Today was like a breath of fresh air. Even though I have been experiencing jet lag, sleeping very little, and feeling overwhelmed, today I was so grateful for the energy to keep going.
After getting over the shock of yesterday, I was able to settle into the schedule today and enjoy the beautiful girls that I'm so privileged to teach. They are in between the ages of 17-25, some are just out of high school, some are married and pregnant, some are trying to get a job with their English skills, and some just want to get out of the house and learn. I am looking forward to getting to know them more as they learn! It is overwhelming at this point to think of even learning all their names - I have two classes with 30 students each! But, I hope I'm up for the challenge.
Something I enjoy about these Saudi girls is that they will celebrate any time that they can. They look for excuses to bring sweets and goodies to class to share. Today they were supposed to do a role play using their family vocabulary from the past week. They had drawn their own family trees, practiced introductions, and written party invitations. For the role play, they acted out the invitation process and preparation for a family reunion party, and the role play was complete with music, food, and a real party when they finished. They insisted that I try everything that they had brought - grape leaves, pastries, cake, Arabic coffee, juices, chips...there went my lunch break! It was great to sit and talk to the girls while we ate. They had so many questions for me! Somehow being an American is a novelty, and because I'm young it makes them even more curious about me. One girl asked, "Teacher, I have a question... can I take a selfie with you?" That was not at all what I expected, but of course, how could I say no? Then, as soon as she took the picture, 29 other smartphones came out of nowhere, and suddenly I was awkwardly trying to let them take a picture if they wanted, but also asking them to put away their phones. Khallas! (Enough). It is such a strange experience to be interesting just because of where you're from.
I wish I could post pictures of the school and the girls, but that would be breaking their trust. You'll just have to take my word for it - they are unique and beautiful.
Below is the cake with the theme of Saudi National Day:
After getting over the shock of yesterday, I was able to settle into the schedule today and enjoy the beautiful girls that I'm so privileged to teach. They are in between the ages of 17-25, some are just out of high school, some are married and pregnant, some are trying to get a job with their English skills, and some just want to get out of the house and learn. I am looking forward to getting to know them more as they learn! It is overwhelming at this point to think of even learning all their names - I have two classes with 30 students each! But, I hope I'm up for the challenge.
Something I enjoy about these Saudi girls is that they will celebrate any time that they can. They look for excuses to bring sweets and goodies to class to share. Today they were supposed to do a role play using their family vocabulary from the past week. They had drawn their own family trees, practiced introductions, and written party invitations. For the role play, they acted out the invitation process and preparation for a family reunion party, and the role play was complete with music, food, and a real party when they finished. They insisted that I try everything that they had brought - grape leaves, pastries, cake, Arabic coffee, juices, chips...there went my lunch break! It was great to sit and talk to the girls while we ate. They had so many questions for me! Somehow being an American is a novelty, and because I'm young it makes them even more curious about me. One girl asked, "Teacher, I have a question... can I take a selfie with you?" That was not at all what I expected, but of course, how could I say no? Then, as soon as she took the picture, 29 other smartphones came out of nowhere, and suddenly I was awkwardly trying to let them take a picture if they wanted, but also asking them to put away their phones. Khallas! (Enough). It is such a strange experience to be interesting just because of where you're from.
I wish I could post pictures of the school and the girls, but that would be breaking their trust. You'll just have to take my word for it - they are unique and beautiful.
Below is the cake with the theme of Saudi National Day:
After the party was over, I had flecks of green glitter lingering on my face from the mask that they gave me to wear. Today, in addition to learning, we enjoyed the simplest of things.
Now it is time for Eid AlAdha, which is the second of two national and Islamic "Eid's" (holidays). That means two weeks off for me to recover and prepare for the long haul - no more breaks until February!
Take care, everyone!
- Courtney
Hi Court-Court! I'm so proud of you! I'm enjoying your Arabic lessons and experiences. I knew that you would do wonderfully! I miss you here but I'm so glad that the young ladies are treating you well and enjoying your company.
ReplyDeleteI believe I would enjoy being there as your assistant in the classroom :)! Your students sound like such a joy to teach.
God bless your patience and love for teaching!
Great and wonderful passage :D
ReplyDeleteKeep it up