Teaching English

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher. I remember countless childhood hours happily spent running my pretend classroom. My pupils consisted of dolls, friends, or my little brother--anyone who would listen and I preferred the Teacher's Center to the toy store. In the past five (!!!) months in Morocco, my dream of teaching has come true--and the process has been frustrating, gratifying, and thought provoking.

I started out as a Teacher's Assistant in a children's class at AMIDEAST. For those who do not know, AMIDEAST is the organization implementing my program in Morocco, and English learning is one of their main programs. I mainly served as a translator (in the occasional instances where all the children were completely lost) and a disciplinarian (using the techniques my dear father taught me), but other than that, I had plenty of time to observe the rhythms of the class. Though I've assisted in classes before in the States, this experience allowed me to see how English was taught as a second language to children aged 8-10.

I had the chance to teach the ACCESS students at AMIDEAST about Thanksgiving. For the first time, I planned a lesson and team taught (with my fellow YES Abroaders). When I was teaching, I felt that I had a sense of purpose, and I was not just a confused foreigner anymore. That day planted a seed in my mind, and I went home and contacted several non profits in the Rabat area, asking if I could volunteer with them. I stumbled upon one (Le Feminin Pluriel) and have been teaching English to students aged 7-10 there every Wednesday since December.

On a typical Wednesday, I have twelve-ish students. They don't have a background in English, so I started at the very beginning (alphabet and numbers) and we are now progressing towards more advanced topics (animals and food). Because the class is only once a week for two hours, retention poses a problem. It's exciting to see such leaps and bounds over the course of a class, but discouraging when the students remember very little next week. I've been trying to find different ways to work with similar vocabulary concepts, so that the words really stay. I love playing games. However, I've gathered that games are not commonly played at Moroccan primary schools, and the class can get a little crazy. They really only settle down when reprimanded by one of coordinators in Arabic.

Despite the frustrations, I walk away each week looking forward to the next. The small improvements my students make are rewarding, their enthusiasm gives me great hope for their future English skills. But I think I am learning more from the students then I will ever teach them.  I've become more aware of the differences in the U.S. education system and the Moroccan one. The respect I have for teachers in general has increased, and I appreciate how difficult it is to be a 'good' teacher. I'm considering a career in education now, something that wasn't on my mind a year ago.  I am thankful for every hour spent stressing about lesson plans and making up activities on the spot, because each moment of achievement has strengthened my self esteem. I really care about teaching, and when I feel successful in the classroom, I also feel happy about my exchange (and life in general).