A few days ago, I was worried that I waitied 5 months to complete the final reflection on my TGC (Teaching for a Global Classroom) experience in Morocco. It has been a wonderful time looking at pictures, reliving experiences, and remembering all the wonderful people I met. The months since the trip have allowed me to really see the impact Morocco has had on me and my teaching.
I have three stories that I go back to when I am describing my experiences in Morocco.
First is talking to the student teachers at Ecole Normale Superieure, Teacher Training Institute.
These young teachers were so excited to be starting their careers in the classroom. They were curious about teaching techniques used in the United States, and they were so excited to learn that we all incorporate similar techniques. They were comfortable enough to share their concerns about going into the classroom as a teacher for the first time, and it was a privilege to be able to share my experiences with them.
The second story is our visit to Ouled Soitana, the rural primary school outside Casablanca. We had the most interaction with students at this school. The teachers were so kind and welcoming. I tried my best to communicate with the little high school French I remember. The students were so curious and always willing to try and interact with us despite our lack of a common language. These first two stories were wonderful experiences that reminded me of the joy of teaching. After the COVID disruptions of the past few years, I desperately needed the reminder.
The third story I share is to describe our evening at Miriam's family home in the country. Her family was so welcoming, as was everyone in Morocco, and they were obviously so proud of her.
Because we spent only short periods of time in schools it was difficult to learn much about the Biology curriculum taught in Morocco. I did notice that much of the science curriculum was presented to the students through direct instruction. The experiences in the schools was a reminder to have students doing more of their own explorations and designing their own experiments. I am going to reach out to the Biology Teacher at Almotanabi High School and ask if his students would share their experiences with the plant cultivation and research projects they have been working on at school. If we had the opportunity to develop more relationships with the schools and teachers, a collaborative research project would be beneficial to all of our students.
I also picked up some great ideas for the other TGC fellows on the trip. I am stealing an idea from Therese and will be adding a The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepu'lveda to my Ecology unit!
The guiding question for my time in Morocco centered around differences in academic achievement in the sciences between female and male students. I wasn't able to learn much about science in particular. However, at our first school visit to Moulay Youssef High School in Rabat, which is a science focused boarding school, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that almost 50% of the students are female. I definitely had some preconceived notions about educational equity for female students. Graduation rates and drop out rates are similar for both male and female students in Morocco, with a slightly higher dropout rate for male students. We see similar data in the United States. I do wonder what the long term trends are for Moroccan students. In the US, the trend is for girls to out pace boys in graduation rates, college attendance and achievement in the sciences. Both countries may need to implement some of the same programs that have been used to increase female participation in the sciences to improve male graduation rates and participation in the sciences..
My time in Morocco was a life changing experience. I will always remember the wonderful people I was able to travel with and all the kind people we met along the way. I will never forget Miriam's love for her country. More than anything, my experiences in Morocco rejuvenated me after two of the toughest teaching years of my career. I will be forever grateful for my experiences as a TGC Fulbright Fellow.