Since returning from Morocco, I find I am drawn to any news that involves the country, its people, and the Maghreb region. I've linked one of the news feeds I follow to the right. This link, sponsored by Morocco.com is updated regularly on relations between the U.S. and Morocco. | |
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This morning our cohort met to debrief and discuss our observations and experiences while in our different destinations across Morocco. It was fascinating to hear about everyone’s experience- especially of those who traveled further out of Rabat, and in turn, further out of our American comfort zone. I was surprised in that even in the more remote locations, education was certainly becoming more of a priority. I had heard that education was difficult for those living in the remote regions, as children may be needed to work on the farms, they may be in nomadic families, and if they are not extremely gifted in math or science, girls especially are sometimes removed from school in order to marry and improve their chances of being supported financially. The reality, however, is that while this still occurs, it is decreasing in occurrence, with more families seeing the importance of literacy and education. We discussed the current state of education in Morocco, challenges faced by Moroccan youth today, and issues related to the supervision system within the Ministry of Education. After a great discussion, we ate the typical Friday lunch of couscous (so good, I need to find out what they do to the onions and raisins to make it taste so good!) We then took our bus to the Chellah, the oldest structure in Rabat, originally settled by the Phoenicians and later the Romans. The area has been well preserved, the garden was beautiful, and the entire site was interesting to walk around and observe. Particularly interesting were the number of stork nests perched on top of trees, columns and minarets- the nests are HUGE, and the birds sit atop structures and make a low clapping sound with their throats- a very unique sound. Of course, I tried capturing the sound on video and got more than I bargained for, with two storks taking off and fighting midair, resulting in one of the birds flying through an archway and in to the room I was standing in. All I heard was a lot of squawking and wings flapping- but by the time I turned my camera, he had pulled up and landed on of a wall. I thought I was going to get taken out by this big white beast of a bird, but it was more agile than I thought… thank goodness. Here’s a look at my amateur video skills- take note of the "clapping" sound he makes with his beak once he lands.
One difference I noticed right away was that teachers do not stay in a certain classroom- they travel, usually with their papers and perhaps chalk or a dry-erase marker. After class is finished, they lock the door to the room and then proceed to the teacher's lounge or even go home. Teachers have 20hrs of face to face time with their students each week, so some teachers only work in the morning, afternoon, or weekends. Many of these teachers supplement their income during this time by teaching at a private school or at a language center. The faculty lounge was buzzing with between classes, with many of the teachers purchasing mint tea and cookies as they prepare for their next classes. This is very different from my work, as I am responsible for hallway behaviors between classes and we do not have a faculty lounge. I was envious of the Moroccan culture's emphasis on nurturing social relationships just as much as professional relationships. Many of the teachers would even greet each other with a hug and a a kiss on each cheek (between women), and they would do this again as they parted ways. This is very different from American teachers- I am pretty certain if I tried to hug my colleagues (even those I am close to) every time I saw them, I would likely appear awkward. Instead of hugging, most of the men would instead shake hands, again upon first seeing someone and when parting. Our host, Khadija, taught English language classes and was clearly well liked by both her students and colleagues. We were able to interact with her students several times, once while observing their classes, again when we taught our lesson about American history and current issues, and then again when working on cultural exchange information. Many of these students were also involved in the English Speaking Competition that we had attended. Here you can see that the classroom walls are quite bare, with the exception of the Moroccan flag. There is no air conditioning, but fortunately it was not too hot on the days we were there. In terms of technology, there is only one computer on the campus, in the headmaster's office. For our presentation we had to set up a projector and white screen- and to think I complain about my SMARTboard needing reconfigured! I am so spoiled to have the resources that I do! Although there were not any technology resources used in the classrooms, I noticed that nearly every student had a cell phone- many of them smart