Semester 1 - 20 weeks

It's been another interesting time working in the Qatar schools. We're nearly at the end of the first semester. Schools are doing exams at the moment, from Grade 4 on, and teachers are marking them. I am working with 7 newly independent schools this year which means I am spending more time getting to know my ICT teachers, helping them with their planning and introducing them to new software and ways to use it with the kids. Last year I had 13 schools to visit spread all round Doha.
One of the ICT teachers I'm working with this year recently got engaged and we've been sharing in her excitement - planning the wedding. In fact she is already married as the éngagment is where she signs the legal documents with her partner to be - men and women sit in seperate rooms. Once the signing is over they go back to the parents house to eat and dance. She does not live with him yet, not until after the formal wedding party, but they can go out together to a restaurant! The wedding is a really big party again with men and women seperate. Dahlia has invited us to her wedding in April. Have a read of a previous post I wrote about a Bedouin Wedding we went to last year. Here are a couple of photos of the opulence.....

Cognition this year has seven projects, around 150 staff, with the SEC (Supreme Education Council), which is keeping everyone up here busy. They have roped Brian in to help set up apartments; buying all the assorted bits and peices needed as each consultant gets a fully furnished apartment, down to pots, pans, cutlery, towels, bedding etc etc. Teams are up here setting up new systems for training teachers, developing a National Professional Standards process as well as developing Leadership for future Principals.