As a first-time blogger on this trip, I first tried to chronicle my visit by blogging about each day's events, sites visited, and lessons learned. As the days went on, themes began to emerge and I found myself reflecting on some of these overarching themes in addition to capturing a day's events. As a result, readers will notice that some blog posts focus on a single day, while others capture a musing, thought, idea, or issue based on several days of observations.
Scroll all the way to the bottom to read my Morocco blog sequentially! To jump to a particular post of interest, see the "Table of Contents" (below) with titles and links to each blog post. Note: Stay tuned for a few final edits as I polish text, add more photos and videos, and add captions to each photo. Table of Contents Pre-Departure Posts: -Departure in T-12 Days -Shukran! Thank you to my Colleagues, Students, and Community! -Meskouta and Mint Tea: A Try at a Moroccan Sweet En Route: -DTW-CDG: Bon Voyage -Program Rendezvous Point: Paris Arrival in Casablanca: -Aéroport Casablanca Mohammed V: A Warm Welcome and Counting Moroccan Flags Welcome to Rabat: -Monday Morning Video: From the West Coast to the Midwest, Greetings from Rabat -Welcome to Rabat, Day 1: Linguistics, Land, and Lessons from Moroccan Teachers -Rabat Day 2: Innovation and Preservation -Moroccan Musing Act I: "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" Effect - The Impact of Immersion -Morocco Flag Count: An Update -US-Morocco Literature Links: Who Knew? -Rabat Day 3: Education, Old and New Day Trip to Fès: -Day 4: Tiles, Tanneries, and Time Travel. It's Fès! Casablanca, Part I: -US-Morocco Literature Links: Part II -If You Build It, People Will Thrive: Architecture and Educational Planning -Moroccan Musing Act II: Plot Twist (Kind Of) - Culture, Clothing, and Casablanca -Plot Twist, Part II: Educational Reforms and Language Instruction in Morocco -A Site Visit: The Magnificent Hassan II Mosque -Moroccan Hotel Piano Bars, and Introducing Meisha -It's Complicated: Gender Dynamics in Morocco Host City Week in Fès: -Host Teacher Week...Introducing Hassan! -My Guiding Question: Student Engagement, Communication Skills, and Gender Parity -Lunch at Hicham's: A Moroccan Wedding Meal, Money Matters, and the Old Medina -Host City Visit Day 1: The ABCs of Fès -Host City Visit Day 2: One Day, Three Schools -Host City Visit Day 3: Human Rights, Student Tour Guide Heba, and A Visit to a Riad -Moroccan Musing Act III: Updates from Deep in the Desert -The Teacher's Lounge -Host City Day 4: Public Speaking and Co-Teaching -Car Talk with Hicham: What is Strange or Different? -Host City Day 5: Co-Teaching, the Blue Gate Cafe. and Friday Couscous -It's a Small, Small World: Ann Arbor x Fès x Indonesia x Oregon -Host City Day 6: Saturday School, A VIP-Behind-the-Scenes Shopping Trip, and the Sounds of the Soufie -It's Time to Say Goodbye to Fès Return to Casablanca: -Casablanca Culture, Calligraphy, a Cameo Appearance, and Le Cabestan -Moroccan Musing Act IV: The Verdict on the Desert -Simply the Best: An Emblematic Song to Capture the Experience Guiding Question: Findings and Reflections To read about my guiding question and what I discovered in Morocco, click HERE.
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April 29–
The last night in Casablanca. Some of us couldn't bear to go to bed. Casablanca beckoned. A few of my colleagues and I headed a few blocks over from our hotel to get one last breath of Casablanca. An memorable final night in Casablanca ensued. We found ourselves at an Irish-themed establishment, warmly welcomed by Moroccan waiters, serenaded by a Portuguese singer, and surprised when the singer offered an American woman the microphone. Moments later, she sang a perfect rendition of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best," most recently acclaimed on the Canadian tv show "Schitt's Creek." A truly transnational experience - a 'melting pot' of culture in one unassuming, friendly spot in Casablanca. And we all agreed that the song title - "Simply the Best" - was meant to be. It's like she was singing to straight to us, encapsulating our experience in just a few minutes time. We all feel so grateful for all that we've learned- In just 2 1/2 weeks in Morocco, we have had the experience of a lifetime, one that was indeed simply the best. The incredible Moroccan friendliness, generosity, and warmth began the moment we touched down in Casablanca, and continued to highlight each and every day. I can only say that I will be counting down the days until I can return to Morocco to learn more and reconnect with those who showed us their beautiful country. April 29--
Well, we all wondered how the story would end with Marc, Michael, and their Seinfeld-esque visit to the desert town of Taroudant. Did the desert live up to the early reports as being some kind of magic? Or did the Brooklyn-like Casablanca win Marc's heart over more? More importantly, perhaps, what was Marc wearing? As you may recall from the earlier posts - I reflect on Marc's wardrobe choices and their parallels to his immersion and love for a new place here, during our first stop in Rabat, here after a few more days in Casablanca, and, most recently here after Marc and Michael first arrived in Taroudant. Well, the photos below might just speak for themselves. A few late-breaking photos arrived just before we all convened back in Casablanca for a debrief, and it looks like the desert was indeed magical for Marc and Michael. Did they miss their flight and stay on, never to appear in the city again? Not quite. But in the end, the truth is that we can fall in love with multiple places, begin to dress like locals and blend in a little (especially when the locals share their cultural garb), and head home slightly different, maybe even changed, after a visit with friendly and welcoming people in another land. [Photos to come!]
April 29-- On our final full day in Morocco as a group, MACECE once again had another wonderful day in store for us. We began with a debrief, during which we learned about everyone's host teacher week. We then moved on to a calligraphy workshop - amazing. Then, I had yet another small world moment and the most incredible cameo appearance. Then, last but definitely not least, we had a farewell dinner at Le Cabestan, a fabulous restaurant with views of the Atlantic Ocean. [Photos to come!]
April 27-- It's our final morning in Fès, and - sadly - time to say goodbye. I began the morning with my usual breakfast at the hotel - and met a new friend! Sedik, one of the morning breakfast servers, introduced himself. We had a lively conversation about my visit, the US, Morocco, language and linguistics, and more. After our conversation, Hicham picked us up and dropped us at the train station. We said our farewells and enjoyed a quiet train ride back to Casablanca. Upon arrival at the Idou Anfa Hotel, we reconnected with our friends and compared notes at a hotel balcony - it felt like the Twilight Zone, as my colleague Bianca noted. We'd been gone only six days, but it felt like longer. After more reconnecting, some downtime back at our hotel, and dinner out, I thought we might call it a night. But instead, our colleague Marc (yes, that colleague - the star of the Seinfeld-in-the-Desert episode) suggested we visit the Casablanca Irish Bar. It did not disappoint! [Photos and videos to come!]
