Week 4 - October has begun.  We have been in Abu Dhabi just over a month.  We have moved into our apartment (next blog entry) and have been teaching for 3 weeks.  In this entry, Steve and I share about our schools.  One thing both our schools have in common is the check-in/check-out process.  The schools use fingerprinting.  We punch in our ID’s then the machine scans our fingerprint.  We get a message in the morning that says “Good Morning, Steve (Alison)” and in the evening the machine says, “Good-Bye”.  Accountability for time at school is closely monitored.  When I came back for parent night, I had to re-sign in and sign out at the conclusion.  Can you imagine that in American schools?

Finger Print Machine

Steve:

Just completed my third full week teaching English at Al Ittihad.  Presently I have three fifty-five minute sections, each meeting seven times a week for a total of 21 classes.  In actuality, the periods are more like fifty-minutes because though a bell klangs to end the period, there is nothing to usher in the new class so students wander in at all times intermittently those first fifteen minutes.  This lack of punctuality proved at first unsettling for a former German teacher.  But I’m beginning to understand how flexibility in this culture is key, and might work to my advantage.  Each of my three weeks we have had a different schedule.  The first week, school dismissed at 2:45; the second week at 2:30; last week at 2:10.  By December I figure there will not be a need for me to report.

Each morning starts with an all-school assembly in the courtyard.  Students, teachers, and administration stand at attention to an old recording of the strident UAE national anthem, a message from the Qur’an, and pithy educational jeremiads.  Reminiscent of Boy Scout camp at Osceola, MO circa the Bicentennial.  

Attached is a video from a visiting band, which used bagpipes and Arabic flutes:    Healthy parent brag:  daughter Etienne (and former Central Eagle band member) is a better twiller than the guy with the miter.

At this point, I have learned about 95% of the students’ names.  No small feat here as one may have a class with four Ahmeds and three Abullahs.  I do have a Buddy Holly-bespectacled student who shares his name with the heavyweight-boxing champ formerly known as Cassius Clay.   No Abdul-Jabbars, however, nor Bobby Moores.  Presently I’m working on second names to distinguish Mohammed Khalid from Mohammed Fahed.

On the topic of names, students call me Dr. Brock, so not to confuse me with another “Steve” in the English department.  Most assume Brock is my first name because they are already familiar with that famous Minnesota WWF wrestler/MMA fighter/behemoth Brock Lesner.  Surprisingly, fewer are aware of the oeuvre of the outstanding black actor in “To Kill a Mockingbird” Brock Peters.

My two eleventh-grade classes are working on the theme of health.  Fortunately during my stint with the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy, I composed an online course for health.  Class began with the topic of healthy diet (so it was a bit ironic after-school Thursday when I saw my student Zayed eating a super-sized Big Mac at the nearby McDonald’s; I soon followed him with the same order, though with extra onions).  My upper-level class enjoyed their flipbooks; the lower-level group seemed to have issues with the paper construction.  No doubt, poor instruction on my part.  This week our attention turns to exercise. 

For my lone tenth grade class, the theme is Emirati heritage.  Students have a large summative project at the end of the tri-semester they are already working on.  The project includes some research and interviews.  As I know little of Emirate culture at present, I am now examining contemporary film.  Students here like the same films as teens in the US; in fact, “Fast and Furious 7” is to begin filming here next month when the weather dips below 100 F.  I told the class I have been signed to play Vin Diesel’s smarter brother.  My class has, nonetheless, compared Arab and Western foods, and dress through Venn diagrams and other graphic organizers.

In general, students are friendly, but would rather chat than listen to each other or me.  Even as engaging as I am.  Here are a couple to teaching techniques which seem to be stemming the tide of insubordination:  1) Standing:  Students who interrupt get to stand.  They do not like to stand, especially for prolonged periods.  2) Points:  Students can be awarded positive or negative points.  After ten points, they get a free pass on an assignment.  I whip out the IPhone to award points post haste.

Alison:

My placement has changed three times since I arrived.  All three have been cycle 2 - grade 6 science.  Truth be told, the third was only because the new facilities were not ready and my students were still being housed at Al Lulu, which is their previous cycle 1 (elementary) school.  Al Lulu is lovely.

  The principal and vice-principals are skilled and lovely people.  In most cycle 2 (middle) schools, teachers do not have their own room and science lab time needs to be scheduled.  I am fortunate: I have the science lab for my classroom.  My students come upstairs to the lab for class!  Bell-to-bell the length of a class is 45 minutes.  There is no passing time, which means in actuality my classes are about 35 to 40 minutes on a good day.  I love my girls.  Their English is still very limited so I am employing all my ELL skills and knowledge.  They have not had much exposure to lab skills or hands-on science.  We have started the year with learning process skills, observation skills, and lab equipment.  One of the girls commented that my class was really hard because I kept asking them to think! I do a lot of modeling on journaling and respond to our big questions (essential questions).  They struggle on extrapolating of information from multiple sources and making connections between investigations.  WE WILL GET THERE! 

The cycle 1 students wear pink jumpers with white blouses under them and my 6^th graders wear blue jumpers with white blouses.  Each morning the day begins with a 15-minute assembly.  The girls recite a prayer, and then sing the National Anthem.  Next several girls are selected to recite from the Qur’an.  Messages, reminders, and announcements are made.  About once a week, I am required to do a uniform check – clean uniform, black shoes, hair pulled back, and clean short nails.  I have now 7 abayas to wear to school.  I have to say they are very comfortable.  The two that I just had made are actually beautiful.  It is not a requirement, but more practical.  If I choose to wear a skirt it has to be to my ankles and the top must be at least ¾ sleeve.  On Thursday, I did not have my new abayas and the current ones needed cleaning, so I had to wear a skirt and blouse.  I felt uncomfortable.  I will post pictures of me in an abaya soon. 

At 10:30 to 11:00 the girls have a break to eat.  The canteen is open and many students purchase snacks and water.  We are working on better processes and encouraging the girls to clean up after themselves.  We have started using the 6^th grade girls to help “encourage” the younger girls.  They love the responsibility! 

This week we have given benchmark and skills tests.  I have been helping out the elementary teachers to give the reading inventories.  I sit with each student and have her read to me for accuracy and fluency.  It has been interesting to watch the progression from grade 1 to grade 5.  Once those assessments are evaluated I will be working with teachers and students supporting math.  I am also working with the Student Support Team to put in place better processes and procedures.  That is one of our SIP goals.  I have been asked to facilitate 2 SIP priorities (goals) committees (Note to Ann Mausbach:  I was channeling you last week and your analogy for writing a SIP.)  My experiences both in Montgomery County and Counsel Bluffs are serving my well.  

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