phones. (Interesting side note- They call cell phones "mobiles") These students were just like my students- not using the phones to make calls, but to use for texting and social media. Much to my surprise, the Moroccan students seemed very involved in facebook, twitter, instagram and skype- in fact, a few of my American students traded twitter handles and facebook pages with Moroccan students, and continued to learn more about each other and their lives. While at Lalla Amina, we were also able to sneak a peak at the classroom of Khadija's friend and colleague, Laila. Laila was teaching the English language to 9th grade students. The students were working together to create and write a narrative about traveling on vacation together. I really enjoyed walking around the room to hear the stories her students were developing. I also really appreciated seeing this age group, as I also teach 9th grade students. Laila really seemed to know her students well and I could tell she was a very patient teacher. You may notice, the desks sit two students side-by-side. I thought that this close of proximity to others would cause distractions and horseplay, but students seemed to be very mature about the arrangement. I wonder if this is due to stronger discipline at the elementary school level, or perhaps because they are accustomed to sitting this close. This is an example of Amazigh folk music (Berber)- this is NOT what teenagers listen to, but the singer, Mohamed Rouicha is a well known folk artist. Enjoy! The videos below are more of something a teenager would listen to. Thank you to Ms. Chavez-Miller's class for asking about Moroccan money. The photo to the left shows 4 Moroccan coins. The coin on the far left is 10 dirham, it has the Moroccan seal on the silver part of the coin and is surrounded by a gold with the date on the outside edge. I have photographed two 5 dirham coins, the one on the top is an earlier version and the one on the bottom is the newest (notice the gold and silver). Both 5 dirham coins can be used in money transactions. The coin second from the left is a 1 dirham coin. These are very popular and I would imagine, the most used coin. It also has the crest, or seal of Morocco. The coin on the far right, is a U.S. quarter, just for size reference. This is a 1oo dirham bill, with the King Mohammed VI, his father King Mohammed V and Sultan Hassan II. King Mohammed VI is the current king, and his photo is everywhere- in shops, classrooms, or just in the streets. Remember, he is considered a descendent of the Prophet Muhammed. This is a 200 dirham bill, again with King Mohammed VI, his father King Mohammed V, and King Hassan II. What is the exchange rate? Use the tool below to find out what the current exchange rate is between U.S. dollars and Moroccan dirhams (MAD). Then consider the following questions:
1. If lunch in Morocco cost 50 dirhams, how many U.S. dollars would you be paying? 2. I paid 6 dirhams for a large bottle of water, how many U.S. dollars did I spend? 3. My hotel room costs 600 dirhams, how many U.S. dollars will I be spending? Today we took the train to Fez (Fes) for a guided tour. What an incredible city, with so much history shown in the layout of the medinas and the architecture of the buildings. The first photo is the Royal Palace of Fez, Dar el Makhzen, (the king has many palaces throughout Morocco). In the next photo, I am holding an incredibly helpful language guide created by a thoughtful young student who thought I might need some assistance communicating in Morocco. This is a gift I have used a great deal since arriving, and in the guide she mentioned that I must go visit Fez. Here I am in Fez, Gelilla, with your handy guide at my side! Thank you so very much for the time and effort you put in to making this for me, it will be a gift I treasure for years (and travels) to come! Within the old medina, we came across many merchants selling food- including live chickens. I wish I could have somehow captured the smell of the medina souk, as it was such a unique sensory experience. You would come across the pleasant smells of rose oil, mint, lavender, and bread baking, but then just as quickly be assaulted with the smell of tanning chemicals, urine, or the sharp smell of olives. If you love the smell of olives- you would have been in heaven. Of all the foods in the world, I only dislike two- raw oysters, and you guessed it; olives. We were walking down one of the narrow streets, when we saw a door open to our left. Inside, there was a room below street level, with stairs leading to another room below street level, where there were people baking fresh loaves of bread. Young boys were running back and forth from the medina, taking bread to merchants, shops, or restaurants. My travel partner, Laura, had the genius idea to buy some directly from the bakers- still warm and so good! I will miss all of the fresh bread when I leave Morocco! Yes, donkeys are allowed... in fact, they are pretty much the only form of transportation allowed in the souk, an area of the old medina where food is sold. I had to train my ears to hear the