April 18—Well, some of my blog posts have been getting a little long . . . and I'm four days behind. . . As Antonio Salieri said to young Mozart in the movie Amadeus . . . "too many notes."  Well, I'm thinking he'd say "too many words" if he read through some of my blog posts.  If I were to travel back to the 18th century and receive this critique from him, I'd probably stew a bit just as Mozart did in the film.  But too many photos of our day trip to Fès makes for way too many words, so I may just try to take this advice against my better wishes.  So now let's travel back. . . way beyond the time of Salieri and Mozart. . . to 789.

We also admired many, many tiled walls, floors, and objects during our visit to Fès - and of course all over Morocco.  We visited the Mosaique et Poterie de Fès and observed the ways that craftsmen and women are still making pottery, tiles, and mosaics by hand.   

While I could go on and on about what we saw, smelled, and tasted during our visit to Fès, I'll hold off.  And not just because of the "too many words" phrase."  The even better reason is because my host teacher lives in Fès and I will return for my teaching placement.   So for now, I'll just sign off with one takeaway from today:  Some people are still crafting, cooking, and communicating to sell their wares using methods that have been around for centuries.  These traditional ways of life are valued and preserved here, but we can also see that life has moved forward in many ways.  Modern city life stands just outside the walls  of the old medina.   Will these two ways of life continue to coexist?​  I'll see what Moroccans think and get back to you. 

April 17—On our third day in Rabat, there were a few key agenda events: A site visit and a lecture, followed by an event designed to connect us with other Fulbright Morocco fellows and alumni.  We began in the morning with a quick bus ride to the Rabat American  School.  The drive along the ocean was stunning, and in between gaping at the landscape and ocean, we also spotted the National Photography Museum.  Several of us decided that this is definitely a bucket list place to visit someday.   But for now:  Too little time, too much to do!

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Upon arrival at the Rabat American School, we learned about the building's design and recent history. It is a new building and opened in just the last few years. The open air courtyard allows for air flow and ease of movement from space to space.

We also were fortunate to be at the school on the day of the Class of 2024’s graduation (sorry Pio World Lit seniors, they finish up a bit sooner than the Class of 2024 at Pioneer High School.) However, the next month is spent preparing for IB exam. We did catch a moment as the graduates processed through the open air courtyard, and watched them grin ear to ear in caps and gowns as they were led by a traditional (and very moving - in more ways than one) Moroccan drumline. I suppose it’s hard to find a moments-from-graduating high schooler anywhere in the world without a wide smile on their face. Some things are truly universal!

Our afternoon session was also also focused on education, but we had the pleasure of time traveling back to the very beginning of religious education in Morocco. The very wise Dr. Khalid Saqi, who recently retired from his position as Director at the Mohammed VI Institute of Quranic Reading and Studies, took us on a whirlwind tour of education in Morocco and the Islamic world. After the lecture, he told me that he is enjoying picking and choosing what work to do - grateful we made the cut! He also told me that he is very much looking forward to spending more time on his farm with his chickens during his retirement!

April 17—It's been nearly a week since I arrived in Morocco, and the Moroccan flag continues to make an appearance multiple times each day.   But the quantity of flags is nowhere near the number we saw between the airport and Rabat.   Several people posted a guess on my Instagram site regarding the number of flags spotted between the Casablanca Airport and Rabat last Sunday afternoon.   I'm pleased to announce that my good friend Petri was the closest, with a spot-on guess of 180.  I counted 178! No wonder Petri is a mathematician.  I did ask some of my Moroccan hosts why there were so many flags, and their response:  "The King is in town."  It sounds like when he is passing through, the flags go up.  And, as mentioned in an earlier post, my question led to yet another comment about how beloved King Mohammed VI is here in Morocco.  We also heard that he is sometimes spotted driving his car around alone.  We are keeping our eyes open...

