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Global Teacher Prize 2016 Top
Meet the Global Teacher Prize 2016 Top Ten Finalists and read
about their views on education, personal development and more.
Aqeela Asifi
Pakistan
Kazuya
Takahashi
Japan
What
does
being in the
top ten of the
Global Teacher
Prize mean to
you?
“23 years ago, I was
not sure that my tent
school would last 3 days.
Challenges were great. I
had no idea that this would
happen when I started a school
in a camp that most people do not know. I feel
great pride at this success. I am proud that most
of my students have finished the 5th grade.
I am happy to be able to talk to people
I have never met. It is amazing that
the world has recognised my
efforts.”
Maarit Rossi
Finland
Tell
us
about
the space
elevator
competition.
“I teach English
Project Management
with LEGO. Space
Elevator is a good way
to
expand
students’
knowledge of science.
This programme allows me
to introduce my students to
professors outside of our school.
This gives them a chance to connect with real
scientists, which lets them know that they too
can accomplish this in the future. I created a
movement, which led to the competition in
our school. The students were happy to
do the project because it gave them
a platform to showcase their
talents.”
How
c a n
teachers
m a k e
learning math
fun for students?
“Math
education
hasn’t changed in
a very long time. We
need to change math
content and how it is
taught. Traditionally, the
teacher is at the front of the
class and the students sit and try
to solve the problem. Eventually,
some end up hating math because of this method.
It must be student centred. Allow the students
to perform activities that give them handson experience with math. Group work and
social discussions, especially for girls, are
equally as important as practising.”
Ayub Muhamad
Kenya
Why is
developing
social
entrepreneurship
skills in students
important?
“In many parts of SubSaharan Africa and other
parts of the world there is a lack
of job opportunities (challenge
of employment). Education systems
tend to focus mainly on academics. For the
workforce, graduates outnumber the jobs that are
available. This needs to change. We can tap
into innovativeness and creativity in our
students. Help them to become job
creators and change lives.”
14 | May - Jun 2016 |
|
Class Time
Colin
Hegarty
United
Kingdom
What
is the
best advice
that you have
received and
how has it helped
you?
“An older practitioner
once told me that ‘the
day that you think that you
know it all in teaching, you
should quit.’ I think that to be
a great teacher, you have to be a
great learner. Try to improve your practice each
day. Modelling that type of lifelong learning
will help your students to model the same.
Reflect on how you are performing, how
your students are doing and what
you can do to improve.”