Teach Middle East Magazine issue 1 Volume 4

Sep - Oct, 2016. VOL.4 ISSUE 1

M I D D L E

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Start Strong...

Begin the school Year Right

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi...

A Rich Heritage of Academic Excellence and Family Values

7 Ways to Get Your Children to Confide in You

SuperCharge Your Savings in 5 Easy Steps

WELCOME ABOARD THE 2016 –17 ACADEMIC YEAR

a moment with Kevin Simpson

Register your school now on www.schoolfinder.ae for Free!

Contact grace@schoolfinder.ae for more information.

MISSION STATEMENT “Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools to function optimally inside and out of the classroom. Teach Middle East Magazine provides a space for educators to connect, find inspiration, resources and forums that are aimed at enhancing their teaching techniques, methodologies and personal development.�

TEACH MIDDLE EAST MAGAZINE

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Mind your body language in the classroom

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Perspectives: Mathematics

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Top 6 ways to safely promote your school on social media

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Implement an effective STEAM programme in your school

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Why we need mindfulness in the modern Middle East classroom

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Help students to value learning

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Five essential student engagement tips

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Moving your school from outstanding to exceptional

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Start Strong: Begin the school year right

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Empower young Learners with self-chosen play

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10 Habits of the organised teacher

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Key things that make the Finnish education system very successful

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Things to consider when recruiting international students

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Creating global thinkers using enquiry in the primary classroom

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Recover summer learning loss with online maths learning

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Featured School: Cranleigh Abu Dhabi: A rich heritage of academic excellence and family values

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Integrate more easily in the international classroom

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Using Classcraft as a tool for classroom management

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Featured Teacher: Richard Henwood ‌ Re-imagines Mathematics to excite students

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5 Ways schools can personalise professional development

TENT AFTER THE BELL

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A Moment With Kevin Simpson‌ CEO of Know Do Serve Learn (KDSL)

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7 Ways to get your children to confide in you

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How to overcome shyness as a newbie

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The key to work life balance: Work hard, play harder and travel hardest

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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Super charge your savings in 5 easy steps

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How to hydrate your skin in hot climates

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Meet our Writer – Dr Jan L. Jones

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Travel Snapshots Middle East

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This month in history October

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE...

Providers of all your school stationary supplies

Leaders in education technology consultancy and resource provision Teach Middle East Magazine®

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Carolyn Lee editor@teachuae.com

ART DIRECTOR A.T.Pandian thiruveera2007@gmail.com +971 50 508 1431

CONNECT. DEVELOP. EMPOWER. “Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”

- Helen Keller

Welcome to the academic year 20162017. We are delighted to welcome all new and returning educators to the Middle East. If you are new, we have something special for you, so stay tuned.

If you are returning, thank you for your continued support.

We hope you had a very restful and wonderful summer. While you were away, we kept ourselves busy. You may have noticed that there is something different about us. Over the summer we re-branded, changing our name from Teach UAE Magazine to Teach Middle East Magazine. It was a mammoth task but one that had to be done. Our name now better reflects our audience of over 40,000 educators across the Middle East and beyond.

For highly rated CPD and training courses for educators

Our IT Department worked tirelessly to redesign our website. We think you will like it. After reading, please head over to www.teachmiddleeastmag.com and check it out. We are still big on connecting with you socially, so remember to follow us on Twitter @ teachmiddleeast, like us on Facebook @Teach Middle East Magazine and Instagram @teachmiddleeast.

While working on this issue and reflecting on the past academic year, one thing stuck out in the minds of the team.

It really is time for everyone to start paying attention to teacher wellbeing.

In a bid to bring more attention to this important issue, we have decided that this academic year should be the year of taking care of the teacher. Please, feel free to participate by sending us suggestions on how we, and society at large can give teachers the care and

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SALES MANAGER Grace Wilson sales@teachuae.com CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Crotty, Maryann Reid, Carolyn Lee, Leisa Simapili, Betina Feuntes, Rahima Jabeen, Chassie Selouane, PreSha Barnes, Dr Thomas Gamboa Jr., Dr Jan L. Jones, Mostafa Hassan, Giana Ulyatt, Lisa Fatimah and Simon Noakes

respect they deserve.

In keeping with this theme, we have put together a fantastic issue to get the school year started on the right note. Continue reading for top tips on starting the new school year right and on how to engage your students. We help you to take an unconventional approach to classroom management by implementing the use of Classcraft as a behaviour management tool.

PUBLISHED BY Moftah Publishing FZ LLC (Registered at Fujairah Creative City)

For all your school adventure trips and tours around the world

No issue of Teach Middle East Magazine would be complete without our lifestyle section “After the Bell’ and this one is no exception. From topics such as, the key to work-life balance, to how to overcome shyness as a newbie, tips on how to keep your skin hydrated in harsh hot climates and proven tips on boosting your savings, we have you covered!