April 17—If any of you have read the incomparable Tim O'Brien's book The Things They Carried, you know it’s a short story collection about a platoon of soldiers in Vietnam that might fall under the genre “fiction not fiction.”  He writes about the ways that emotional truth may often look and feel very different from real truth - and even be more true.  A bit of a paradox that many 10th grade Pioneer students have the pleasure of grappling with in their English class.

Anyway, one of his extraordinary stories came up on our Fulbright bus as a couple of us observed our colleague Marc’s attire in the days we’ve been here.  Marc teaches high school-aged students who are working towards their GED in New York City.  See if you notice anything about Marc in the photos below:

It may look subtle, but we’ve all been watching with a keen eye as Marc appears at each subsequent event with a new accessory or article of clothing. Let’s take a moment and break it down.

Most of us first saw Marc in a typical American ensemble, a blue t-shirt and pants, at the airport in Paris for our connection to Casablanca.

​On Day 1, at our first group photo shoot in Rabat, you'll notice Marc is dressed in 'business casual,' donning a button down shirt and slacks.

On Day 2, Marc appeared with a Moroccan style tunic in earthy colors with subtle stripes and the beaded necklace. “I found this cool tunic last night in the medina,” he told us. We watched as Moroccan men gravitated towards him at the beginnings and ends of our sessions that day to compliment him on his shirt and throw an arm over his shoulder. We listened as Marc switched to French and spoke comfortably with them. We saw how their eyes lit up and how they moved in to listen to him more closely, perhaps place a hand on his shoulder as he spoke.

The next morning, he waltzed into breakfast with a vibrant blue tunic and his beaded necklace. We marveled once again, and asked about his shirt. “This awesome guy sold it to me in the medina. He gave me a really good deal. Do you like it?” he asked us. We oohed and aahed over the color, then boarded the bus for our next day of visits.

​Upon arrival at our destination, once again, our Moroccan leaders, lecturers, and hosts commented on how much they loved his shirt. “It’s Moroccan blue!” They said to him. “Does it look good?” he asked. Back on the bus, after observing these interactions - whether at a lecture on Islamic education or a visit to the pottery school - I kept thinking about what was happening. Something felt familiar. It seemed like he was slowly becoming one with the world around us. “He’s really blending in,” someone mused. “He really fits in here,” someone else said. And then Tim O’Brien's name crept into my head. “There’s a story like this”, I told my bus mates. “Does anyone know a Tim O'Brien story about a girl who goes to visit her boyfriend in Vietnam and becomes one with the land? It’s about blending in, being influenced by your environment.” Someone chimed in, “I’ve read that book, I can’t think of the title though." I started to remember the story, that the main character's name was Mary Jane and that she wore culottes and a pink sweater.

Needless to say, after a few more rides on the bus (we insisted that we would not Google it) the title materialized: "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong." It’s a story about many things, but one is the way that your environment can get under your skin and into your mind - and start to take over and change you. Of course our visit to Morocco is nothing like O'Briens story; his content is sophisticated, his message layered, and his metaphor complex and much, much deeper. But the idea that a place you visit can get under your skin and change your behaviors, choices, values, and goals very quickly is very real. Even if it’s just a new shirt or necklace, there’s something transformative about being immersed the way we have been that makes one feel that much closer to the land we are in. Marc hasn’t disappeared into the Moroccan mountains or desert (yet), but his style and shopping choices do make me think a lot about how we adapt and fall into the ways of a different culture. It’s also highlighted the ways that subtle adaptations have been received by our Moroccan hosts with warmth, enthusiasm and gratitude. Here’s Marc with our pottery school tour leader today - who, by the way, also gravitated towards him to comment on his beautiful “Moroccan blue” shirt:

As we walked around the Mosaique et Poterie de Fès, we noticed that many of the craftsmen were creating "Moroccan blue" tile stars by hand (photos below).  The craftsmanship was amazing to see, and Marc's blue tunic matched the color of the tiles perfectly.

