The journey here was pretty mellow but long and tiring. PHL to DC to Paris to Rabat. No delays along the way. Good to meet everyone again. I am little deliriously tired but having showered a few of us are heading out to explore the Medina.
My flight leaves today at 2:45pm. The morning is a frenzy of packing and last minute life loose ends. Maybe a quick Skype conversation with Brahim. CHECK: Gifts, activities to teach, documents, clothes and of course Patrick snuck into the bags and is deciding how he wants to travel! It was a great few days in Washington meeting all the Teachers for Global Classrooms fellows and the staff from IREX. The Morocco crew are a dynamic group from all over the country. Dinner on Thursday night and then the seminars on Friday were wonderful opportunities to get to know each other and a start to process the next few weeks. For me getting the in person connection with everyone was the most valuable aspect of the gathering, everything from the formal structures of the sessions to mix up interaction to casual hanging out and planning our adventures. Can't wait to see everyone again next Saturday at Dulles for our expedition. Heading to D.C. on Amtrak for the Teachers for Global Classroom symposium. All the teachers in the program are gathering to discuss global education, connect with organizations and meet the educators we will travel with to our respective countries. Looking forward to meeting everyone especially the Morocco crew. The Morocco crew will have some mighty different weather next week on our great adventure. The Susquehanna River says it all about the temperature today. Today I spent the morning talking to 1st, 2nd, and 6th grade classes about Morocco. I talked briefly about the program and that I would be visiting schools, students, and teachers. I asked them what do they know about Africa and more specifically what they know about Morocco. Students watched a brief video about Morocco. I asked students to write down questions they want me to ask students in Morocco. I am excited about what my students want to know about Morocco. The younger students are fascinated by the desert and the animals. The middle school students are more focused on the cultural differences including religion, school, and home life.
I feeling like the prep work is coming to a frenzy yet I don't have a grasp on this whole experience. I am working on getting myself educated about Morocco so I can educate my students. This week my goal is to talk to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th grade classes that I want to be in touch with while I am gone. I plan on giving them a brief overview of where I am going, why and what to expect. I want to hear from them what they want to know about Morocco. What questions do they want me to ask?
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AuthorEmilia Rastrick, Philadelphia public school Physical Education and Health teacher at a K-8 elementary school. I am off to Morocco to learn about the culture, education system, and people. Of interest to me are local dance, sports and food traditions. I want to bring this knowledge back to my Philly public students in our small K-8 school. ArchivesCategories“THIS BLOG IS NOT AN OFFICIAL U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE BLOG. THE VIEWS AND INFORMATION PRESENTED ARE THE GRANTEE’S OWN AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE TEACHERS FOR GLOBAL CLASSROOMS PROGRAM, IREX, OR THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE."
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