April 27-- It's our last full day in Fès, and Hicham has yet another packed and exciting day in store for us. We'll go to Saturday school, visit the old medina once more for a special visit to tanneries and textile shops. Midday, we'll order room service! And for our final, closing ceremories, we'll get to go to see a concert with the whirling dervishes. Wow! [Photos and Videos to Come!] April 26-- One of my students texted me while I was sitting at a cafe a stone's throw from the famous Blue Gate in Fès. Our host teacher was off to his Friday prayer and dropped us at the amazing Blue Gate Cafe. As we enjoyed freshly squeezed lemonade with a view, I received a text from a student back home. She was sitting in my 1st hour class, just after 8am EST, and wondering which assignment she should prioritize since she had missed some school that week. As I began to type my reply, I remembered that she had lived in Indonesia. I also remembered that my colleague Whitney, who was also sipping freshly squeezed lemonade across the table from me, had shared some stories about teaching in Indonesia. Before I share the rest of this 'small world' story, a quick flashback is in order… Yesterday, as we were judging a public speaking competition at one of the private schools, Whitney commented that the school design reminded him of Indonesia. Then this morning, our host Hicham took us to a beautiful park in Fès and Whitney pointed out an interesting bamboo structure. I commented that the building was very cool and that there seemed to be bamboo everywhere. Hicham told us that bamboo is good because it’s so strong, and Whitney said, "Have you ever heard of the Green School in Indonesia? It’s the coolest place ever. It’s completely made of bamboo." Okay, back to the Blue Gate Cafe and my text exchange with my student. I decided to share that my colleague Whitney taught for two years in Indonesia, since I knew she enjoyed her time there. Here’s what happened next [photo coming!] Then we decided to make her a video. [coming soon!] In the end, it was a moment to remember. Somehow, I found myself drinking lemonade in a rooftop cafe just feet away from the UNESCO world heritage Blue Gate, talking to Whitney from Oregon and Lisa-Erika from NYC (whose parents live in my hometown Ann Arbor) and whose mom and aunt, as you saw in the video, went to the high school where I teach.). And because we had a moment alone while our endlessly energetic host teacher Hicham completed his Friday prayer, I had a moment to read my texts as they came in. And because I decided to mention to my student that I was sitting at that moment with a teacher who used to teach in Indonesia, we discovered an incredibly serendipitous connection. The exchange far far away took me closer to home, actually, and I learned even more about my student in a five minute span than I had I had in months back home. It was, as my student Maggie said in her text “wild.” In fact, I had a profoundly multimedia communication moment when we made yet one more connection between Maggie and Whitney’s experience - just as I read her texts aloud to Whitney and he said “this is wild,” her text came through a fraction of a second later. To realize that small world moments like this can happen at the most unexpected times and in the most surprising places was breathtaking and grounding at the same time. And sometimes I guess I knew that traveling around the world connects you to other people’s stories, but what I didn't quite realize that travel can perhaps even help you learn more about the people you see every day back home. April 26-- Today, I got to co-teach at another school, visit the lovely Blue Gate Cafe, have Friday couscous at Hicham's house, and even learn some Moroccan geometry! It was another gold star day! After Friday morning classes, we headed to the Blue Gate Cafe for a bit of a break while Hicham did his Friday prayers. What a lovely place he selected for us to relax, take in the views, and sip lemonade! After an amazing visit to the Blue Gate Cafe (complete with an unexpected small world moment - chronicled in another blog post to come!), it was time for Friday couscous. We've been looking forward to this meal all week, and it did not disappoint. Hicham's wife prepared a feast for us, and everything was delicious. After lunch, we headed into the medina and ended up at a wonderful Moroccan geometry workshop. It was wonderful to see how students were leading the workshop and we learned how some of the tiled patterns came to be. My colleague Whitney especially enjoyed creating geometric patterns as a math teacher with a love for shapes.
In the midst of our host teacher week, in between running around from school to school, from cultural site to medina, Hicham turned down the radio as we were driving around Fès one day and posed what I thought was probably the question that we are all reflecting on but perhaps not talking about out loud. He said, "Well, what have you found strange or different or unexpected here in Fès and in Morocco?" It was a great moment for us to think out loud, reflect, and share our thinking. The list that I came up with immediately: School bells Furniture/couches Car lock sound Dinner time 10pm Yalla yalla Diversity of clothing! Jellaba with hood storage Footwear it’s real! Pointed slippers School uniforms Teacher lab coats Classrooms and tech Student patience Phone rules No hookahs or hummus Pastilla Mint tea Speaking competition Welcoming everywhere! Teacher teacher Cous cous Fridays I could probably write a blog post on each of these words and phrases! But all in all it was great car conversation - and we even got Hicham to talk about his experience in Arizona and in the US. A perfect exchange of ideas - and reflection on what we have noticed. April 25-- Today, we had the extraordinary experience of participating on the jury for a public speaking competition and co-teaching with Hicham. It was a day of firsts for me. First time on a jury for a public speaking competition and first time teaching outside the US. Indeed, a day for the books. But first (and again), here's a photo of the amazing sunrise outside my hotel room. Apparently it's too hard to sleep when there is so much to see! After this spectacular sunrise, it was time for school. Hicham picked us up at the hotel and we headed to our next school visit. After a school tour, we got set up and ready to judge a roomful of eager student speakers. After all of the competitors presented their persuasive speeches, I was tapped to say a few words to all of the students and to acknowledge their hard work. It wasn't hard to find the words, since the students truly put in maximum effort, enthusiasm, and work in preparation for this competition. Many of the students even memorized their entire speeches! After the competition, I even got to meet and take photos with some of the student competitors. After this very successful morning visit, we took a short break and I prepared a lesson to teach for the afternoon. Exciting moments in store - my first real teaching experience in Morocco! I decided to share my students' book "This is Pioneer" and teach a lesson using my students' photos to introduce American culture to Moroccan high school students. I also planned to teach them how to write a letter to my students using sentence stems. Without projectors, computers, and slideshows, it felt like I was stepping back into my earlier days of teaching - just a whiteboard, some books with text and image, and pencil and paper. It felt refreshing, but also a bit challenging since we have become so accustomed to teaching with technology each day. Luckily, the student were excited to learn about my students and their high school experience. We talked about what high school students in America like to do and compared it to what it is like to be a student in Morocco. It was great fun to feel like I was connecting students in Ann Arbor to students in Fès, even if they couldn't do it in the moment. In all, it was uplifting to connect with and see that teaching students in a classroom thousands of miles away isn't all that different at its core - we are all just looking to share language, connect with others, and learn about the world and how to make it just a little bit smaller.
April 24-- The mythology and mystique of the teacher's lounge has always been a part of the American education system, at least for me. As an elementary student, I remember we all used to walk by the teachers lounge, even try to subtly peek in if the door was cracked, to see exactly what was happening behind the door. What was in there? What were the teachers doing? What did it look like? It was a mystery that students would never be privy to. As I moved on my my education, those questions continued and , as memory serves, the student gossip and curiosity became more nuanced in some ways. What kinds of conversations were teachers having? What were they eating? Were they talking about us in there? As I think back, I remember those questions crossed my mind each time I walked past the “teacher's lounge” placard at my middle and high school. As an adult and new teacher, the teacher's lounge took on a whole new identity. It was a place for me to learn and watch my seasoned colleagues, to receive advice, to accept the gift of a flash lesson plan when I needed it most - the phrase “here’s what you do” were the most welcome and cherished words as a new teacher…a million thank yous to Suzanne MacLehose and Doug Paulsen from my Darien High School days in Connecticut!) In the teacher's lounge, I watched how others coped with and found joy in teaching. It was in those often nondescript spaces with just a few computer monitors, a xerox copy machine, and a big lunch table. In the few years in the early 2000s, I took a break from teaching and I can’t say I missed the teacher's lounge all that much. But I also found incredible joy in listening to the incredibly creative storyteller and singer Bill Harley's song “The Teachers Lounge,” which captures how a teacher's lounge can be a magical place. (Sidebar: Bill Harley is amazing. Listen to his stories. You will not regret it!). In any case, even while I was on a break from teaching, the lore of the teacher's lounge was still there…. One of the huge privileges we found during our visit to schools in Morocco was the open-arms welcome into each building's teacher's lounge. Well, this wasn’t just restricted to teacher's lounges…we were welcomed *everywhere*. But as we were invited to enter the first lounge, we walked in with that sense of exhilaration that always comes with stepping into a restricted space…how lucky we were, we told ourselves, but even more importantly…what would we see?! What lay behind the doors of the teacher's lounge never disappointed. As we stepped inside, we found a warmth, a space with colorful “sectional” Moroccan style couches, always heartfelt welcomes and embraces, and endless curiosity about who we were and why we were visiting. And always tea and cakes! The teacher's lounges we visited were among some of our most beloved moments during our stay in Fès, and we marveled at the camaraderie between educators as they sat with their tea, heads leaning into one another, mingling and perhaps sharing reflections on their day of teaching or perhaps just sharing stories unrelated to school. We were fortunate to see many teacher's lounges since our multitalented host teacher Hicham works at two schools this year. Plus, he took us to many other schools and at each, we were invited into principal's offices, classrooms, and teacher's lounges each time. We saw the sectional couches in each, the teacher's lockers for supplies, and the tables for tea. We also found that these visits to teacher's lounges often prompted or led us to talk about the similarities and differences between American and Moroccan schools, and particular teachers’ experiences. Some questions that came up as we connected in various teachers lounges: Do you have budget cuts too? How many classes do you teach? What hours are students in school? What supplies are available to you? What kind of cake is this? We had so many questions. On one of our last days, we shared some of the financial concerns our schools face, and learned that Moroccan teachers face much the same struggle for appropriate pay. We even learned that they were on strike and public schools in Morocco were closed for two months, in September and October of 2024. We learned that teachers were then given a 1500 dirham raise over the next two years (750 dirhams per year) and back to school they went. In any case, teacher's lounges, places I didn’t really think too much about pre-departure, turned out to be important settings in our exchange experience story. And the bonus: We got to once again feel that exhilaration of stepping into a space that still feels “off limits” and thus thrilling.