April 16—We had another phenomenal day in Rabat, filled with enriching talks, cultural visits, and lessons on how to preserve language and culture -- and even learned how to prepare delicious Moroccan food under the tutelage of a master chef! 

In the morning, we visited MACECE, the Moroccan-American Cultural and Educational Exchange.  While at MACECE, we attended two thought-provoking lectures.   First, we heard from Dr. Youssef Farouqi, Adviser to the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.  He spoke about green energy, Morocco's efforts in sustainability, and how Morocco's unique geographical position and lack of natural resources have led to many innovative approaches.  We also learned about some notable achievements Morocco has made in recent years.  For instance, we learned that Morocco's electrification rate has gone from 20% to 100% in the past 20 years - an incredible jump and a sign of their commitment to energy equity. 

Next, Dr. Souad Eddouada shared her research on gender dynamics and women's rights, and specifically her work on women who are fighting for land rights.  She alluded to this NY Times article in her talk.  I look forward to sharing her insights and expertise as well as images from the article as a way of studying gender in Morocco with my students.  Fascinating and inspirational!  Dr. Eddouada also mentioned in her lecture that she has a busy week since she is attending an event in Detroit later this week - another Michigan connection. The mitten state is well-connected!

​Next, we visited Colegio Español de Rabat, a Spanish language school.  After an informative introduction to the school's history and mission, we had the chance to visit a classroom and interact with some of the young students.  Since most of the children at this school speak at least four languages, I was able to talk to a few of them in English and share the "This is Pioneer" books my Pioneer students made.  They especially loved seeing the sports images, as they are big football (soccer) fans.    In the photo below, they are looking at an image of Pioneer's "Senior Sunrise" event.  Thanks to Pio World Lit student Maggie Macrory for submitting this engaging photo and caption!

After lunch, we headed to the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture, where we learned about the institute's efforts to preserve Morocco's Amazigh culture and language.  King Mohammed VI has been a big supporter of this effort (and we've also learned that he is extremely beloved, this according to every Moroccan we have met!)  As part of our visit, the master linguist Khaled Ansar taught us the Amazigh alphabet (photo below.). His session offered us extraordinary insights into what it takes to preserve and standardize a language so that it stays alive for future generations.   As part of our language lesson, we learned how to say each Amazigh letter and even learned how to write our names!  The Kingdom of Morocco website published this news story about how the strategy used to standardize Amazigh is a model for "revitalizing precarious cultures."  It was magical to learn about the ways that linguists made practical, deliberate, and collaborative decisions to ensure the Amazigh language lives on in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture

After the Royal Institute, we continued on to two other cultural gems in Rabat: The  Mausoleum of King Mohammed V and the historical medina.  Both have a rich history and stunning architecture.

The medina of Rabat

Mohammed V Mausoleum

After visiting the mausoleum, we headed up to the rooftop of  Roots Academy, an English and Arabic language school, for a cooking class.  We learned how to make chicken tagine, the eggplant dish "zaalouk," and a delicious dessert called "breway."  The food was delicious and it was an outstanding way to see how food bridges cultural divides and connects us to people we've just met!

April 14—Whitney, my Fulbright colleague who teaches 6th grade in Oregon, makes a video for his students every Monday morning.  He promised his students he would continue this weekly tradition even while in Morocco.  He invited a couple of us to participate.  Here we are at the hotel in Rabat just after arrival!

​April 14—Arrived in Casablanca to a warm welcome - in more ways than one! Temperature at arrival time: 32C (that's 90F).  And as we made our way to passport control, security invited us to go through the "Moroccan Passports Only" line.  The security agent then lifted the barrier for us to pass through while humming the Superman theme song.  As we exited the airport, there was a line up of people, arms hanging over metal barriers, waiting for their friends, family, and guests, many holding bouquets of roses.  As we walked through, it felt like we were walking the red carpet!  

