Ask anyone who knows me well, and they will tell you that I was in a bit of a dither about what to pack before coming here. The question I was most often asked was "will you have to wear a burka?" My answer was always "no, just long skirts." Beyond that, I didn't really know. Information from Teach Away, the recruiting agency, was vague so I talked to my friends who were already here, did some research online and scoured the Teach Away site on Face Book for guidelines. I bought long skirts, dresses, and jumpers, then fretted about them being loose enough and long enough. I bought one abaya online through East Essence just in case I'd need it.
I got to visit my school yesterday and met some wonderful people with whom I'll be working. So many beautiful scarves and abayas! The good news is that our principal is liberal when it comes to how we dress. We can wear slacks as long as they are loose and the blouse is long enough to cover the bum. Our dresses and skirts don't have to trail on the floor--it's OK if they hit at the ankle. Our shirts and sweaters can have 3/4 length sleeves. She did tell us to wear a scarf around our necks, just in case men come into the building or someone official comes to visit. It's not her mandate, but comes from higher-ups.
It's a relief to not have to wonder anymore about what to wear. Now I can focus on preparing for the first day. Lesson planning? What's that?
I got to visit my school yesterday and met some wonderful people with whom I'll be working. So many beautiful scarves and abayas! The good news is that our principal is liberal when it comes to how we dress. We can wear slacks as long as they are loose and the blouse is long enough to cover the bum. Our dresses and skirts don't have to trail on the floor--it's OK if they hit at the ankle. Our shirts and sweaters can have 3/4 length sleeves. She did tell us to wear a scarf around our necks, just in case men come into the building or someone official comes to visit. It's not her mandate, but comes from higher-ups.
It's a relief to not have to wonder anymore about what to wear. Now I can focus on preparing for the first day. Lesson planning? What's that?
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5 comments:
Oh, you can do such fun things with scarves! Nice that you have some flexibility to make it your own. :)
Oh good, with what you have, and new scarves, you will be ready for all occasions.
Well, none of that sounds unreasonable, even by American standards, and isn't it nice to finally just KNOW? Once we know things, our heads tend not to run away with us. How long until your first day teaching?
I won the lottery with this principal, that's for sure. I brought scarves with me, but most are too heavy for right now. I found a souk that sells very light, sheer ones for 10 dirhams--less that $3US, so I bought a couple. Les, today was my first day. Oh my. Jackpot again. Blog post to come soon, but rest assured that I am very happy to be here.
As is convenient for you. I recognize the shifting of all the tectonic plates for you. For me, a similar momentous event occurred on 9-11-01. If you don't catch it naturally in the blogosphere, I'll point you to it. I need you to know it, because you are my friend. Waiting to everything, as soon as you're good to tell it. ~ ~ LM
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