April 24-- As with all good stories, one plot twist (or even two) isn’t enough. Marc checked in this morning from Taroudant. He's there with another colleague Michael from La. Let’s go back in time for a moment, since there’s some key information about their placement in a desert town that’s important to know. Back in January, when we first got our placements, Marc texted our large “Morocco field visit 2024 group” with a few one liners. The first one was especially memorable. He said something like, "It’s like a Seinfeld episode. They send the guys from LA and NYC to the desert lol.” Well, I scrolled way up in the group chat and took a screen shot of the actual comment. Here it is: At that point most of us didn’t know Marc. At all. But of course I for one was instantly intrigued. And amused. I couldn't wait to watch this Seinfeld episode. Well, now it’s begun. As the rest of us were stopped at the beautiful Casablanca train station, Marc and Michael took a taxi to the Casablanca airport. While the rest of us boarded our trains without a hitch, Marc and Michael hit a glitch. They were bumped from their flight. You can read a little of the sequence of events in our group chat - we all report on successful and joyful arrivals while Marc, with his signature wit, checks in from the Casablanca airport. Finally, after lots of back and forth (and loads of help from our amazing leader Meryem), Marc and Michael were rebooked on a new flight hours later. Late that evening, Marc and Michael arrived in Taroudant and sent a quick (one-liner) report: We were delighted when they sent a quick photo with their host teacher: And the early reports coming in indicate that the desert is indeed as “vibe-y” as Casablanca, but surely in a different way. I even overheard the word “magical” being thrown around. Will the allure of the Moroccan desert overshadow the cool Casablanca vibe? More to come, surely.
Host City Day 3: Human Rights, Student Tour Guide Heba, and a Traditional Moroccan Guest House7/24/2024 April 24— It's Day 3 of our host city visit and I am awake just before sunrise again. Here are a few photos out my hotel window. Today, we began our day at Lycee Moulay Slimane High School, the public school where Hicham is assigned for his teaching duties this year. It turned out to be an outstanding After a tour of the school grounds, it was time to watch a master teacher. This was our first big highlight today! Hicham led us to Fulbrighter Saafa El Youssfi's English classroom. What followed was a master class in teaching, student engagement, and integrating real-world issues into the classroom. Saafa began by reviewing Human Rights Violations with her students. She asked students to help her brainstorm a list of human rights violations, which she recorded on the board. To prompt her students, she pulled up images on her phone, walked them around the room so each student could see the image, and then asked which human rights violation they were seeing. The list on the board began to grow. Once Saafa feels she has a long enough list, she reviews each item, makes sure students understand (in English, of course), the meaning of each violation. Then she asks students if these violations exist in Morocco - and the students answer "yes" to each. It was a moment of self reflection on the country they all love - and powerful to witness. She asked, "do we have child labor here in Morocco?" and the students simultaneously answered, "Yes." And down the list they went. The next step in the lesson was to take action by drafting a letter to the United Nations. Here is the template she provided: Before students began writing, she had them meet in small groups to select the violation to focus on and begin drafting the letter together. After the small group meetings, students reported out. Saafa then told them they would finish their letters during the next class and it was time to wrap up. She took a moment at the end so we could give her students some gifts from our home towns. I shared pins and stickers! Students were very grateful to learn about our home states and we had a moment to connect with a few students. We took some photos that also capture something unique about Saafa's classroom: She has some nice decorations and bookshelves - Hicham pointed this out as really nice and unique. After class with Saafa, it was time for another unexpected and big highlight: We got an afternoon tour with student leader Heba! I realized very quickly that Heba would be prominent 'character' as I reflect on the story of Moroccan schools. My guiding question, how are Moroccan schools promoting gender parity, was on my mind as Heba confidently led us around the school grounds, in and out of classrooms, and shared her role as Club President for the "Girls in ICT" STEM group. She was a stunning example of a strong female student who was confident, curious, and ambitious about her future in STEM. I even to to talk about favorite books with her - I learned that she is a voracious reader. After this enlightening afternoon at Moulay Slimane HS, it was time to say goodbye and head back on to our evening itinerary. Hicham knew we were interested in visiting a traditional Moroccan guest house - a riad. Before we arrived in Morocco, we Zoomed with Hicham and mentioned that some of our colleagues would be staying in riads instead of standard hotels. He told us that our hotel was much more convenient - and affordable - for our week in Fès. However, he didn't forget our interest, and this evening he took us to a majestic riad that also happened to be owned by a friend. It was being refurbished and thus was not operational, but he said we could visit, have a tour, eat dinner there, and meet the caretaker. It turned out we had the riad to ourselves! What a place. Here are some photos and a video - I tried to capture the detailed tilework, the ornate furniture, the plunge pool, and the incredible bedrooms. We ate dinner at the lovely wooden tables with Yuki, the caretaker (a character who could literally be in a movie) and then said our farewells to the riad. Hicham walked us back through the medina so we could head to our hotel. We once again admired the shops filled with slippers, carpets, books, and more. Hicham continued his work as the 'mayor' of Fès, stopping to say hello to people along the way. Tired but incredibly fufilled, we headed back to the hotel after another culturally and educationally spectacular day!
