Featured Teacher the support and encouragement of my wife Mags and the professional talents of so many colleagues. An example for me in my present situation is the exceptional intellectual ability of our Ta’ allum Director of Education, Dr Mohammed Saefan whose lifetime of international education service includes setting up schools in the most challenging conditions in UNRWA schools.
What advice would you give to a teacher looking to move to Qatar from the UK?
Embrace the cultural experience not the money. Above all, be respectful. The unfamiliarity can mean that you will need to be flexible, resilient and open-minded. Bring and contribute your own abilities, but do not seek to impose your own orthodoxy or come with a sense of superiority. Excitingly, you will be contributing to the Emir’ s national 2030 vision where education is at the heart of national progress. It is a wonderful global experience, which will enrich you and your life.
Share 3 things that you do to keep staff motivated throughout the school year.
• We ensure that staff are kept well informed with achievements constantly shared and communicated daily. Success breeds success. A sense of fun also helps!
• The formal Ta’ allum Rewards and Recognition Evening in a prestigious hotel is a shared experience where a variety of staff achievements are recognised from long service and academic results to positive personal contributions and teaching innovations.
• The Ta’ allum Trophy for sports allows staff in the 3 Ta’ allum academies to compete against each other in a spirit of friendly sporting rivalry throughout the year! It’ s amazing just how competitive we are! football was a matter of life and death, famously replied“ No. It’ s more important than that!” Qatar has a rich sporting infrastructure with opportunities to see the best in the world. I’ ve watched AC Milan, Barcelona and PSG teams playing here recently.
2. I enjoy Literature and have always read widely. Ian McEwan is my favourite author.
3. Travel opportunities from the region are wonderful. We are so well positioned. Recently, we have visited India to see the Taj Mahal, Myanmar and Oman.
What is the greatest life lesson that I have learnt as an educator?
In 1982, when I was a young teacher in a very large Comprehensive school in Somerset, my father suffered a serious stroke. The Headteacher at the time took the trouble to write a simple note to my mother wishing for a speedy recovery with some positive words of encouragement for me. That small act of kindness 35 years ago had a profound and lasting impact on me and assured my total commitment and loyalty. I still have the note today!
It taught me how much people matter,
Peter Kubicki, Head of Secondary at Al Jazeera Academy.( Photo credit: AJA) how small things count and as leaders what unseen influence we have to make a school culture positive.
Share one fun thing about you that would surprise colleagues?
As a student, I worked on the maintenance gang at Wembley Stadium. This involved sweeping the terraces, letting greyhounds out of the traps for races, walking round with a shovel at the Horse of the Year Show( I’ ll leave you to guess the rest!) and best of all, sometimes being the little man in the white coat high above the crowd who changed the score on the then manual scoreboard at big matches!
What is the best advice that you have received and how has it helped you?
‘ Never stop learning and looking to the future.’ Over time, this maxim has made me realise how much more there is to learn and how much I do not know. It has brought me sustainability, heightened awareness of the constant process of change in education and it has also emphasised the need to play to the strengths and skills of our team. The next goal for me is Arabic language learning!
What are 3 activities I do outside of school to create work life balance?
1. I am obsessive about football. My wife tells me“ it’ s just 22 grown men kicking a bag of wind around”, but I tend to follow the thinking of the former Liverpool football manager, Bill Shankly, who when asked if
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