word, "balek!" which meant "look out!" in order to get out of the way before getting run over by a donkey or a person hauling a heavy load. Every now and then, when meandering through the medina, we came across stores selling djellabas, the traditional dress worn by Moroccan women. Today women primarily wear these to weddings and festivals. There was a neighborhood of Fes where tailors lived and worked (shop on the main level and their homes above). We were told that this was the place to buy djellabas, as you could be sure they would be of good quality. We saw hundreds of rugs at a carpet cooperative while in Fes. The company teaches primarily unwed mothers to weave these beautiful carpets and tapestries in order to create income for themeselves and their families. We were welcomed with tea, of course, and shown the many different stypes of carpet. The cost of each carpet depends on the number of knots tied, the dyes used, and the amount of detail in the designs. As I mentioned above, there were neighborhoods for different kinds of craftsmenship, one being the leather working area. The tanneries are on top of buildings in this neighborhood and the smell is pretty terrible- I learned that the large vats of dye have not only chemicals in them, but also pigeon excrement. The men use the same method that have been used for hundred of years, using their feet to stomp the hides of goats and sheep in to the vats of dye. Workers are not paid well, and the job is difficult- particularly in the summers, when the sun is most intense and temperatures can reach the mid-90s. When you tour this area, you are given mint to hold to your nose. Students at Khadija's school auditioned for a spot in the yearly public speaking competition, which was held on Friday evening. Students were given a theme (this year's theme was "be the change you want to see in the world" by Gandhi) and were then asked to write and orate a speech in English. The presentations were very, very good- I was incredibly impressed by the students' command of the English language. I had the difficult task of serving on the judging panel, but enjoyed not only the speeches, but also the musical and dramatic performances performed by students between competitors. I have posted a few photos below, the one on the left is of my fellow judges, and on the right is Ms. Khadijda and the winner of this year's competition. Between speakers, we had the pleasure of watching performances by some of Meknes' most talented students! This morning Khadija met us at the hotel and then we walked to a café for breakfast. The café was brand new, with a glass exterior that allows people to look out over old Meknes city. We ate outside, as it was a beautiful morning and Khadija explained that the city of Meknes had taken on an initiative to make a nearby green space safe and clean for citizens. There were many people jogging and stopping to do exercises and two guards periodically make their rounds on bicycles. Upon finishing our breakfast, we walked in to the city (new city- with a much more prominent French influence) and observed very large homes on our walk. The houses were really quite beautiful but many appeared to be abandoned or in disrepair. We asked Khadija about this and she mentioned that many people once lived in a house with their extended family, but that tradition has becomeless common. Many children are choosing to move to different cities in Morocco or may even move to Europe for better economic opportunities. If a family owned a home, and the elders died, the home may no longer be important to the family, yet they do not sell it. Unfortunately this means Morocco is dotted with abandoned homes that become an eye sore for citizens and visitors alike. We ended up at the plaza in front of Khadija's school, where we stopped at a photography shop to check on photos taken during the public speaking competition last night. Next, we walked to the produce market- large stands of olives, prunes, dates, figs, avocadoes, strawberries, bread, and spices. With Khadija's help, I purchased some cinnamon and cardamom to use in coffee- we tried this at her house and it was not only delicious, but the smell was wonderful! On our way out of the market, we took a photo of a beautiful array of cookies and pastries- there is no shortage of sweets here! We walked back to the hotel and Laura and I sat out by the pool to work on our blogs and lessons for the week ahead. The weather has been incredible here- not much warmer than 70 degrees, nor cooler than 50 degrees- low humidity (or at least low compared to warm days in Missouri!) and clear skies. It has only sprinkled on us a few times, and only once have we seen an actual rain shower... knock on wood... which, by the way, is a saying the Moroccan students know well- they are remarkable in their understanding and use of the English language. |
AuthorI'm a high school AP geography and world history teacher, traveling to Morocco with Teachers for Global Classrooms to bring cultural insight back to my community. Archives
May 2014
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