Rabat Day 3: Education, Old and New

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!

A view of the Atlantic Ocean on the way to the Rabat American School

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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.

The entrance to the Rabat American School

The open air courtyard at the Rabat American School

It’s a K-12 school that serves Moroccan families as well as foreign diplomat's children.  The school offers an IB curriculum, and many of its grads move on to attend college in cities across the globe.  As part of our tour, we also got to visit a STEM classroom (3-D printers galore) and pop our heads into an art lecture.  We toured the educational spaces, gazed longingly at the views of the ocean, and even traversed the roof on our tour.  We had outstanding view of their solar panels, soccer (football) fields,  and the track.  The weather and view is certainly a far cry from my high school track experience, where I high jumped my way through the snowflakes in May many years ago!

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!

Dr. Khalid Saqi lectures on Religious Education in Morocco

His lecture helped us understand the history of Islamic education but also the practical ways that we can apply some of the concepts he presented.  He finished with a sample lesson, emphasizing the importance of planning with TTT and STT in mind.  We paused a moment to ponder these acronyms, then put it together: Teacher Talking Time versus Student Talking Time.  All of us agreed that we seek to emphasize and embrace the former versus the latter, even though it is not always easy to accomplish!  After his session, our group reflected on how excited we are to visit our host schools and learn how our host teachers' classroom practices reflect this teaching paradigm.  

Notetaking during Dr. Saqi's lecture

​I furiously took notes throughout his session (thanks to Mr. Packard for the journal and to Mr. Stern for the pen!) and as I look back at my notes, one of his lecture quotes continues to resonate: “The best seek knowledge and share it.”  He pointed out that we are all doing this as part of our Fulbright program.  Needless to say, we left feeling grateful for his wisdom and words!

A meet-and-greet on the hotel patio

We wrapped up the day with a meet and greet at the hotel’s patio, mingling with and learning from Fulbright alumni scholars from Morocco who studied in the US and a few Americans currently studying in Morocco.

The old medina in Rabat

After an evening jaunt to the traditional medina, it was time to call it a night and get ready for our next day of adventures: a day trip to the cultural and artistic capital of Morocco, Fès!

Here's a 2-minute highlight video of the Rabat Day 3 events!