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I am a teacher May 22, 2008

Posted by bookncurls in Uncategorized.
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We all sat in a circle today. At least in one of my classes. It was Deaf Day. No one was talking. But these students can sign, well. We played a complex version of a charade like game. It was the laughter. Teenagers play fun when you play fun first, so I did. I have learned that it’s not playing with them, it’s playing and then standing aside and being the background while they take the stage. Teachers that are playing and the center of attention soon learn they are no longer invited.

I’ve noticed that the trick to teenagers, at least for me, is taking them seriously. They want to fly and still can at that age. Giving them the wings makes them the most happy. So, yes. They have fun but they would also be upset if you didn’t teach them anything. If you never asked them to sit still and listen or think deeply or challenge themselves, they wouldn’t be satisfied. So I find myself exerting all my creative energy to come up with fun but dense academic experiences. An experience that sells the subject. I guess in a way, I’m in sales. I feel success when a student tells me they checked out a book on the Middle East just for fun. Or, they say they are doing a project on Iraq for their Geography class and need the pictures from our class project in Arabic.

They’ve taught me a lot, too. High school can be a microcosm of society. A student seeing the world different than me challenges my status quo. I’m learning to sit back and let things happen. A student who fixes everything in the class. A student who smiles through everything. A student who reads at every possible moment. A student who works with people or with team spirit. A creative student. An obedient student. A student who challenges, who immitates, who questions, who peace makes.

They may be faces to someone else, but to me they live in my heart and have been my associates for a year. We’ve shared the same space and I will never be the same…after being a teacher.

An Afghani’s 3 Problems March 22, 2008

Posted by bookncurls in Middle East.
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Here’s a true story that happened to me recently in Washington DC.

There were two Palestinian principals and two Afghani university professors who are also deans of education and science in their respective fields. They spent their first week in LA, their second with an American teacher somewhere in the US and their third week in DC. One of the Afghani deans spent a week in Ohio with a young 6′4″ baseball-loving, American government teacher who had never been out of North America and never lived outside of Columbus. The Afghani, named Farmanunullah, was an older man with a pot belly, a salt shaker beard, cheery smile, little English (two classes), and 7 kids. His wife incidentally wants more kids but he is “opposite”.

Apparently from the Ohian teacher, Gaven’s stories, their week together was unique. “Where is the water in your house?” Well, says Gaven, “It comes out of faucets like this one.” Farmanullah lifts the lever, turns it off, lifts it again, a smile creeps across his face. “Only cold water? No hot?” Gaven says, “Turn the lever to the left.”

Anyway, so a bunch of hippy entreprenuers all in their late 20’s and early 30’s who want to save the world met with us in a modern building in the diverse bustling neighborhood of Adams Morgan. These are just the type of people who know that you can hire a green cleaning service and have all recycleable paper products. They showed us the powerpoint of their cool businesses and unique job titles like Joey, Chief Experience Composer. Afterwards they said, “We know the government takes a long time to get things done. We are looking for cool projects that we can tackle and have solutions in a much shorter more efficient way.”

So people began sharing the difficulties they face in education in Palestine. The two Afghan teachers sat quietly with I’m guessing somewhat oblivious but smiling faces. There wasn’t much time left and the Chief Experience Composer turns to the Afghan teachers and asks what challenges they are facing. This was probably the first time the entrepreuners realized the Afghanis really didn’t understand much of what they had said because it took several attempts before there was an intelligble response.

With a broad papa-like smile on his face, Farmanullah said, holding up three fingers, “In Afghanistan, we have three problems. One. We have bad government. We need to change government. Bad. No more government. Two. We have no building for school.”

“How many students are in your school?” asks Joey.

“6,000.”

“Alright so you need a building…,” says Joey.

“Third. No electricity.”

“Ooo, that is a problem, ” says Joey’s co-worker/friend, whatever they call each other.

Farmanullah sits back in his chair, his face is broad and smiling. His hands cross his lap. “You can change our government?” He says, “In Afghanistan we have tribes. Many school buildings, tribes come burn down. No good. We need new government.” Then it was over. The meeting was over, the discussion was over.

Oh funny. A side note about Farmanullah. Apparently Gaven told me that one early morning he was driving Farmanullah to school with him. It was still dark outside. Farmanullah said, “In Afghanistan if we have school under stars? No good.” :) …I agree.