My Experience As A Fulbright English Teaching Assistant In Morocco

As an Arabic Studies and French double major, Morocco was a clear choice when it came time to decide where to study abroad. The four months I spent in Rabat have informed my decision to apply to be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Morocco. During my semester abroad, I developed strong connections with the local population, including the extended family of my host family. Since Morocco was the first Muslim country that I have visited, I was especially interested in how the religious context would affect daily life. Before leaving for Morocco, I thought that perhaps I would find this context somehow off-putting in its differences from what I was used to in the U.S., but in fact my encounters with the history and traditions of Islamic culture in Morocco turned out to be one of the most fascinating and enriching aspects of my experience abroad.

As part of this opportunity, I developed plans, activities, and worksheets for each lesson along with a co-teacher. Throughout the semester, the student population in our class constantly shifted, which meant that the average proficiency level also changed. Every class, my co-teacher and I had to reassess how our lesson plan fit with the actual proficiencies of the students present and we made adjustments as needed in order to meet our students’ needs as best we could. While teaching, I was exposed to Moroccan expectations of English teachers, as well as to their deep appreciation and respect for them. Teaching English became an important part of my week because of the real impact I had on students and because I was able to learn about daily Moroccan life from a diverse group of