Sixth Meeting with Adil

Last Tuesday, I met with Adil and talked about his future after he is done with the ESL program. He still has one more year of studies and looks forward to finishing the program.  He is most excited about sitting in on some business classes next semester. He will not be graded in theses classes, but the classroom experience will help him understand what it takes to be successful on the next level. He knows it will be a challenge to listen to the professor speak English and try to comprehend it quickly so he knows what is going on. He is even going to take the exams to test how he is doing in the class. He is really excited about this opportunity.  He thinks it will be helpful in his development. After he is done with the ESL program, he is going to try and get his masters in marketing.

            Once he completes his masters, he is forced to go back to Saudi Arabia, where he will try to get a job. He seemed upset that he has to leave. He has really enjoyed the United States up to this point. One day he would like to return for and visit his friends and classmates as a long vacation. He is also a tad nervous about his return because he is not sure what he wants to do. He would like to either be a teacher or get a job in a marketing agency.

            In Saudi Arabia, teaching is a very respected position. Adil has had teaching experience before as an assistant teacher before he left for the United States. Although he would rather find a job at a marketing agency, Adil would be happy as a teacher. They get paid well, and he enjoys interacting with students. In the Islamic religion, passing knowledge on to other people is one of the most respected jobs a person can do. He would like to have this honor to perform as a professor. He, though, does not want to teach younger kids. Rather, he wants to teach high schoolers. He enjoys having conversations on the material taught, and high schoolers, he believes, are very good at this because they are still questioning different thoughts and ideas. I think Adil would a very good teacher because of his passion for learning. He, also, understands the amount of work it takes to be successful. He would be able to help students develop great work ethic and determination.

            Our conversation about teaching made me think about teachers in America. I believe teaching is a respected position, but it is often overlooked. Not many people when they are young want to be a teacher. Teaching in the United States does not have the same aura as it does in Saudi Arabia. I contend that this is the case because most of the mainstream religions don’t recognize the passing of knowledge as a critical part of life as much as Islam does. I think it is sad that teaching isn’t as prestigious in America because teachers are some of the most influential people in kids’ lives.  Every adult can usually point to a teacher at some point in his or her education that impacted his or her life. The teacher I became closest to in high school has been very influential in my life. He taught me many things, including work ethic, writing skills, and time management to name a few. I feel lucky to have such a great relationship with him. We still talk frequently and will go out to eat when I am in town. Examples like these show the importance of teachers in each kid’s life and why more people should strive to be a teacher.

            Ultimately, though, Adil would like to enter advertising. He is not particular where he works in the Middle East. He says it is not terribly hard to find a job right now. He believes that his education in America will help him greatly in job search and advertising career.