A Reading Challenge Competition, World Book Day, and more.April 23-- Day 2 was a very busy day in Fès! We began with a peaceful breakfast at the hotel. I especially enjoyed selecting sugar cubes from a mini-tagine for my coffee. After breakfast, Hicham picked us up and took us to Marguerite School for a tour and to be on the jury for a reading competition. After visiting classrooms and meeting the administrative leaders and some teachers, we sat down to prepare for our task as jury members. It was my first time on a jury for a competition. It felt very official! It was fascinating to watch how seriously the students prepared for this competition and how patient they were as the adults set up, reviewed the rubric, and got things in order. Their eagerness to participate was endearing and admirable! After the prizes were awarded, we said our farewells. It was a wonderful way to learn about how reading, public speaking, and preparing for competition all play a role in Moroccan classrooms and schools. Another notable takeaway came when we noticed a young student crying after she did not win one of the top awards. Hicham pointed her out and said, "Can you see that she is crying? That is okay. It means she cares. That is a good thing." It was an excellent final thought as we watched Hicham approach and congratulate the winners but also those who worked hard and cared about their performance. After saying farewell to Marguerite School, we drove to the ALC Cafe for a quick lunch and to check in on the World Book Day festivities. We found the ALC and its courtyard cafe to be a true place that creates community and connects people. We sat at a table and quickly met Ayoub (pictured below) who is an expert on the Fès medina, a photographer, and perhaps also one of the most proud residents of Fès. He shared many new facts about the medina as well as some of the ALC initiatives he supports. We immediately started following his instagram site @ayoub_louizi, which features beautiful sites in Fès! After our visit to the ALC Cafe, we headed to a school that is very close to Hicham's heart: Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS. While he is placed at a public high school this school year, he made it clear that this is the school where he feels most at home. We visited specifically to see a special Moroccan student presentation entitled "The Heritage." After visiting a math class, we had the great honor to watch a class skit-like performance entitled "The Moroccan Heritage." The students set up all kinds of Moroccan artifacts at the back of the classroom, which we were invited to view. It was like a mini-museum! Next, they presented a play (in English) to tell the story of young Moroccans and their relationships with each other. It was charming, and we especially enjoyed how they embedded Moroccan clothing and artifacts to recognize and honor those items in a public space. We learned a lot! While I couldn't take photos of the students during the performance, the classroom with the artifact-set up appears below. When the principal appeared towards the middle of our visit, Hicham motioned for him to come and meet us. We didn't yet know who he was, but Hicham put his arm around his shoulder, turned to us, and said, "This is the greatest man in the world. This is my principal." Wow! Once again, we noticed the positive relationships that Hicham nurtures and values, and admired how this made a school feel warm and friendly immediately. After our visit to Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS, Hicham took us to a scenic overlook not far from the school. The views of Fès were stunning! After visiting Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS, we headed back to central Fès so Hicham could prepare for his American Language Center evening Adult Class. We had another moment to relax in the courtyard, then headed into a different classroom to meet Hicham's adult students. We introduced ourselves, and then each student told us their name, age, and their line of work. It was incredible to hear the range of fields! There was a chemistry PhD student, a tannery owner, a businesswomen, and more. We watched again as Hicham engaged students, used the whiteboard, and projected the textbook content on the tv in the classroom. During the evening class, Whitney, Lisa-Erika, and I got to learn about a new Moroccan dish from the students: Pastilla. Each student shared their favorite food and many said "pastilla." We had not heard of it, so after class, Whitney and I headed out for a late (9:45pm! ) dinner to try it out. It was delicious, and also quite unlike anything I had tried before. Here's a recipe for pastilla that I plan to try out sometime! It was a great way to end a very busy day of learning! Before I fell asleep, I wanted to share some details of the last two days with my 9th grade PASS students, so I made them a video overview. Here it is! Introducing the American Language Center, Books and Bookstores, and a Classroom visitApril 22— Good Monday Morning! I was so excited about my first full day in Fès and the upcoming school visits that I woke up before sunrise and watched the sun rise out my hotel room window. Today, our first day in Fès, Hicham met us in the lobby and told us we would visit the private school where he works, the American Language Center of Fès. The ALC turned out to be very close to our hotel, so within moments, we arrived, walked through the gates, and immediately saw this lovely sign: Much to our delight, Hicham took us straight to the ALC bookshop to learn more about the planned World Book Day events which is TOMORROW! Shortly after, we moved to the ALC library, another space where we all agreed we could spend hours. To our delight, the librarian was setting up for world book day tomorrow! She told us about all of the events, some of which we may be able to attend! I asked for some Moroccan reading recommendations, and the ALC librarian and ALC director gave me a few suggestions. I asked if they knew The King's Fool, a title that was just recommended to me in Casablanca. I started reading the sample on Amazon on the train, so I was curious if this was a well-known text. The director said, "I just bought that book!" And Hicham, my host teacher said, "Aha, it all comes together!" Indeed it does. In any case, I walked out with a hard copy of The King's Fool, a Moroccan mystery novel entitled, and a book by Turkish author Elif Shafak. Pioworldlit students Cole, Eric and Gio…partly thanks to you, overlooked no more?!? Can’t wait to start reading! After our visit to the ALC bookstore, Hicham and the ALC director Christian Sinclair led us on a tour, beginning with this aesthetically stunning classroom: He said they teach the English students Arabic in this room, as the Arabic students teaching English “wouldn’t appreciate it.” We of course were floored by the ceiling (not sure what rhetorical or literary technique that is but there must be something about ironic reversal) as well as the intricate detail in literally every surface of the room. Also interesting to notice the cracks, as result of “many earthquakes” since the building opened in 1930. After gushing over the room and learning the building was once the French consulate(!), we visited the teachers lounge, where we felt right at home: Hicham showed us his teacher locker, we admired the art on the walls, and chatted more about his schedule of classes (mostly in the late afternoon or evenings.) We learned more about the history of the ALC from the director Christian and Hicham. What an incredible exchange of ideas about how a program runs and how to teach language. After a visit to the cafe in the courtyard, Hemingway plus cats, we took a group photo after comparing notes on what people say to smile in different countries - what is better than to exchange ideas about at a language center? We were laughed at yesterday by Moroccan teenagers when they heard Hicham teach us "cheese" in Arabic before taking a photo, so we shared that story. The director also taught us a new phrase he’d learned at a language conference in Spain - will add once I find my notes on what that phrase was! After the ALC visit, we hopped into Hicham's car to head to lunch. He needed to get his car fixed, so we set us up at an open-air lunch spot and made sure we were taken care of before he left for the garage. After lunch, he picked us up and we headed back to the hotel for a quick break before his Monday evening class. He teaches Mondays from 7-9pm, so we arrived an hour or so early to give him time to stop by his locker, pick up his books, and make sure he was prepared to teach his lesson. We had coffee and juice at the ALC cafe while he prepared in his classroom. About 10 minutes before class, we headed to his classroom to find a seat! Here is Hicham in the classroom. We found the long, narrow shape of the classroom interesting: Over the course of the evening, we observed his teaching style and admired how energetic and interactive he was with his students. The students in this private school class were mostly middle-school-aged, and their energy and enthusiasm were exciting to witness! I took lots of notes. Will add more of my observations later! We each got to introduce our home states - Lisa-Erika talked about New York City, Whitney shared images of Oregon, and I talked about Michigan and how the Mackinac Bridge connects the lower and upper peninsula. It was a great introduction to Hicham's teaching style, enthusiasm, and focus on making sure his students learn English skills as quickly as possible!
