It's been a while since I've posted anything new, mostly because life has normalized to the point where there simply isn't much to report. A couple small items:
One week ago I was supposed to travel to the Western Desert and visit the Siwa Oasis. The trip was sponsored by Fulbright and fully paid for, but unfortunately I didn't go. I believe a bad ful sandwich is to blame. About an hour after I arrived in Cairo the night before the trip, my stomach decided that it didn't like anything I had consumed in the last 24 hours. Fortunately, the fiancee of my former Arabic prof at AUC is a doctor. He checked me out and gave me a prescription that kicked in fairly quickly. Needless to say, I didn't go on the trip but instead returned to my apartment in Zagazig. Apparently Cairo hates me. Bad news: missed the trip. Good news: I made a full recovery. I think I won't eat anything for 72 hours before the next trip just to be safe. . .
And, thankfully, I now have a full and final teaching schedule. I have a whopping nine class and will be teaching Sunday through Thursday. Fortunately, I won't have to lesson plan for all nine classes because it's basically nine sections of the same class. I will probably have to make minor adjustments for some, but it shouldn't be too bad. And as it turns out, I will indeed have each section for a full hour of conversation. Yesterday was the first day putting the schedule to the test, and both classes showed up on time. I guess next week will be the true stress test to see if all will go according to plan, but for now, things are definitely rolling along here in Zagazig.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
On the First Day
Yesterday marked the first day of teaching for me. It went just about as I expected e.g. it didn't go as expected. But it wasn't bad either. Allow me to explain.
7:25am: My alarm goes off. It's game time. I go over lesson plans in the shower (and that's not a double entendre). I was told there will be two classes today: one of third years and one of fourth years, both from the School of Specific Education. I ponder what exactly students in this school study.
8:50am: Carl and I arrive at the Center, prepped and ready for our first class (set to begin at 9). Too bad the center wasn't even open. Great start.
9:05am: There are about 10 students who have shown up. Carl and I remain downstairs, not sure what room the classes will be in or what exactly we should be doing. We decide to go upstairs to the room where the students are.
9:10am: We learn that the fourth year students have not arrived yet. (The original plan was for all the students to arrive at one time. I would take the 3rd years for a one-hour conversation class, while Carl would take the 4th years for a one-hour writing class. We would then switch). Considering this, we decide the best option is to co-teach the class. Of course, we have not reviewed each other's lesson plans, so we laugh, shrug, and begin class.
9:15am: Class begins (right on Arab time, I might add). Carl and I introduce ourselves, talking about where we live, where we went to school, what we studied, etc. The 9 students in the class (8 girls, 1 guy) seem to be understanding fairly well.
9:20am: We then ask the students to go around and say their names. I immediately only remember a couple of them, compounded by the fact that I'm still unfamiliar with non-Western names. Names are followed by a writing exercise in which the students write a paragraph about themselves and then read it to the class. At this point, two other professors have joined the class to watch/learn for themselves.
9:35am: Continuing with the introduction theme, we then ask the students to work with a partner to find out certain information (where they are from, family, hobbies, etc.). They are instructed that they will then introduce their partner to the class. As it turns out, the students had no idea what they were supposed to be doing (not their fault--I probably wasn't speaking slowly enough). After I went from group to group, though, they picked up on the message. Carl worked with the lone guy in the class. Hopefully another bro will join so he can practice with another student.
9:45am: Quick review session of common mistakes. Everyone sort of let out that "Oh duh!" noise when I brought up some of the errors. This was encouraging, as they immediately recognized their mistakes.
9:55am: Carl assigns homework since we won't see the class again for two weeks (thanks, Fulbright trip to Siwa Oasis). We did the whole, "Now what is the homework?" question to see if they really understood. They did. Check and mate.
10:05am: Class dismissed. Maybe a little early, but it's only the first day (technically it's the last day of the third week of the semester, but who's counting?).
10:10am: We learn that the fourth years will not be coming today but on Tuesday, insha'allah (God willing). Naturally.
10:15am: Carl and I figure out that we might be co-teachers instead of each taking a class. We sit down at the desks confused, as there was previously this overarching question of who would teach conversation and who would teach writing. Regardless, I'm glad I made it through the first day.
10:15-12:00pm: Chillin' like villains at the Center until we decide we can go.
So, the first day was fairly uneventful with only a couple small bumps in the road. We learned more students would likely be joining the classes (pushing numbers to around the 20-25 range). And maybe we might co-teach. Or maybe not.
We'll find out soon enough. Insha'allah.
7:25am: My alarm goes off. It's game time. I go over lesson plans in the shower (and that's not a double entendre). I was told there will be two classes today: one of third years and one of fourth years, both from the School of Specific Education. I ponder what exactly students in this school study.
8:50am: Carl and I arrive at the Center, prepped and ready for our first class (set to begin at 9). Too bad the center wasn't even open. Great start.
