What a wonderful visit to ENS - Teacher Training Institute. The two young women in the photo are in their third year at ENS and completing student teaching this semester. Both will be English language teachers.
Before this stop, we had visited two high schools.. From these schools, I got the impression that instruction was very teacher focused with students listening to lectures and direction instruction. At ENS, we had a panel discussion where the preservice teachers shared their experiences and we, the Fulbright Fellows, asked and answered questions. It was refreshing to hear the preservice teachers talk about teaching strategies that are student focused and help develop collaboration and critical thinking skills. We concluded the panel discussion with a conversation about classroom management. The preservice teachers were talking about developing relationships and establishing routines. The children of Morocco are going to have some amazing teachers in the near future!
Fatima Ait Ouaicha, in the camel coat, taught her first lessons in the morning before our visit. She was still all smiles in the afternoon. After a tough year so far, it was wonderful to be around here and remember the joy of teaching a lesson!