Observing Great Teachers

On this last visit to Jordan, I was given the incredible privilege to observe several UNRWA teachers in their classrooms. I knew they would be good, I just wasn't prepared to see them in their natural environments, as I had know them only through their academy experience. I did not observe them as a supervisor would, that was not my role - I observed them as human beings interacting with children in the comfortable settings they had created. The following comments are not about them as teachers, merely as people doing their jobs, caring for the children of others:

Sultan
Sultan was the first of the teachers I got to visit. He had a room full of young boys, and I was immediately struck by the fact that he seemed like an older brother as he taught them. He was in control, but I sensed that the boys were comfortable with him. I couldn't help but notice when he subtly shifted a few of the boys around so that a struggling student could get help from a willing peer. Sultan taught with a lot of energy and the kids responded accordingly. He knew those children and cared about them, and it showed.

Salam
Salam directed her class of girls very skillfully. She moved seamlessly from task to task and the kids followed her eagerly. I recognized that they were very used to each other, and that there was a great deal of mutual respect in the room. The lesson was very scripted up to the point when the girls were to circulate and ask each other questions - one girl looked up to Salam and asked if she could interview me. Salam gave her a slight smile and a gentle nod and the young girl giddily came back to question me. From that point nearly every young lady came back to visit Bassam and I. It was the right kind of fun for a classroom, and Salam directed it perfectly, not losing control of the activity, but deftly managing the flow.

Khadijeh
I got to visit Khadijeh's English Club during a very interactive lesson. As with all these talented teachers, she had her own style - very intellectual with high expectations. The girls were very eager, and as the lesson progressed, their excitement grew. They worked together passionately on the story telling activity, and waved their hands frantically hissing "missssss, misssss." Khadijeh orchestrated the whole thing very well, and most of the girls were fully engaged. It was a quiet exercise with boundless energy. It reminded me of an old adage - there comes a time in one's education when ideas themselves can become entertaining.

Sara
Sara's class was quite different - the girls were very young and the room was very small. I was curious how she would manage this dynamic, and she did so magnificently. The girls were excited, sitting two to a desk with their colorful backpacks behind them on the benches. Sara held their attention, involved them, moved around the room, and had them come to the front. She reminded me of a kind mother, and the girls all responded to her warmly. Sara rewarded the risks they took, and these very young girls followed her lead perfectly It was a beautiful example of gentle, vibrant lesson.

Ahmad
If Sultan was an older brother, then Ahmad was a kind and wise uncle. He too had to teach in a very small room, and did a good job methodically moving through his lesson, interacting with all the young boys in the class. He was quiet and assuring, and the boys settled down and concentrated on the lesson. As I watched him, I marvelled how he and these other teachers managed to show their concern for their students in different ways. Ahmad had a lot of poise, and the boys worked very well in the class. His lesson was different, but was completely his own style, patient and kind.

Fatima
Sticking to my family theme, Fatima had to be the kind but firm mother! It probably helped that she was twice as tall as any of her students, and that she smiled approvingly throughout the lesson. The girls worked hard for her, and she had them engaged in many activities. I laughed as I realized Fatima had recognized the definite personalities of her students, particularly of two young girls who were just like her. Fatima could probably be successful at many things, but she shines in the classroom and that glow is reflected in the bright eyes of her students.

Alaa
Alaa, by contrast, wasn't twice as tall as her students, as a matter of fact, I suspect many were taller than her. Alaa definitely was the slightly older sister in the classroom, and there was a lot of subsequent respect and adoration existing in the room between Alaa and her students, in both directions. She knew her style worked well with these older girls, and their business proceeded very quietly, with a lot of dignity. She wasn't as effusive as some of the other teachers, but her students saw her approval and encouragement, and I could tell there was a great deal of trust in the room. Like her peers, she had found a way to make her style and philosophy work in her class, and I enjoyed watching it unfold. Alaa and her peers had identified their philosophies, and it was evident that they were true to their beliefs.

As I mentioned, I did not do a formal observation of these classes, these teachers have great leaders and mentors who do that very well. I had the luxurious opportunity to watch talented and caring teachers working in the very different classroom cultures they had created. My only regret is that my time with each of them was short, and that I could not get to see all of our academy teachers at work - another trip, inshalah!