For the last two and a half weeks, I've been learning about all the systems that make up both life in Morocco and work at the Academy. We, the new recruits, have sat in on sessions explaining vision for the school, and the personal vision of the administration. We've eaten a lot of food together, and formed those unique, tentative bonds that result from shared fear. I think it's time for a list of things I've had to learn in the past three weeks:
how to get a taxi
how to navigate this city at all
my address
how to tell a taxi to get to my address
how to order food at a restaurant
and pay for it
and pay for anything, without overpaying or insulting anyone
how to lock doors, wash clothes, dry clothes, close windows, repel roaches and mosquitoes, sleep through the morning call to prayer,
how to say a few words in Darija and in French,
how to buy and use a VPN,
how to video call (don't use your phone, do use a VPN),
how to clean a floor... oh, everything.
And then there are the school systems for which we've had sessions, but you just have to figure them out at some point:
the school's grading scale and grading software,
attendance policies and online tracking,
purchase orders,
TimeOffManager,
helpdesk,
disciplinary referrals,
curriculum mapping,
Google Classroom,
and the school's email system.
It's gmail, so no change for me... except... have I mentioned that four or five of these systems need their own PASSWORDS?
... and now, to do all of this on a Mac. Nothing makes me feel less competent than having to Google every time I need to know a shortcut on a Mac. How do I open a new tab? Save a bookmark? Command key!
My students know so much more about the world they live in than I do right now. I'll offer them what I have, ask for what I need, and go to sleep now.
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