Sharing Good Practice
A Teacher ' s View
“ Get physical ”
Chris Holmes ( Safa British School , Dubai ):
“ Lockdown and quarantine restrictions have reinvigorated the importance of ‘ Physical ’ in Physical Education to help reduce stress , increase concentration levels and maintain a healthy lifestyle . We ensured students across the whole school had access to a morning wake up , shake up , daily physical challenge as well as their timetabled Physical Education lessons . Our daily physical challenge followed the cycle of Skilful Sunday , Movement Monday , Teamwork Tuesday , Workout Wednesday and Throwback Thursday . Even with a return to school , this is something we have continued to apply by sharing the wealth of resources we accumulated during the lockdown period via our PE website .”
my classroom .”
“ Be ready for another lockdown ”
Bertha Silot ( Dwight School Dubai )
“ I had to create plans in case of another lock down - being ready to continue to be effective in my teaching even if without access to
“ I don ’ t worry about making mistakes !” Kate Riddle ( Universal American School Dubai )
“ We have had to show more agility in adapting to new technologies . There is a lot of trial and error in finding what works best for students . Therefore , it is really important to not be afraid of making mistakes and trying new things . Constant reflection and listening to feedback from parents and children , is crucial in finding technologies that aid learning and communication , rather than hinder it !”
International educators tend to be positive and optimistic people , with plenty of drive to develop themselves personally and professionally . The pandemic has challenged their resilience and exercised their resourcefulness , and it is fascinating to see the amazingly varied ways in which they have responded . It is good to be able to honour their voices in this article . Perhaps the most interesting thing of all is to see which of these innovations and behaviours will find themselves embedded post-pandemic , allowing us to be able to say , that in some ways it has actually made things better .
“ I enabled quieter students to shine when distance learning ”
Tanisha Hickman ( GEMS World Academy Dubai )
“ I had to show agility in writing plans for hybrid lessons ”
Rike Cliff ( American Academy for Girls , Dubai )
“ Some 8th graders built electric circuits in the lab , and the ones at home did the same with a virtual lab ( a Gizmo ). For Forensics I have one student who used photography to send pictures of a suspect ’ s hair under the microscope via Whatsapp to her classmates .”
“ It ’ s about good relationships ”
Rukhsana Saleem |
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“ Leaders have drawn upon their relationships with their staff . When staff have felt valued and trusted , it ' s been much easier for the whole team to accept the constant last minute changes , and everyone has pulled together to help each other with their respective responsibilities .”
“ I set myself clear deadlines and goals ”
Estelle de Vendegies ( Al Bayan Bilingual School Kuwait )
“ Without the structure of a traditional school day and deadlines , teachers / leaders have had to become more reliant on their own ability to set timelines / goals / and agendas in order to keep a clear head .”
“ Seeking comfort in being alone but on screen to share their learning , my quieter students thrived and enjoyed the direct teaching that came with the new online learning platform . It was a chance for them to be creative in producing their work and sharing it online with their classmates .”
Class Time Term 2 Jan - Mar 2021 31