Tuesday evening English 10 and 12 hosted Moroccan Culture in our IDEA Lab. We cooked Moroccan food (by way of Jamie Oliver). We also invited June Seaney, professional dancer, instructor, and choreographer to speak to us about Moroccan music and dance. Let's start with the food. In the U.S., most of us rarely take the time to cook a meal and sit down and enjoy it together. My students eat their lunch in the cafeteria and many also eat breakfast there. They have about half an hour for a quick bite, and then it's back to class. In Morocco, mealtime felt sacred. We sat down together and took the time to enjoy our meal. I want my students to have a similar experience. Together with my "sous chefs," we made couscous, beef with prunes, and roast chicken with Moroccan spices. I also baked Moroccan bread the night before, and even though I'm not a great baker, it turned out well. Perhaps most importantly, we sat and enjoyed a meal together. Our guest speaker for the evening was June Seaney from Cornell University where she teaches in the physical education department. I knew of June from her dance troupe's performances in Ithaca when I was an undergrad and graduate student. June shared her extensive knowledge of Moroccan music and dance with us and went into detail about different regional music and dance traditions. I think one of the big takeaways for both me and my students is the regional diversity in Morocco and the pride Moroccans have for their regional traditions. This certainly helps think of Morocco as a place of many stories. As I finish my capstone as well as the school year, I can't help but look ahead to next year. Although Moroccan Culture Night was a great experience, I would like to do it again during the school day when all of my classes can attend. Though I would love to bring my students to Morocco someday, from this experience, I see the full value of bringing a taste of Morocco here.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Mrs. ShepardTeacher, ELL tutor, traveler, hiker, reader, and aspiring citizen of the world. Archives
April 2019
Categories |