9:05am: There are about 10 students who have shown up. Carl and I remain downstairs, not sure what room the classes will be in or what exactly we should be doing. We decide to go upstairs to the room where the students are.
9:10am: We learn that the fourth year students have not arrived yet. (The original plan was for all the students to arrive at one time. I would take the 3rd years for a one-hour conversation class, while Carl would take the 4th years for a one-hour writing class. We would then switch). Considering this, we decide the best option is to co-teach the class. Of course, we have not reviewed each other's lesson plans, so we laugh, shrug, and begin class.
9:15am: Class begins (right on Arab time, I might add). Carl and I introduce ourselves, talking about where we live, where we went to school, what we studied, etc. The 9 students in the class (8 girls, 1 guy) seem to be understanding fairly well.
9:20am: We then ask the students to go around and say their names. I immediately only remember a couple of them, compounded by the fact that I'm still unfamiliar with non-Western names. Names are followed by a writing exercise in which the students write a paragraph about themselves and then read it to the class. At this point, two other professors have joined the class to watch/learn for themselves.
9:35am: Continuing with the introduction theme, we then ask the students to work with a partner to find out certain information (where they are from, family, hobbies, etc.). They are instructed that they will then introduce their partner to the class. As it turns out, the students had no idea what they were supposed to be doing (not their fault--I probably wasn't speaking slowly enough). After I went from group to group, though, they picked up on the message. Carl worked with the lone guy in the class. Hopefully another bro will join so he can practice with another student.
9:45am: Quick review session of common mistakes. Everyone sort of let out that "Oh duh!" noise when I brought up some of the errors. This was encouraging, as they immediately recognized their mistakes.
9:55am: Carl assigns homework since we won't see the class again for two weeks (thanks, Fulbright trip to Siwa Oasis). We did the whole, "Now what is the homework?" question to see if they really understood. They did. Check and mate.
10:05am: Class dismissed. Maybe a little early, but it's only the first day (technically it's the last day of the third week of the semester, but who's counting?).
10:10am: We learn that the fourth years will not be coming today but on Tuesday, insha'allah (God willing). Naturally.
10:15am: Carl and I figure out that we might be co-teachers instead of each taking a class. We sit down at the desks confused, as there was previously this overarching question of who would teach conversation and who would teach writing. Regardless, I'm glad I made it through the first day.
10:15-12:00pm: Chillin' like villains at the Center until we decide we can go.
So, the first day was fairly uneventful with only a couple small bumps in the road. We learned more students would likely be joining the classes (pushing numbers to around the 20-25 range). And maybe we might co-teach. Or maybe not.
We'll find out soon enough. Insha'allah.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
On Zagazig
I finally have some time to talk a little bit about Zagazig and my time here thus far. The town itself is fairly small but certainly not a village. I've read that there are around 200,000 people in the city, but that statistic is nearly impossible to verify. And in Egypt, any area that isn't Cairo (bustling with 18 million+ people) seems rather small in comparison. Regardless of numbers, Carl and I are the only Americans teaching at the university and quite possibly the only foreigners living in the town. To put the lack of foreign contact here in perspective, when we say that we are teachers at the university, the first question that people ask is "Which university?" because we certainly cannot be teaching in Zagazig. While many are puzzled as to why we would teach here and not in Cairo or Alexandria, they are always pleased that we're in Zagazig.
While on the topic of Zagazigians (Zagazigites?), the people here have been more than welcoming. Everywhere we go, smiles and handshakes greet us. Several meals and taxi rides have been free of charge or paid for by others. Everyone wants to show us around (but not in that awkward Cairo sense whereby profit often motivates the gesture) and introduce us to all the important aspects of Zagazig. I feel like a local celebrity. Sometimes when I'm out walking, I imagine that there's at least a few people who are recording the "white people" sightings. Probably not, but maybe. . .
Also, and thankfully, the Cairo hustle is endemic to Cairo only. In fact, no one here says anything to Carl and me when we're out walking. The first night we were here, I was actually a little freaked out because no one was talking to us or trying to get us to buy anything. Refreshing, to say the least. I think only one person has stopped us to ask where we're from and if it was possible to migrate to the US. Carl had a short conversation with him in French (random) while I tried my best understand. It didn't last for very long, and both groups parted amiably. I guess only one stop after more than a week isn't too bad at all.
The English Center where we work is also quite nice. It's conveniently located near the main government building in town, so getting there is never an issue. There are about 20 teachers all told, but only about half of them seem to be in the center consistently. This may change, however, as classes haven't really begun. (Clarification: The semester started about two weeks ago, but that doesn't mean much. The first two or three weeks appear to be only nominally part of the term, as people don't actually go to class--professors included. So in theory more teachers could show up at the center in the next couple weeks). Everyone is always super excited when we walk in the door, offering handshakes and coffee/tea. Pretty laid-back atmosphere where everyone is excited to hear us speak English (because we speak like a dictionary) and we're equally excited to hear Arabic. We pretty much just chill everyday from 10am-2pm, either chatting with people or sitting in on other classes.