Speaking of red- I noticed quite a few Moroccan flags as we pulled away from from the airport.  For some reason, I decided to start counting flags.  (I went on a lot of long car rides as a kid before there were videos or phones to keep you busy!)   Once it was clear that this car game was going to yield a substantial number, I kept count for the entire ride.

Time for a guessing game! 

​How many Moroccan flags (full size on tall flag poles) did I see on the 1.5 hour drive from Casablanca to Rabat, where we've just arrived?

April 14—​Bonjour! The whole Fulbright Morocco teacher cohort made it to Paris this morning without a single delay - coming from LA, NYC, and many places in between.  We compared notes on layover experiences and how much sleep everyone got (not much.) I met a colleague who brought a puppet (think the Muppet Show).  The puppet will accompany her to elementary classrooms and help teach Moroccan students English and learn Moroccan Arabic.  I’ve never met anyone who has gone to a ventriloquist conference before! You can see the puppet in the far left in the above group photo.  At the rendezvous point, Terminal 2E, we took a moment to pose for a group photo in front of a giant sleeping cat sculpture.  The sculpture is entitled “In Paris, there’s always time to dream.”  Sure enough, we all feel like we are living the dream - with the professional development experience of our lives underway!  Speaking of living the dream…I even had a minute during boarding to talk books with two program members.  The classic “what are you reading” question never fails to be a great icebreaker! Marc from NYC is reading Gary Snyder's poetry book No Nature, Whitney from Oregon is reading In the Distance by Hernan Diaz, and I shared that I am reading Septology by Jon Fosse.  

As boarding continued, I even had a minute in the jetbridge to chat with Whitney, who teaches 6th grade math in Oregon.  We talked about math teaching strategies and the art and science of explaining how to solve a math problem.  I was fascinated to learn he’s thought about this a lot, especially as a literature major in college turned middle school math instructor. Mental note: Get tips from him so I can up my game in PASS class and not leave Packard on his own to do all of the math tutoring.  Almost time to take off…  Next stop, Casablanca.   Au Revoir, Paris!

April 13—​Departure! Headed to DTW late Saturday evening to fly to Paris and then on to Casablanca.  Here I am with JB from Greenville,Tennessee and Mariella from Charlotte, NC.  JB teaches K-12 special education and Mariella teaches K-5 ELL students.  We compared some notes about our schools while waiting for our flight.  JB teaches at six (!) different schools and travels around her community to help students set and achieve their goals.  Mariella shared that she gave a one of her elementary newcomer students a teddy bear to hug while she's gone.  The student just arrived from Honduras and told Mariella she would miss her dearly since she’s the only teacher at the school who speaks Spanish with her.   Sorry no soft toys, Pio students...only tea and cake for you! Time to board - Bon Voyage!

April 12--

​Friday's "Meskouta and Mint Tea" day was a success!  While we didn't make tea in the traditional way, many tea-naysayers decided that with a sugar cube, Moroccan mint tea is outstanding.   Meskouta (Moroccan orange cake) was also quite popular.  Sharing tea and cake with students and colleagues was a great way to spend my last day of school before departure.   If you'd like to make Meskouta yourself, here's an easy recipe!

April 11—​Tomorrow is my last day of school before my departure to Morocco, so I will celebrate and thank my students and colleagues who supported me in this year-long adventure.  Students and colleagues are invited to stop in for "Meskouta and Mint Tea" and to review the book and video they helped to create for Moroccan students and teachers.  l am so grateful for the Pioneer community support as I prepare to share and exchange ideas with my Moroccan hosts!  If I could mail a mini-Meskouta cake and cup of mint tea to my IREX and Fulbright colleagues, I would!  Thanks goes out to those who helped behind the scenes as well.  

To learn more about what's in store during my Fulbright Teacher Exchange, here's the slideshow I will share with my students tomorrow - and here's an image of the cover slide:​