April 21--After a quick luggage drop at our hotel, the Across Hotel in Fés, Hicham took us to his home for lunch and conversation. We met his wife and twin sons, who graciously greeted us. He took us on a quick tour of his home (note the kitchen photo below) and told us lunch would be ready very soon. Shortly after our arrival, his wife served an extraordinary lunch, and we all sat around a table and learned that everyone shares from the same plate in Morocco. We also learned that silverware isn't so common. "This is what people eat at weddings," Hicham told us. As we ate, I admired the stylistic elements of a Moroccan home - beautiful tile on the walls, the rich fabric on the wall-to-wall couches, and the ever-present Moroccan tea set. As we dug into the delicious meal of chicken, olives, and fries, we learned that this is a meal often served at weddings. The conversation topic was, quite literally, all over the map. Of course football (soccer) came up almost immediately. We also talked about playwrights (Beckett), documentaries, culture, music, education, and teaching, of course. On tv while we ate was the Abu Dhabi National Geographic channel, and we even got to see a documentary on music in rural Moroccan communities. As we wrapped up our lunch and rich conversation, we heard Hicham tell us about his perception of how educators should be perceived: "We are the opportunity for our schools. Not we have an opportunity for you." A refreshing way of thinking for anyone who is set to join a company, organization, and especially a school system. After wrapping up lunch with the requisite tea and cakes, he showed us his stamp collection and then taught us the words for "let's go." "Yalla yalla," he said. And off to the old medina we went. Once we arrived at the medina, we stopped to take some photos in front of the famous "Blue Gate," then headed inside to do some shopping. Once again, even though we had visited Fès with our group, we were mesmerized by the maze of streets and alleyways and the old-world feel of it all. We marveled at the architecture, crafts, scents, and Sunday crowds in the medina. We also got to witness the real-world connections to one of our lectures in Casablanca just two days ago. Nawal Gharmili Sefrioui, the CEO of Orange Money Maroc, enlightened us on the topic of "Financial Inclusion." Today, in the Fès, we saw the day-to-day impacts of a country's financial situation on a shopping day in the market. During the lecture, we learned that Morocco is mostly a cash society, but that there are people and companies working hard to offer banking opportunities that are more inclusive. The result: Ease of payment for consumers and more options for business owners to receive payment. We learned about Orange Money and their efforts to offer consumers and business owners more autonomy, leading to economic growth. While we were intrigued by this lecture, it wasn't until we went shopping in Fès that we saw the ways that a more financial inclusivity can lead to economic growth: When one of my colleagues stopped at the ATM to get some shopping cash, she was unable to withdraw money. "Oh," Hicham told us, "the ATMs often run out of money on the weekends." We stopped at two additional ATMs with the same result. Aha, I thought, this is why mobile money and a company like Orange Money is so important to economic growth. For each consumer - tourist or local - who cannot withdraw money, there is a business owner who cannot make a sale that day. To learn more about Orange Money and its headquarters in Morocco, here's a nice press release from January of 2020. Luckily, we had enough cash to do a little shopping, and Hicham led us past shops with pottery, leather goods, books, crafts made from horns, Moroccan football jerseys, and more. One incredible highlight from this particular medina trip was our stop at a perfume shop. Hicham, as noted earlier, is connected to so many shopkeepers, business folks, and educators, and wanted to take us to a relative's shop. We ended up in this glorious, mirrored, immaculate shop. Everything smelled divine. We drank mint tea, sampled products, and walked away with beautiful vials of perfume. If you can believe it, after our evening visit to the medina, Hicham had even more in store for us! We ran into his dad on the street and quick stopped by to meet his sister and dad, just a five-minute walk from his own home. Then he led us back to his home again (mind you it is about 10pm at this time!). We walked up the stairs and found mint tea and sweets are waiting for us - a beautiful spread! We spent some more time talking about school, and asked about the homework load in Morocco. He said, "Moroccan students have a lot of homework and that is a problem. I must teach for the test or they will fail. But it is not effective way to teach how to communicate." He then went to his bookshelf and showed us his binder of plans. "Please take it with you to look," he said. Then he mentioned that we would have soup for dinner(!). His wife brought out a delicious homemade soup, bread, ricotta, dates and figs. It was an amazing evening treat! As we ate, his twin boys packed for school. He reflected a little on their childhood versus his own. He told us that children used to play outside all of the time, "I grew up playing games in the Medina. Now, tablets and tech have taken over." Sounds familiar! After dinner, he returned us our hotel for a night of rest. Tomorrow, our school visits will begin! The anticipation builds...
April 21—As I prepare for the first day in our week of school visits, I find myself taking a little time to reflect on my guiding, framing question. I began, months ago, thinking about how much I would like to observe how Moroccan teachers and schools engage students, prepare them to be confident speakers, and help them to engage in discussion. While engagement, speaking, and discussion are still very much what I will watch for, I realize that my interest in gender dynamics and gender parity in schools and society is just as important as these more pedagogical focus areas. My own teaching schedule at home consists of Contemporary World Literature, during which we often discuss world news stories about gender dynamics in different countries around the world. We also analyze the ways that writers address gender and portray characters as we study novels and literature. While we were in Rabat, I wrote about the lecture on gender dynamics and how one world news story in my class piqued my students' interest on gender in Morocco here. I continue to find myself even more intrigued with the ways that Morocco, so low on the World Economic Forum's "Gender Parity Index," addresses gender in schools and society.
Back at home, I also teach an all-female course called "Positive Peer Influence," which is a peer support and counseling class. In this class, we focus the ways that students can support their peers but also often discuss the ways that female-identifying students experience school. My final class is called "PASS," an acronym that stands for Pioneer Academic Success and Support. While both genders take this class, the students on my roster are the female students while my colleague - who I collaborate and team teach with daily - has the male students on his roster. So I find myself in a unique situation as an observer of Moroccan schools and society - I teach courses that explicitly address gender differences and student needs, and also in a country that ranks higher than Morocco in the "gender parity index." It seems to me that my guiding question needs to address gender in addition to student engagement, speaking, and discussion. So as this host school week commences, I'm going to frame my observations with this question: How do Moroccan schools and teachers ensure students are engaged in their learning and develop strong speaking and discussion skills while promoting gender parity in the classroom? I'm sure I'll continue to tweak this question, but I feel confident that it will give me lots to watch for in the coming days. April 21—After a wonderful week with my Fulbright teaching colleagues, we said farewell and took trains and planes to our host communities. Well, after a smooth and relaxing train ride from Casablana to Fès, my traveling partners and I have reached the cherry-on-top part of our trip - arrival at our host city Fés! Hicham, our energetic host teacher for the week, greeted us before we even stepped off the train onto the platform. He told us that he talked to the gate agent and told him he must get special permission to us on the platform. He said, “I told him I had VIP guests to meet.” Talk about another warm Moroccan welcome! Another note is that he had been in Brighton, England earlier that same day...He presented on the "5Cs" of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and on AI in education. We asked if he was tired. He said no, not at all. He insisted on carrying all of our luggage and we made our way to his car. In the coming days, we would learn that Hicham has the gift of connection; whether in the classroom, in the shops of the Medina, or at a cultural site, he would find a way to make a connection and make sure they we did as well. We also learned that connection is one of his "5 Cs" in the classroom too. We were seeing the C of "connection" in action - before we even enter his classroom. As I start to watch for the ways that my 'guiding question' plays out in schools and society — How do schools and teachers in Morocco maintain high levels of engagement and ensure gender parity and equal opportunity for all students? — I can see that connection will be at the top of the list in Hicham's pedagogy. We also quickly realized that we would be looked after every minute of each day, and that Hicham is "famous" on the streets of Fès. Flash forward: On the second evening of our stay in Fès, Hicham taught a class and the word “famous” came up as a vocabulary word. He explained to his students: “it means popular. Everyone knows you.” We couldn’t help but chime in, “It's like your teacher! Hicham is famous!” It only took us a few times in the car with him, only a single walk from the car to his home, one pass through the famous "Blue Gate" into the old Medina, for us to see that everyone knew him - and loved calling out to him. We heard, more times than we could count, shouts of "Hicham!", from our left, our right, behind us. Folks came out of their stalls to embrace him; they waved from motorcycles and on foot as we drove through traffic circles; they walked with purpose out of shops, classrooms, hallways to give him the “bro underhand high-five. (Not sure how to explain that one but that's my attempt. See above photo!) We even watched as he connected with the parking attendants on the streets each time we needed to find a parking spot once near the crowded edge of the old Medina. From the first day in Fès, we knew immediately that we would be well cared for - and well-connected - in Fès!
