Sometimes great opportunities come calling. Friends Keeli McClintick and Teddy Swecker had been invited to return to Doha, Qatar, to work in an international school and I joined them. My responsibilities included professional development in differentiated writing and higher order questioning. While at first I hesitated - International school? What do I know about writing and questioning?? - seated at my computer, my fingers tapped out a hundred-page outline to prepare me for this adventure.
After a passport fiasco (never let yours lapse) and flight shuffling, I traveled for 30+ hours to the Arabian Gulf. To prepare I researched Qatar, a new country formed in 1962 after being a British protectorate for many years, and studied a photo book to familiarize myself with this nation. While my suitcase had taken a detour, I was delivered to my home-away-from-home. As the guest of Debbie Nait who taught here a few years ago, I had full range of her home while she was away. This felt a bit strange: new country, staying in the home of a friend I had not yet met, and delivered late at night on a dark street in a city where there are few street names. In Qatar people guide by area, such as Education City, and landmarks such as "the little Lulu", a grocery store, rather than by street names.
I grabbed a few hours of sleep, a quick shower, and climbed back into my only set of clothes, then set out to explore. My tour guides raced me through the city and out into the desert, heading south toward the inland sea and Saudi Arabia. This was the only minute I sensed nervousness (besides the wild driving and amazingly crazy round-a-bouts). I had watched Twelve Years a Slave in route and I pondered what might lie beyond the next sand dune. All that appeared was glowing, golden sand and a magnificent turquoise sea. My afternoon was spent exploring the city: buildings, monuments, the Souk, and the never-ending string of malls.
Doha is booming. Guides must update their tours every three months because of the building explosion. Houses, skyscrapers, and construction competitions abound. In a country with no rivers and desalinated seawater for drinking, I wonder about the future, not only for water, but for sustainable food and other resources. Currently virtually everything is imported, including most of the professional and labor force. Natural gas and petroleum rich, what products will support the future?
Qatar is extremely safe. Even the police do not carry guns. Guest workers want to keep their lucrative jobs so they behave and the Qataris receive rebates from oil sales and live a luxurious life. Driving, as I mentioned, is frightening, but everything else is quite lovely.
On Saturday I worked with teachers - a delight. The thought of teaching these professionals from around the world intimidated, but I found an eager, friendly staff ready to learn new tips and to share their own techniques. Many were recent Doha transplants while others had been there for years. I asked why more of these teachers didn't come to the US to teach and all replied that they'd love to, however, visas are not readily available. What a shame to miss out on this international excellence.
The school week runs from Sunday through Thursday. Being 10 hours ahead and having this very different schedule, confusion often grasped me - Where am I? What day is this? Where do I go next? The last question was fitting as the school was organized in an unusual system. My first presentation was in 8A and so I wandered until I found that room number. Mr. Hani, the Arabic instructor, welcomed me, although he mentioned that I was not on his schedule. His students were wonderful and we combined the ABCs of Winnemucca and Arabic lessons. Midway through a wild-eyed administrator discovered my whereabouts. 8A actually meant 8th grade, section A, located a floor up and on the opposite end of the building. They had feared I had collapsed in the bathroom while instead I was busy learning a new language!
Every classroom was incredible. The excited, enthusiastic students came from around the world. All spoke English (a requirement in all Qatari schools) and many additional languages as well. Children of oil field workers, construction site mangers, dignitaries, and university professors, their experiences and world insight made this trip a most tremendous experience. Wow! When opportunity knocks, answer and who knows where you may land![[In-content Ad]]
