Ruminations on my life as a ‘nomadic’ teacher
By Joan Rocafort Valenzuela
There was an abrupt halt to my early morning rituals on my last Saturday in Oman.
There was an abrupt halt to my early morning rituals on my last Saturday in Oman.
This is the teaching expected of me now: Check students’ attendance without fail; ban trips to bathrooms lasting up to 20 minutes that, in effect, let students partly skip class; confiscate mobile gadgets when used in class; brace myself for random disruption of classroom activities by intruders; prepare weekly lesson plans; give students practice tests designed to achieve set learning outcomes; project an I’m-in-control-here stance; mark papers adhering strictly to rubrics; speak slowly and demonstrate my acting prowess to achieve a little communication; and be extra-patient.