April 20—Before our arrival in Morocco, we received a packed agenda. As I look back at it now, I remember the early sense of excitement and anticipation, but also the mystery of it all. We would learn so much, obviously. On paper, sessions about the "Linguistic Landscape in Morocco," "Morocco's Effort in Sustainability," and "Gender Dynamics in Education" immediately caught my eye. So much of these one-liner titles have now come to life! Here's the full agenda: One of the sessions that I was most anticipating, "Gender Dynamics in Education" with Dr. Souad Addouda, continues to occupy my mind days after her presentation back in Rabat. In particular, her response when I asked about Morocco's position on the World Economic Forum's latest "Gender Parity Index" has continued to resonate. My World Lit class was in the midst of examining gender parity in Japan as part of one of our daily world new stories in March. Then, as we took a quick look at the index, one of my students pointed out that Morocco's position was quite low on the list. Ms. Frontier, they said, you're going to Morocco soon. What about that? They asked with that look students give you when they want to know more but they're not sure they'll get what they want. Hmm, I thought. Now I have a job to do. Find out more. After learning about her research on urban feminists collaborating with rural women on land rights (images above), I asked Dr. Addouda directly about the World Economic Forum gender parity number, in the hopes of learning something more clear. Her response was immediate, "It is complicated," she said. "Women are not oppressed in Morocco. Look at me. I am teaching men and women. But it is complicated. Numbers don't tell the full story." I don't remember every single word she said, but those first two words keep resonating in my head. It's complicated. Numbers don't tell the full story. I know that, yet it sometimes feels easy from far away to look at a reliable source such as the World Economic Forum's data and create a story in your head. I was reminded of this just a couple of days ago - nearly two weeks after Dr. Addouda's presentation. I checked my email to find a message about the 'top schools' in Michigan. Several Ann Arbor schools made the list, and both Skyline High School and Pioneer High School made the list of top schools in the e-mail. It was certainly a nice email to receive and read while far from home. But of course I also know that at Pioneer, any students who see this list will have some things to say about the fact that one of their rivals, Skyline, was ranked a bit higher. Is it because they are ranked as a magnet / STEM school? How does their data look on paper versus what is happening in each classroom? What is the school experience for students at Skyline versus Pioneer? Either way, both schools are outstanding in the grand scheme of Michigan educational spaces, but after Dr. Addouda's "it is complicated" comment, I realize even more that looking at numbers and lists is not the way to understand the story of a place. And this goes for just about every topic, issue, and story that we've learned about the friendly and hospitable country of Morocco - and also for our own American culture, educational systems, gender dynamics, and more. There is so much more to the story than data. Each day, even more, we are extraordinarily grateful to exchange ideas and learn the story beyond the data from our Moroccan hosts and colleagues.
April 20—One cultural element that I noticed in our hotels in both Rabat and Casablanca is likely not Moroccan at all, but perhaps Moroccan hotel culture for foreigners. Piano bars. When I told several people I would be in Casablanca for part of my trip, they immediately mentioned the movie Casablanca. The film is, I believe, known in part for its many piano bar scenes and the famous line, "Play it again, Sam." One key location in the film, Rick's Cafe, features a piano player and has become, it seems, synonymous with the city of Casablanca for some (perhaps many?) In fact we learned that the first Rick's Cafe was on a studio set in Hollywood and only in the past 20 years did Rick's Cafe open in Casablanca. Wrap your head around that one for a moment. And now, not surprisingly, Rick's Cafe is a stop for many foreign tourists when they come to Casablanca. We even did a drive by and lightning stop as we tooled around the city during our visit. And while we didn't go in, I did visit on a previous trip to Casablanca back in 2009. Here's a flashback photo of my visit to Rick's Cafe with my college friend Debbie. We ended up at Rick's in part because we were in Casablanca during Ramadan and primarily tourist restaurants were open. Ok, enough about Rick's Cafe. Now, back to piano bars and Moroccan hotels in 2024. I noticed one in Rabat, first. Here's a short 1-minute video of our hotel, the Tour Hassan Palace, in Rabat, leading up to my discovery of the piano bar, about 55 seconds in. Next, upon arrival in Casablanca, another piano welcomed us to our hotel, the Idou Anfa. It wasn't long before we found that this was not the only piano in the hotel. When we stepped out of the elevator onto the top floor of the hotel on our first full day, another grand piano welcomed us. While the view out the window of the Hassan Mosque II, with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, my amazing colleague Meisha made a beeline for the piano. Meisha, a music teacher in South Carolina, stepped up to the piano and gave us all an impromptu concert on the 16th floor of the Idou Anfa hotel. She teaches elementary school music (think herding cats), and I learned she currently teaches in a rural town with a single stop sign (not even a light.) But that's not all. She has taught and performed in cities - actually continents - around the world. We're talking Europe, Africa, Australia. I often feel like I’m with a humble celebrity when I pose in photos with her! Here's one just before lunch one day. Anyway, Meisha has worked as a pianist and musician in a range of positions that are eye-popping. She's accompanied opera singers in Italy as they prepared for performances, she spent a summer in Ghana as a musician, she's taught music in Philly, and she's worked as a artist in residence in Australia. Wow. Well, now she can add "Piano Performance on the Penthouse in Casablanca" to her CV! Here's how it played out (absolutely no pun intended): Notice the wall display informing visitors that the legendary Nina Simone played this exact piano - and that the piano still remembers her. Sigh. Nothing like good-old personification to help one befriend an inanimate object immediately. Here's what happened next: Meisha removed the giant case of flowers, put the lid of the piano up, and sat down. She graciously agreed to pose for photos with some of her fans (me, for one.) Later that evening, after a much needed power nap, I rushed through the hotel lobby in a to meet my colleagues at a restaurant. Despite my panic about being late to dinner, yet another pianist's tunes paused me in my tracks. A man in a fedora sat at the hotel piano and played a familiar tune. The piano culture may stem from the famous "Play it again, Sam" scene and piano storyline from the Humphrey Bogart/Ingrid Bergman film Casablanca. While this piano-in-a-hotel culture isn't really Moroccan, no complaints from me about walking through a space and hearing live piano music each evening! My brother-in-law, a huge piano fan and brilliant musician, wouldn’t be able to contain himself! I don’t expect a hotel piano bar once I arrive in my host teacher's city Fés, but I’ll keep you posted. I’ll also ask Meisha what the musical landscape is in her host teacher's city. Like me, she'll be heading to one of Morocco's four former imperial cities, the city of Meknes. Meknes, above, is known for its imperial past and historical monuments. Fés, Marrakesh, and Rabat are the other three imperial cities. I'm not sure I will make it to Meknes on this trip, so I will have to get the full report from Meisha. I also know she is itching to find out how Moroccans study, learn, play, and pass down the art of music. I know she will come back and share what she learns. Updates to come!
