Day 12: Fun and Games

The students decided to organize a party for us today. It was so sweet. They wore their traditional clothing, sung songs, and played music…and of course every party has cake! It was so beautiful to see how much they really appreciated sharing with us and how eager they were to hear what our impressions were of Morocco.

 

 

After school we went to a school in Aglou where Mr. Brahim teaches and volunteers to sponsor a group called English Success Aglou. This group basically has English enrichment afterschool on Wednesdays. The students shared presentations on the importance of keeping the environment clean, Moroccan culture, clothes and music. The presentation on music discussed specific artists. We also played “Game Show,” a trivia game which I cannot wait to try in my class. After the game we took a group photo and the students wanted to take pictures with us which was very touching. We went inside to have cake and say a few parting words.

For the second time today I found myself fighting back tears as I had to say goodbye to so many wonderful and genuine people. The students were so generous and gave us tokens of their gratitude which I will forever cherish and the teachers were all so generous and willing to open their classrooms for and letting us learn from their experiences. They also opened up their homes and made us feel “most welcomed.”

Yesterday as well as today we taught several classes on American slang at their teacher’s request. The students new many of the terms already thanks to television and movies, however they were delighted with the new ones they learned. I observed Mohamed teach a lesson on brain drain. I was so amazed at the fact that the entire class was conducted in English. All his student directions were in English and they were discussing brain drain and virtual diaspora. The students shared their ideas of “the American dream” and I shared what I have heard my students refer to as “the American dream.” Many see America as a land of opportunity for getting an education and work.