Shishmaref Scrapbook

This picture looks like something boring. It is, however, something very un-boring.

Before I came to Morocco one of my coworkers brilliantly suggested that I have my kids help me make a scrapbook about life in Shishmaref.

I ordered prints of a bunch of my Flickr pictures. Then I had the kids write descriptions of what was in the pictures.

They described different types of Eskimo Food...

and Eskimo games. They're written descriptions were pretty good. They even included some Inupiaq words where appropriate. I was proud.

One of the best parts of the scrapbook was the mini-bios. Every student in the school filled out a questionnaire about their favorite foods, activities, etc., even the little kids.

My big kids did it too. Their bios were slightly less adorable (due mainly to the fact that they largely avoided the spelling errors of the elementary students), but no less enjoyable to read. (Hey Big Kids! Just because I think the little kids are adorable doesn't mean I love you less!)

It was a lot of work, but the above picture shows the reaction of the Moroccan students. They were fascinated, and they crowded around the book so they could each see every page. Worth it. Definitely worth it.

How to Be a Good Student in Morocco

Always bring a notebook to class. Your teacher will refer to this as your copy book. Your copy book can be of whatever design you want it to be. Bonus points if it has princesses on the cover.

Take copious notes in your copy book.

(These are some of the notes taken from my lesson on American Weddings.)

(I thought it was funny to notice what the students had written down.)

Use different colored pens.

Colorful pen are not girly in Morocco. Even the toughest young men have multi-colored writing utensils.

The atmosphere is far different from American teachers mandating that assignments be completed in blue and black ink.

In fact, teachers often encourage you to use different colored inks when writing in order to differentiate between parts of speech, definitions, etc.

Especially gifted students will master the art of holding two pens at a time, in order to better facilitate switching colors.

Additionally, students should write in their textbooks. It is especially advisable that students write the Arabic equivalents to English words.

Following these simple tips should ensure a successful experience in the Morocco Education System. Or, at least, at the Lycee in Tahnaoute.

I Hate Chalkboards, But I Used One To Do Something Cool.

The classrooms in Tahnaoute all have chalkboards. In fact, all of my fellow Fulbrighters have reported that they also have chalkboards in their classrooms. This could be a Morocco-wide phenomenon.

I hate chalkboards. They always look dirty. The chalk dust gets all over my hands and dries them out. At the end of class I will inevitably have chalk all over my hips, thighs, knees, backside, or all of the above.

But, I was able to do something cool with a chalkboard last week. I wrote in Arabic.

The students didn't understand the English word "perseverance" in their textbooks, so I wrote the Arabic equivalent on the board.

I wish I could say that I figured out the Arabic equivalent all by myself. Then I would be a linguistic rock star. However, the truth is that Brahim wrote it down for me, and I simply copied it on the board.

For the record, I want to state that I recognized all of the letters, and was able to write them correctly on the first try. The students applauded. I beamed.

I feel quite proud of myself. :)

Classroom Charades

It's really interesting teaching English as a Third Language when I don't know the first or second languages of my students.

Their level of English is quite good, but every once in a while they have a question about a word. Since my Arabic is extremely limited and my French is even more limited, I have to resort to charades.

"Cry" was easy. I just put my fists up to my cheeks and made a really sad face.

"Extinguish" was a bit more challenging. Finally I came up with using my fingers as a flame. I blew on them, and they receded.

But how do you act out "polite" or "visit?" Yeah, those stumped me too. I tired offering English synonyms, but they were met with quizzical looks. I whipped out my Lonely Planet Moroccan Arabic-English index, but it didn't have the word polite (although the equivalent for visit was easily understood)...

Turns out, in situation like that you simply wait for your Fulbright partner to come back. Then he can explain what the word means in Arabic.

Maybe someday I'll be able to do that too...

First Day of School!!!!

My first day of school in Morocco! Wahoo!!!

The classrooms are pretty basic. Rows of desks with chairs attached and a blackboard at the front of the room. The class room was relatively cold. Brahim wore a coat during the classes, as did most of the students.

The classrooms are lit by hanging lamps, but the bulbs are very dim. (Note to readers: I have no clue what the neon green circle is. It was not visible in real life. The school was not being invaded by alien life forms. Thank you.)

Brahim did all of the teaching this first day (he looks very teacher-ish here, don't you think?). As soon as I was introduced the students started hollering out English phrases that they know: how are you, nice to meet you, etc. It was funny. After briefly speaking to the students I spent the rest of the day observing.

The students in all three classes seemed very excited to learn English. They were extremely attentive during the lesson.

Brahim had them read portions of the textbook to each other. They read stayed very focused during the exercise. They followed with their pens and pencils and didn’t fool around. I was impressed. (The name of the girl on the left means "happy" in Arabic. I told her we are name twins because my Eskimo name means happy in Inupiaq.)

Sometimes students came to the board to write. This girl is named Fatima. She is wearing the white tunic that is the uniform for girls in the school. Some girls wear the tunic buttoned, some wear it open, some wear it underneath jackets and sweaters. Fatima is also wearing a scarf to cover her hair. Most of the girls at the school do the same thing. Only a handful of girls wear their hair uncovered.

Some students used Arabic-English dictionaries during class.

Most were extremely diligent about taking notes and writing down new vocabulary words. This adorable guy had printed pages of information about Alaska. Brahim had asked the students to do some research before I came. He had all sorts of information.

The most amusing part of the classes was when Brahim asked questions. The students would shoot their hands in the air and shout, "Sir, sir, sir, sir, sir," begging to be called on. This pictures doesn't quite capture the urgency with which most students raise their hands. I will try later to take a picture of a student desperately pleading to be called on.

The students' English was quite good. I could understand everything they said. Brahim conducted the class completely in English. He only used Arabic when defining a word the students didn't understand.


Fun Facts:

-Brahim wrote some example sentences on the board. One of them said something to the effect of, "She had not learned any Arabic before she had arrived," referring, of course, to me. After the students read the sentence they shouted, "No problem!" :)

-The students sat mostly divided between girls and boys (Hey Shishmaref kids! You do the same thing as Moroccan kids!).

-The first class was primarily girls. The second class was primarily boys. That may explain why the second class quickly asked if I was a Miss or a Mrs. :)