We haven't started teaching yet. The lists of the top students are still being compiled, and it could be another week (or two). Here's what we do know: I am teaching conversation, while Carl is teaching writing. There will be one class from each of the five schools of the university (so five classes per person). We are not sure whether there will be five classes of 3rd years and five classes of 4th years, so in theory it could be ten classes per person. But that number just sounds outrageous, so we're hoping it's combined 3rd and 4th years into only five classes. That in and of itself will be quite the teaching load. As someone without true teaching experience, I'm already nervous to do lesson plans and whatnot. But I'm teaching conversation, so I'm just gonna slang it up. My classes gon'be bangin' fo reelz. Kids won't know what hit 'em.
Finally, Carl and I moved into our apartment a couple days ago. We really got lucky because the place is really clean and really big. Apparently the owner likes to collect European furniture, so all the pieces are pretty fancy. There are three rooms, one and half baths, and a large living room/dining room combo. Of course there is a full kitchen and a washing machine. Two balconies and air conditioning complete the package. Plus there's a mini-super market (more like carry-out) and a couple restaurants near us. The landlords have been more than accommodating, making sure we have dishes/pots and have even given us the names of some local restaurants. Couldn't have asked for anything more. Here are pictures of the apartment. Hopefully soon I will remember to take my camera with me to get some pictures of the town and the center.
Well, that about wraps up my sermon for the day. Make checks payable to cash.
While on the topic of Zagazigians (Zagazigites?), the people here have been more than welcoming. Everywhere we go, smiles and handshakes greet us. Several meals and taxi rides have been free of charge or paid for by others. Everyone wants to show us around (but not in that awkward Cairo sense whereby profit often motivates the gesture) and introduce us to all the important aspects of Zagazig. I feel like a local celebrity. Sometimes when I'm out walking, I imagine that there's at least a few people who are recording the "white people" sightings. Probably not, but maybe. . .
Also, and thankfully, the Cairo hustle is endemic to Cairo only. In fact, no one here says anything to Carl and me when we're out walking. The first night we were here, I was actually a little freaked out because no one was talking to us or trying to get us to buy anything. Refreshing, to say the least. I think only one person has stopped us to ask where we're from and if it was possible to migrate to the US. Carl had a short conversation with him in French (random) while I tried my best understand. It didn't last for very long, and both groups parted amiably. I guess only one stop after more than a week isn't too bad at all.
The English Center where we work is also quite nice. It's conveniently located near the main government building in town, so getting there is never an issue. There are about 20 teachers all told, but only about half of them seem to be in the center consistently. This may change, however, as classes haven't really begun. (Clarification: The semester started about two weeks ago, but that doesn't mean much. The first two or three weeks appear to be only nominally part of the term, as people don't actually go to class--professors included. So in theory more teachers could show up at the center in the next couple weeks). Everyone is always super excited when we walk in the door, offering handshakes and coffee/tea. Pretty laid-back atmosphere where everyone is excited to hear us speak English (because we speak like a dictionary) and we're equally excited to hear Arabic. We pretty much just chill everyday from 10am-2pm, either chatting with people or sitting in on other classes.
We haven't started teaching yet. The lists of the top students are still being compiled, and it could be another week (or two). Here's what we do know: I am teaching conversation, while Carl is teaching writing. There will be one class from each of the five schools of the university (so five classes per person). We are not sure whether there will be five classes of 3rd years and five classes of 4th years, so in theory it could be ten classes per person. But that number just sounds outrageous, so we're hoping it's combined 3rd and 4th years into only five classes. That in and of itself will be quite the teaching load. As someone without true teaching experience, I'm already nervous to do lesson plans and whatnot. But I'm teaching conversation, so I'm just gonna slang it up. My classes gon'be bangin' fo reelz. Kids won't know what hit 'em.
Finally, Carl and I moved into our apartment a couple days ago. We really got lucky because the place is really clean and really big. Apparently the owner likes to collect European furniture, so all the pieces are pretty fancy. There are three rooms, one and half baths, and a large living room/dining room combo. Of course there is a full kitchen and a washing machine. Two balconies and air conditioning complete the package. Plus there's a mini-super market (more like carry-out) and a couple restaurants near us. The landlords have been more than accommodating, making sure we have dishes/pots and have even given us the names of some local restaurants. Couldn't have asked for anything more. Here are pictures of the apartment. Hopefully soon I will remember to take my camera with me to get some pictures of the town and the center.
Well, that about wraps up my sermon for the day. Make checks payable to cash.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)