I apologize that I cannot do more than write just fleeting comments about my experiences. I honestly have so much to say and it frustrates me that I can't put all the richness of my life into words. I unfortunately just don't have the time right now to sit down and write beautiful prosaic accounts of my life and thoughts. I wish I could....I hope to be able to do so some day (maybe during the summer or perhaps one day in the future when I am much more experienced as a teacher and don't need hours to prep for lessons)
On Teaching and Living in Riyadh....just a few months in
* I met one of the Al-Saud prince's "protector". This is essentially a man who serves the young prince Faisal and has dedicated his life to protecting him. He drives him around, runs errands for him, and does whatever Faisal needs. What truly shocks or amazes me, however, is the fact that traditionally the role of the "protector" is to lay down his life for the prince. Can you imagine having someone who would be willing to die for you? Especially someone that isn't even a blood relative of yours? Though the Saudi royal family is no longer invading foreign lands or fighting battles in the desert it still amazes me that those kind of traditions still exist.
* The hardest workers in this country are people from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines. They are the ones making this country as great as is it. There's a reputation here that Saudi's are lazy. I thought, how could this be so when this country's economy is thriving? Well....the Saudi's may be funding everything but they are not doing the work themselves. This country has been built on the backs of immigrant workers who are given very little respect or appreciation. You do not see Saudi's serving as waiters or drivers or construction workers. The Saudi's, though they desire innnovation and "newness", do not want to put in the grunt work themselves.
For some reason I find that wrong. If you want to make a different or change the world or re-define yourself (or your nation), you need to get down and get dirty and do it yourself. You need to put in the hours, you need to make the sacrifices. The Saudi's hire people to make the sacrifices for them and then they take all the glory. Again...is this right? I greatly respect Saudi's and have found them to be incredibly generous and kind, yet I am disappointed by this universal sense of entitlement that can be seen all around the country.
* As much as I love my job and the work I'm doing here....I am working myself to the bone! I have over 100 students and I must challenge each and everyone of them. They are all, for the most part, quite obsessed with their grades and I find that I need to create lots of assignments for them not only to keep them engaged but to also satisfy their need for approval and feedback. It is exhausting and very high stakes. The work I was doing last year at the Alternative high school was much more of an emotional stress. I didn't care so much about teaching my students content, but rather I was trying to help my students find meaning in their lives and to open their eyes to the limitless possibilities of life with a sound education. I spent most of my time listening to their stories and concerns and trying to mentor them to make positive choices and keep life in perspective.
These students don't need that emotional nurturing. They get that from their parents and friends. They need me to prepare them academically to have a successful future. They need me to teach them how to become better writers and readers so that they can go on to the top universities in the United States, Canada and Europe. They want the best. These parents are paying big money for their students to go here and they demand nothing but excellence. That aspect of the job doesn't phase me...that's how I was raised and it is the kind of educational philosophy I believe in too. The main challenge for me is time. I need more time to plan stimulating and invigorating lessons, I need more time to grade assignments, I need more time to do background research on the material I'm teaching, I need more time to learn about the newest technology to make my students 21st century learners....and I need time to be mentally and physically healthy. I need time for me.
On Teaching and Living in Riyadh....just a few months in
* I met one of the Al-Saud prince's "protector". This is essentially a man who serves the young prince Faisal and has dedicated his life to protecting him. He drives him around, runs errands for him, and does whatever Faisal needs. What truly shocks or amazes me, however, is the fact that traditionally the role of the "protector" is to lay down his life for the prince. Can you imagine having someone who would be willing to die for you? Especially someone that isn't even a blood relative of yours? Though the Saudi royal family is no longer invading foreign lands or fighting battles in the desert it still amazes me that those kind of traditions still exist.
* The hardest workers in this country are people from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and the Philippines. They are the ones making this country as great as is it. There's a reputation here that Saudi's are lazy. I thought, how could this be so when this country's economy is thriving? Well....the Saudi's may be funding everything but they are not doing the work themselves. This country has been built on the backs of immigrant workers who are given very little respect or appreciation. You do not see Saudi's serving as waiters or drivers or construction workers. The Saudi's, though they desire innnovation and "newness", do not want to put in the grunt work themselves.
For some reason I find that wrong. If you want to make a different or change the world or re-define yourself (or your nation), you need to get down and get dirty and do it yourself. You need to put in the hours, you need to make the sacrifices. The Saudi's hire people to make the sacrifices for them and then they take all the glory. Again...is this right? I greatly respect Saudi's and have found them to be incredibly generous and kind, yet I am disappointed by this universal sense of entitlement that can be seen all around the country.
* As much as I love my job and the work I'm doing here....I am working myself to the bone! I have over 100 students and I must challenge each and everyone of them. They are all, for the most part, quite obsessed with their grades and I find that I need to create lots of assignments for them not only to keep them engaged but to also satisfy their need for approval and feedback. It is exhausting and very high stakes. The work I was doing last year at the Alternative high school was much more of an emotional stress. I didn't care so much about teaching my students content, but rather I was trying to help my students find meaning in their lives and to open their eyes to the limitless possibilities of life with a sound education. I spent most of my time listening to their stories and concerns and trying to mentor them to make positive choices and keep life in perspective.
These students don't need that emotional nurturing. They get that from their parents and friends. They need me to prepare them academically to have a successful future. They need me to teach them how to become better writers and readers so that they can go on to the top universities in the United States, Canada and Europe. They want the best. These parents are paying big money for their students to go here and they demand nothing but excellence. That aspect of the job doesn't phase me...that's how I was raised and it is the kind of educational philosophy I believe in too. The main challenge for me is time. I need more time to plan stimulating and invigorating lessons, I need more time to grade assignments, I need more time to do background research on the material I'm teaching, I need more time to learn about the newest technology to make my students 21st century learners....and I need time to be mentally and physically healthy. I need time for me.
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