way to Beni Mellal. It is to be noted that passing slower vehicles on a narrow two lane highway with oncoming traffic was sometimes nerve wracking, but our bus driver demonstrated great skill.
3.13.13 - We visited a public high school, a private middle school and an American Language Center. These girls are in an English as a Second Language class in the private middle school in Sale, Morocco. The class read a passage in their textbooks, gave us a special welcome speech and sang Katie Perry's "Fireworks". English is very popular with students now because they feel as though they can access more information and opportunities.
Dates and milk were served as a traditional welcome at the private school. Later we were served pastry and cookies with Moroccan sweetened mint tea. In fact in all but one location that day, we were served lovely refreshments as is the custom. Thank you Morocco!
Morocco is a monarchy with a parliament. This is a picture of the King, his wife, and his son. The King's picture is displayed everywhere demonstrating the high regard that the Moroccan people have for him. This very large and attractive portrait is in the lobby of our hotel along with some other historical family portraits.
 Kristin Leboe (on the left) is our IREX Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) representative who takes great care of us. On the right is Kawthar Slaitane who is the TGC Moroccan coordinator who has planned our scheduled meetings, school, and cultural visits. This was taken at one of our many amazing meals.
This is a picture of a Moroccan salad. There are all kinds of cooked vegetables, olives, with eggplant in the center, As a vegetarian I do quite well when this dish is served. The large platter is placed in the center of the table and everyone helps themselves. Bread is served with every meal. Usually after this dish is another main course usually with meat, chicken, or fish and after that is dessert and sweetened mint tea.
When the management of the hotel restaurant learned that do not eat meat, they kindly began to make me separate dishes at lunch and dinner. This is couscous (a grain that is a staple here in Morocco) with vegetables. The servings are so large that I could barely eat a quarter of it!
A two hour trip to Detroit, MI; a three hour layover; almost an 8 hour flight to Charles De Gaulle airport, France; another 3 hour layover; and a 21/2 hour flight to Morocco, but here I am. We were told that the weather has been overcast and very rainy of late, but the Americans brought the sun with them. Gorgeous weather! Our hotel is very close the the medina (old walled city), so JSEC students be prepared to be waved at from across the Atlantic Ocean because we are going there tomorrow. We exchanged some money, almost insulted a very helpful bellman who showed us how to use the ATM to exchange USD for dirhams (I tipped him too little and had to give him more money when I realized that I miscalculated the worth of the dirham! Mike and I got to meet our former host teacher as IREX flew him to Rabat for these three days of seminars and we will make partnership plans with his school and students. We had a nice dinner in traditional Moroccan style and the meat eaters learned how to pull the chicken off the platter using three fingers on the right hand. My new co-teachers and I learned that we are taking a bus get to Beni Mellal on Thursdaky And so our adventure begins.  One tired traveler who was so pleased to be in beautiful Morocco! The foreground finger was one of Mike Farmer's, but thanks for shooting the pic anyway, Mike!
Last Wednesday, I received a call from the IREX office in Washington, D.C. with some interesting news. The Moroccan government and the U.S. embassy in Rabat met and decided that my co-teacher/traveling companion could not go to our assigned high school in Dakhla, Western Sahara. Not even the IREX staff knew the particular reason, but it may have had something to do with security and safety(?). But as the IREX staff stated, I am adaptable and I am now going to Beni Mellal, Morocco for my school visit.
I am happy that I will get to meet my original host teacher in Rabat, prior to going down to Beni Mellal. In my mind this works well because now JSEC students will be able to partner with two different schools.
My students have written small introductions and questions to give to the Moroccan students with hopes of establishing some correspondence. One of these students even included a lovely sketch of an eye in his postcard, so generous of him! The Dance 2 class filmed a rehearsal of a dance about movements that happen at the joints of the body. The French class and my advisory also made small video recordings. Now it is up to me to download and share. (Photos coming soon to this website.)
There is much to do prior to the plane taking off on Saturday! ---Ms. Sprague/Marty
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