Woes and Worries

You might be surprised, but that blog title took me ages to decide on. I know it's been over a week since my last blog post, but I've been struggling with what I want to write and share.

As I mentioned in my last post, I have begun to dread work each day. There are many differences between teaching in the U.S. and teaching here in Egypt. Some of those differences I was prepared for, but others I was not. Most worrisome is the "American education" the students at Dover are receiving. As one of the 5 people at Dover that actually had an American education and learned to be a teacher in the U.S., it is very difficult for me to reconcile what is happening and what should be happening.

Over the summer I spent considerable time emailing the director of the school, the principal, and the returning teachers trying to glean as much information as I could about Dover so I could come as prepared as possible. One of my main questions (of course) was about the curriculum and topics that were generally covered in each grade level. I asked about what genres and types of literature the students tended to read (short stories, poetry, plays, novels, etc). No one gave me a direct answer, but I believed that I just hadn't gotten a hold of the right person. It turns out that no one was answering my questions because there aren't answers.

From elementary through high school, the students never read a book. Let me clarify: each grade level has an anthology (starting in grade six) reminiscent of those in the U.S. They are filled with pre-selected pieces of literature, nothing longer than 15 or so pages, and honestly very dry/boring. THAT'S IT. These kids will never read The Outsiders, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Diary of Anne Frank, Of Mice and Men, or so many other classics essential to a good American education. Now, don't get me wrong, I know that not every student will like reading these types of books. But the real secret is, its not about the books themselves! Its about what you can talk about and learn from the books. I'm a firm believer that being a teacher means more than teaching content. Yes, I happen to love English, and that's one of the reasons I chose it as my major. But in all reality, what I love more is that talking about literature teaches students to be better people. And that's the business I'm really in: filling the world with better people. Teaching them something about English is a happy coincidence. Here's a great article from Edutopia about why literature is important: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reading-literature-cultivates-empathy-in-students-elena-aguilar

I'm struggling with all that stuff listed above, but more than that I don't feel like I'm being a real teacher. The policies (or lack thereof) at school do not empower teachers to make decisions for the benefit of the students. I suppose that might be a little like home where the politicians making educational policy have never been educators...

At the end of this week we have a much-needed vacation, and Jayde and I are headed to Austria for 8 days. I'll do my best to post a couple times while we're there to keep track of all the exciting adventures. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers- I need all the help I can get right about now! XOXO