This week our school district was fortunate to enjoy the company of an articulate, energentic, intelligent, most friendly, and concerned educator.
"Mona" came to us through a Fulbright exchange program. My superintendent arranged for the visit. "Mona" spent a couple of weeks in Washington listening to the Federal view of No Child Left Behind. She visited a couple of suburban Washington, D.C. schools. Then she flew to Lincoln, NE (which has to be a culture shock) and came here to our rural school in northern Kansas (300 sq. miles, 330 kids k-12)for further culture shock.
"Mona" lived with the superintendent (I work for a great lady super) this past week. Since our super likes to walk in the early morning, they both enjoyed the long early morning walks, even though the Kansas air was very chilly to "Mona." She told me she really enjoyed the walks. But seeing "Mona" huddled in a jacket and sweaters must have been a shock to some early rising rural folk.
On Monday, "Mona" came to my school. I met a very poised and articulate young woman of about 32. Her English, faintly British, was excellent. She visited our classrooms, observing teaching techniques and lesson designs. She was really interested in our English program (she had taught English for 6 years), or wood/technology program, the special resource room for students on I.E.P.'s, social studies, and science. Our teachers were impressed by her. "Mona" stood about 5 feet 2 inches, many of the American kids towering over her in the halls. But she had a way of looking us straight in the eye, full of interest in what we were doing.
I just felt good about what she was trying to do: make her school of 800 girls a better place.
Last night at dinner "Mona" showed a CD she had made. There were pictures of her country, her school (she is a principal or "head mistress") and her town of 3,000. We enjoyed the evening and the company. It was a friendly time. She told us a humorous story about declining an offer of marriage.
"Mona" left us this morning. At the airport, security was very careful of Muna (Mona)because she wore clothing that covered her head. Her Omani features and her clothing, which covered her completely, made her stand out. She stood out in the halls of our schools in Kansas and on the streets of our small Kansas town too. That did not keep her from coming here to learn.
She smiled when the airport security was so very thorougly checking her through the gate. All the superintendent could do was mouth the words "I am so sorry" as she went through the security check, all 5 feet 2 inches of her, wanting to come to our country to learn, actually by herself among so many strangers for the first time in her life.
Take care, Muna.
Posts: 201 | Registered: Oct 2001
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