April 20—Just as the Empire State Building is emblematic of the United States' focus on the importance of a robust American economy, the Hassan II Mosque and its majestic minaret symbolize something that I am still wrapping my head around here in Casablanca and Morocco. It’s about what people and their leaders value, and there is a lot to unpack here. Is it the sign of a desire to value learning and craftsmanship, since our tour guide emphasized that everything (and I mean everything) is made by hand here? The answer is yes. Is it a sign of the advancement of a society and country that is sometimes perceived as more third than first world? Yes again. Is it about the importance or religion and Islam? Most definitely yes. And I could go on and on. As we think about and look at the images that appear front and center on the Wikipedia pages for cities around the world, it is clear that the monuments of our cities represent more than just architectural markers - they are truly a entry points as we look at and learn about the now of a city. And then they continue to help us learn, as they make us want to open a door to the past and walk through that door. One significant, architectural structure can tell an incredible story and invite us to take a step backwards, into the past, to understand how it came to be. And what we learned - the story of a single structure, can help us understand the larger story of a city and a people - and what they believe in and value. On our last day in Casablanca, the Hassan II Mosque became our storyteller - of course with the assistance of our smart and funny tour guide. Our tour of the Hassan II Mosque took us from the this-is-what-you-see-now to the how-did-we-get-here-and-why: Our brilliant tour guide (Note to self: Find out her name and add it here!) helped us understand this monumental space and how it can help us understand Casablanca and Moroccan history. Here are some great facts she shared with us: It is a place of learning. Everything is hand-made. It is the 4th largest mosque in Africa, and the 14th largest mosque in the world. It was a huge project for craftsmanship. The King wanted everything perfect. (And it is!) In terms of capacity: 25,000 people can fit. The women are in the gallery, while the men are on the floor; the women are closer to God. During Ramadan, including the outside spaces, there is a capacity for hundreds of thousands. She told us to imagine all of the shoes, since everyone takes their shoes off! With a touch of humor, she told us, "You could come in one shoe and come out with another." The chandeliers are brass, with weights of 600 kg and 1200 kg (!) How do they change the bulbs, she posed the question to us? With a mechanical system. She quipped that they tried to train the pigeons but it didn’t work. She reminded us again that all materials are Moroccan with one single exception: The glass is from from Venice - the famous Murano glass. Another notable detail she mentioned was the story of the doors and the ceiling. First, the doors: She told us that copper is not a wise choice by the ocean, so the doors are titanium and work due to a hydraulic system. As we marveled at the door system, she continued on in her now-signature deadpan style, "maybe the doors will be the ruins of the mosque." Next, the ceiling: It actually opens! She told us, "it's like a convertible mosque. Like a car. Imagine it open during winter on a sunny day. Or when the King is here, praying with 25,000 people during Ramadan." She continued, as we delighted in listening to her end-the-fact-dump-with-humor, "it is a house of God, all are welcome, but some are more welcome than others. The pigeons are a problem." We didn't see one in the mosque that day, but we could imagine them now, ineptly changing light bulbs and joining in the prayer. In any case, we walked away with what I've documented above and so much more. I may come back and add the rest of my notes later! She wrapped up with many words of wisdom, but one I recall - that the mosque has been built with such craftsmanship and as part of a collective effort that the hope it that it will "last forever, inshallah." As I wrap up this post, I'm going to take a moment to share a humbling (and embarrasing) moment from this visit. I was so taken with the mosque - the grandiosity of it all, the ceiling, the vastness, the architectural detail - that I literally nearly fell into one of the 45 marble fountains in the ablution hall. Thanks to one of my colleagues for catching me, and luckily there was no water in it. But I think it speaks both to my own 21st century American inability to just take in the moment but also to the unbelievable nature of the place - I couldn't keep my eyes on the ground. And I wanted to capture it all, so I could share and relive the visit over and over again. One final photo to capture the epic nature of the mosque and our group. A keen-eyed colleague snapped and shared this photo (below) at the end of our visit, as we walked away, full to the brim with the brilliance and majesty of this space. She shared it with the group, and entitled it "Your album cover!" It would have to be a pretty spectacular album to match up with this imagery, that's for sure. April 19—Well, just when I felt I’d figured out the language landscape in Morocco . . . plot twist (again). But first, a quick look at a rendition of the meskouta I made just before departing for Casablanca. My meskouta compared to the Hotel Idou Anfa's lunch meskouta: While this may seem like a 'plot twist,' (no fancy garnish on the meskouta we've seen thus far,) hold on. It's not. After a lovely lunch that included the above meskouta with fruit toppings (note: try making this version at home!), we headed back up to the 16th floor of our hotel in Casablanca, and took another look at the majestic Hassan II Mosque. After taking the views in, it was time for what became one of our most memorable and thought-provoking presentations thus far. Dr. Zoulal Mansouri, professor at Hassan II University. Dr. Mansouri shared her research on educational reforms in Morocco as we listened, furiously took notes, and reflected on the complexity of school systems and reforms in our heads. It was during her presentation that came another plot twist in the story of our understanding and perceptions of Morocco. She raised the question of whether students should learn so many languages at school. Wait, we thought, you are superstars here in Morocco. You've got language education figured out. Your students are top-notch in language acquistion and multi-lingual learning and communication. We've learned that most students speak Moroccan Arabic (Dareeja) at home, and many learn standard Arabic, French, and English at school. And some, depending on the region in which they live, also speak Amazigh at home. And many students are also now learning Amazigh at school as part of the Moroccan goal to preserve the Amazigh language and culture. I even snapped a couple of photos in Casablanca to showcase the ways that the Moroccan government buildings have both Arabic and Amazigh text (and sometimes English or French, too): You’ve got it all figured out, we thought to ourselves. Why even raise the question of “how many languages should students learn in school?” D. Mansouri pushed us to reflect, to think critically as educators, and to ask important and difficult questions for a moment. She discussed the complexity of Moroccan education and complicated choices and how they are influenced by politics, language, and so much more. Should the language of instruction at Moroccan universities be English or French? Should students focus on and learn two, three, or four languages? What decisions should the Ministry of Education make when it comes to curriculum? How will educators’ thoughts and opinions impact and influence these choices? In any country, we realized, when it comes to educational policy, well, as we well know, it is never simple or straightforward. Needless to say, I filled my explorer's journal with ideas - and even finished one of my notebook sections since there was so much to write down! I didn’t want to forget anything. Thanks again, Mr. Packard, for the journal! Not to worry, there are two more sections with space in which to write and sketch out new ideas. . .and of course write down more questions!
Dr. Mansouri presented many more ideas and gave us space to think about what is happening in Morocco's educational system - and how we can apply some of her research, ideas, and questions to our own practice. We left her presentation feeling wiser and much more educated on what’s happening at the higher levels - just days before we will be on the ground in schools across Morocco. Her thoughtfulness and desire to connect with us was once again in line with the Moroccan way, and we thanked her for deepening our “story” and understanding of Moroccan education and the linguistic landscape. Soon, we will go to schools and see the ways that schools are impacted by policy, theory, and the ideas our lecturers presented to us with such care. Indeed, the plot thickens… April 19—Some of you may be wondering what’s been happening with my colleague Marc. If you read some of my earlier posts, you know that there was a transformation of sorts happening before our eyes. Marc was moving from his NY state of mind to a more Moroccan one. Well, it’s time for a plot twist. As we headed to lunch on our first full day in Casablanca, he bounced over to some of us, looking jubilant. He had changed back to his first-morning-in-Morocco look, dressed in a standard button down shirt and the Moroccan beaded necklace. “I love Casablanca.” He gushed. "It’s like Brooklyn. I could totally live here. The vibe is awesome," he told us. Prior to our arrival in Casablanca, many Moroccans had mentioned they didn’t love Casablanca. Too crowded, they told us. Too many people. Very busy. Too modern. A different culture. Not so pretty. Not as traditionally Moroccan. They kept emphasizing that Rabat is the administrative capital, Fès is the cultural, artistic, and spiritual capital, and Casablanca is the economic capital. You don't need to spend too much time in Casablanca, we gathered. We arrived in the dark of night and indeed it felt busy and loud. No city walls to greet us, we knew there was no countryside nearby, no mountain ranges in the distance. Our hotel felt a bit like we were staying on 7th Avenue in New York City. We readied ourselves for a few night's stay, not expecting too much other than the lectures and tours on the agenda. But the next morning we woke up to learn that Marc had hit the town after our late arrival and checked things out. He loved it. While still in Morocco, Casablanca felt a little like New York to him, like home. We looked at each other and tried to process what had just happened. Maybe Marc wasn't transforming and becoming one with the traditional Morocco, as we first thought. Maybe he had found a part of Morocco that felt more like his home in New York. Will he shed some of his new traditional clothes and just keep a hint of what he found in the old medina shops in Rabat? We weren't sure what exactly would happen next. Things were getting unpredictable. In any case, his scaled-down Moroccan look gave us pause, and also made us look a little more carefully at what Casablanca had to offer during our strolls around town. While it might seem that this story ends with Marc disappearing into the city, shedding his Moroccan garb, maybe even losing his beads somewhere along the way, it wasn't that simple. A few times we did catch him taking them off mid-tour or mid-meal, holding them in his hand, almost as if he were deciding whether to put them back on or into his pocket. But the end of this story is that while he loved the Brooklyn-ish ways of Casablanca, he also kept his new old look. It's possible, we realized, to love the old medina and the urban Casablanca. As our time in Casablanca came to a close, we started to realize that our harmonious cohort of teachers would soon scatter. Some of us would go north, as far as Tangier. Others of us back to Fès. Some to Marrakesh or Meknes. Marc and Michael would head to Taroudant, a city on the road to the Sahara Desert. We got ready to say goodbye for the week, realizing that our move to meet our host teachers would be more bittersweet than we expected. A few of us hit an Irish Pub (yes, you read that right) on our last night in Casablanca. It was crowded and loud, and there was live music. Marc may or may not have been wearing traditional Moroccan attire, we didn't really notice. But we did hear him say something like, "This is awesome. Can you believe there is an Irish pub in Casablanca? I love this. I miss New York. I know the desert is going to be super cool but I just really love the vibe here." What will happen next, when Marc and his travel partner Michael head south to Taroudant, just steps from the Sahara? Time will tell. Update to come.
