Some thoughts on teaching and life in Ifrane!

Anyone who says teachers don't work hard is crazy.  I know I have a steep learning curve but it's hard, challenging work and I don't want to short change my students.  I played "Born to be Wild" and "Betty and Al" in one of my listening classes today.  They couldn't understand Paul Simon's New York accent but we had a lively discussion of the imagery in "Born to be Wild".  They told me that the song was about individual freedom without the constraints of law and commitment.  It was about enjoying the moment without goals, possessions and  rules to restrict one's freedom.  They all agreed that it was a "male fantasy" that the guys found attractive but the women found unappealing. It was a fun class - really good students.  It's amazing how quickly you can connect with people here.  Several students asked me the name of some good writers in English.  I told them that I would check with Doris - she would have a better selection for young women than I would.  One student is a big fan of Jane Austen so I advised her to check out Downton Abbey on BBC.  She is also a big fan of BBC News and has a delightful British accent with some words.  Living in Morocco has given me a completely different perspective of the world and especially the Islamic world.  It has given me emotionally what I always believed intellectually that you can find good and decent people everywhere.  Ifrane is an incredible place to live and AUI is an incredible place to work - it's all about the people.