Ana Ustetha

Doha, in the center, is in charge of Study Abroad students (us) at Amideast and she is absolutely wonderful.

School is coming to midterms and I have now taught English three times on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  I volunteer at Association des chantiers et de development, and the name is about the extent of what I know about the association.  Our presence was coordinated by our program, and thus I have simply trusted that I am not in a stranger's back room.  The association is in Taqaddum, which is a far less wealthy part of town.  The classroom itself is a hole in the wall on a street lined with busy markets.  The hole leads down a dark stone corridor to a stairwell.  A classroom at the top of the stairs is where my students wait for me.  I have a class of about 10 young adults who have taken high school English.  This is considered Intermediate, though they are all of different levels.

Informative sign on the wall of our classroom.

For class I usually provoke them to talk about their weekend plans (past and future tenses) and introduce themselves.  Then we move on to practice of grammar and pronunciation.  To complete class I usually play American music or play a game with them.  I have decided that I am cut out to be a teacher.  It is a small stage where I can help people.  For now this is good practice for what I hope to do more professionally for the next few years.

Anna pretending to study, but actually planning a trip for Spring Break.

Dancing at Yacout

School, again, is reaching midterms, so we have reached the point of delicately balancing homework with teaching and experiencing Morocco.  I enjoy most of my classes thoroughly and doing readings for French and exercises for Arabic can be really fun.  Gender studies and Islamic history readings are a little dry, but class discussion is always interesting.  For all of you concerned about my studies with so many activities, (mom and dad), may this be reassurance for you that I am not squandering my time with outings.  Though, I always seem to be able to make time to go out dancing on the weekends.