The Importance of Deliberate DesignApril 19—Our first morning in Casablanca began with two robust and enlightening lectures, both focused on the ways that deliberate design of spaces and systems help make a country go round. On this morning, we learned from experts on the subjects of architecture and inclusive (special) education. While these two topics at first seemed to me an odd pairing, a step back made me realize the crystal clear connection between the two subjects: The importance of deliberate design. After gazing out the window at the panoramic view of the city, we enjoyed the first session on design, a beautiful and educational introduction to Moroccan architecture. While many of us have already expressed our awe for the design features of the buildings we've visited and seen, Ms. Iman Hmoudou's presentation kept us all on the edge of our seats. Ms. Hmoudou, a professor at the National School of Architecture (ENS), took the floor and dazzled us all. Her architecture session built (no pun intended) on the concepts and topics we've been hearing about. Ms. Hmoudou helped us understand Moroccan architecture features and regional variability, but, more importantly, the ways that buildings and their deliberate design can help us understand the rich story of Moroccan people and their culture. My Pio World Lit students are already aware of the extraordinary architects in the world who are creating spaces using “passive” design. Earlier this year, we explored this news story about the use of passive design in the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School, located in Rajasthan, India. We looked at how it was built using local materials and with deliberate design elements that will keep the school cool without air conditioning. Brilliant, we all thought. What most of us did not fully realize is that the design features present in this school are not unique or particularly groundbreaking, historically speaking. Ms. Hmoudou's presentation shared that this has been common practice in Morocco for many years, and architects have been using passive design for centuries. Did you know that some buildings, such as the old medina in Fès (and other cities) were designed with cooling in mind . . . way back in 789? With small windows, narrow alleys, and courtyards open to the sky, the medina’s design allowed for climate considerations while also taking into account the cultural values of its inhabitants. It's about equity from the outside and privacy on the inside, we learned. Wow. The beginning of her presentation framed some of the basics of urban design and city planning, which (at least for some of us), was an essential backstory to fully understand how cities end up the way they do. She explained that the medina (Arabic for city) is a medieval kind of urbanism. She told us, "the medina looks like a maze, but has a logic in urban design that has to do with topography, religion, climate data, and politics." The medina designers used local materials, earthy colors, and planned with climate data in mind. The stone, for example, and the towers with small openings, helped with ventilation while keeping the spaces cool. Of course we had observed many of these design elements on our day trip to Fès the previous day, but didn't quite realize the why of some of the architecture. She also talked a lot about gates - we have traveled through several both on foot and by bus in our time here so far. The gates, we learned, have different functions. Some are for diplomats, for instance. Others have historically been for different groups of people. An example: some gates were traditionally used by the Muslim population while others were used by the Jewish population. She emphasized that there has been very good cooperation between Jewish and Muslims neighbors, and that the gates have helped maintain space and been part of a peaceful cooperation in Moroccan urban spaces for many years. Next, we transitioned into a presentation on a different kind of design - one that is less visible but as educators we know so very important: Inclusive (special) education design. Dr. Hajar Ouknider is a researcher on disability and offered us some incredible insights on the ways that the Moroccan education system is grappling with how to include all students and help them learn. There were so many familiar themes in her presentation and we learned that government transitions here in Morocco have led to many "pendulum swings" in the inclusive educational landscape and policy design. Sound familiar, US colleagues? She talked about access to education, the challenges of differentiation, and so much more. The importance of her research and the ways that she hopes to influence and change the ways that special education students was inspirational. We will surely continue following how her work can change policy and ultimately students' and families lives.
Overall, it was an extraordinary morning of thinking about how we design the spaces we live in and the systems in which we educate our children. As I was finishing up this post, I ended up going down the internet rabbit hole to find a quote that summarizes the importance of thoughtful design. For now, this architect Frank Lloyd Wright's quote captures what I believe both Ms. Iman Hmoudou and Dr. Hajar Ouknider seek to study and share in their work: "Architecture is the triumph of human imagination over materials, methods, and men, to put man into possession of his own earth." Book Anecdote #2April 19—Our group said farewell to Rabat several days ago and arrived in Casablanca that same evening after spending the day in Fès. On Friday, we began with two compelling morning sessions on Moroccan architecture and inclusive education (stay tuned for a debrief on both of these brilliant presentations). A quick break in between sessions allowed for a coffee and tea break and glimpse out the window to see the landscape here in Casablanca. After the second morning session, we headed for lunch with Fulbright alumni and professionals who support the program here in Morocco. Once again, I found myself connecting with others over books. The woman sitting across from me, E. Rose Custis, is the Public Affairs Officer for the US Consulate General of the United States. She is based in Casablanca. She also directs Dar America Casablanca, a cultural center with free programming. When I told her I was an English teacher in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she instantly said, “One question: Do you teach Octavia Butler?” I was pleased to tell her yes, when I taught 10th grade. Eager to continue the book conversation, I asked her what other books she believes high school students should read. She thought for just a moment, then said, “Animal Farm, Brave New World, 1984. The dystopia and groupthink concepts are so important for students to understand.” Now we’re talking, I thought to myself. Curious what other books she would want students to read, I leaned in. “What else? Are there other titles you think American high school students should read?” I asked. She thought for just a moment, then said, “Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. The way he explains and reflects on apartheid - it is so important.” I was beyond pleased, and (with a fair amount of pride), told her, “My World Lit students are finishing Born a Crime right now.” I told her that students would be modeling their final assessment on Trevor Noah's style - composing chapter of their own comprised of a non-fiction opener followed by a memoir-like story. Just as Trevor Noah raises awarness about apartheid in his chapters, they will focus on and raise awareness on an issue important to them. Can't wait to read their final products when I return home!
In any case, the ways that literature choices and stories create connections that can span the globe has been heartening. First at a bookstore in Rabat, now in Casablanca, it is somehow comforting to learn that the same book titles my students are reading at home in Ann Arbor also sit at the front of the bookshop in Rabat, Morocco and at the top of a Casablanca diplomat’s book recommendation list. It makes those Pio World Lit books seem even more globally significant. By the way, she also recommended the book The King's Fool by Mahi Binebine. It's a story about the King's courtier, companion, storyteller, and confidante and what it is like to have that unusual job. I couldn't hesitate to buy it on my Kindle (only $2.99.) Can't wait to check this one out! |
AuthorAmy Frontier teaches at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Archives
September 2024
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