New teachers, we have a special treat for you. Look for copies online and in print of the UAE’s first Teacher’s Handbook. This is a comprehensive orientation booklet designed to take the worry and anxiety out of settling down in school and your new home in the Middle East.

As we start the new school year, remember that your happiness and wellbeing should be your top priority.

Take good care of you and all the rest will fall into place.

ADVERTISING sales@teachuae.com WEBSITE

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Copyright 2016 Moftah Publishing FZ LLC. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of Moftah Publishing FZ LLC. Where opinion is expressed, it is that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the editorial views of the publisher or Teach Middle East Magazine.

All information in Teach Middle East Magazine is checked and verified to the best of the publisher’s ability, however, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistake or omission enclosed in the publication.

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CAROLYN LEE Editorial Director

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Calling all education resources and services providers

TEACH middle east MAGAZINE HAS LAUNCHED THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FEATURED RESOURCES SECTION OF THE MAGAZINE IN PRINT AND ONLINE www.teachmiddleeastmag.com

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Keep your products and services in front of the buyers and influencers in middle east schools.

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OUR CONTR Maryann Reid

Aaron Crotty

Dr Jan L. Jones

Betina Fuentes

PreSha Barnes

Chassie Selouane

Dr Thomas Gamboa Jr

Gianna Ulyatt

Mostafa Hassan

Maryann Reid, a personal coach and educator from New York, has a passion for helping women create structure and safety in their busy lives. To connect with her, visit www.booksandbuzz.com.

Betina is a Cycle 2 teacher at a girls’ school in Al Ain. She and her family are from Florida, USA and are enjoying their time in the UAE. She is looking forward to travelling, meeting other new teachers, and helping her students learn as much as they can.

Dr. Gamboa has nearly 20 years of teaching experience at all levels from elementary to university graduate level. He is currently in his second year as a cycle three public school English teacher in the UAE.

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Aaron is a certified Senior Financial Planner with over seven (7) years experience in the financial industry.

He is based in Dubai where he utilises his expertise representing Arlo Associates. Contact Aaron via email at aaron.crotty@arloassociates.com

PreSha has been an educator for the past seven years. Originally from Houston, Texas, PreSha is passionate about empowering other educators.

She is also a Teach Middle East Magazine Blogger.

Gianna has extensive experience as a teacher, principal, and inspector.

She is a consultant with expertise in KG and has spoken at conferences in Hong Kong, Spain and the U.K. She sometimes works in the UAE. To connect with her, email giannaulyatt@hotmail.co.uk

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Dr Jones (Associate Professor) is currently the Travel and Tourism Management Advisor and Undergraduate Coordinator in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Southern Connecticut State University in Connecticut, USA.

Chassie Selouane has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre & Education, a Master’s of Education Degree - Curriculum Instruction with a Specialization in ESl. Chassie is the Director of Learning at SAIS-Dubai.

Mostafa (ArabBaba) is a teacher by profession. He has been an Arab Stay-At-Home-Baba (Dad) to his two daughters. He is also a blogger, who is on a mission to prove that Parental Engagement is vital to the process of children’s education. For more on ArabBaba visit www.ArabBaba.org.

IBUTORS...

Simon Noakes

Lisa Fatimah

Simon is the CEO and Founder of Interactive Schools. A father of 4, he founded Interactive Schools in 2006. He utilizes his experience and passion for strategic marketing, thought leadership, social media, brand values, technology and innovative thinking to assist schools in telling their unique #SchoolStories. Tweet him @SimonNoakes

As an Orton-Gillingham trained Learning Specialist, Lisa-Fåtimah specializes in designing multisensory English and Spanish language development lessons, modifications and assessments for traditional and Dyslexic students. Her radio shows highlight the primacy of girls’ education, bilingualism and world language acquisition for a global audience.

Email: 1skyscholar@gmail.com.

GUEST WRITERS Maarit Ross

Gregory Anderson

Malachy McGrogan

Thomas Edge

Mrs. Rossi is a Math teacher, principal and CEO of Paths to Math Ltd. She was one of the top 10 finalists in Global Teacher Prize 2016. She is one of the Top Teacher Bloggers in The Global Search for Education by C M Rubin. Twitter: @pathstomath & www.pathstomath.com

Gregory is currently an educator at the Dubai English Speaking College. He holds a PGCE in English and Drama from the University of York in the UK. Mr Anderson has written extensively on pedagogy and lifestyle. To view some of his work, visit http://www. thequillguy.com/.

Malachy is a teacher at Dubai English Speaking College.

An enthusiast for everything tech, he enjoys engaging and challenging students through the use of new and emerging technologies.

Drones, 3d printing, Minecraft, and Raspberry Pi's are some of the tools that he uses to teach.

Tom is an innovative educator at JESS Jumeirah, where he has harnessed a wide range of digital technologies and transformed the way students learn.

He has written for iPad Educators and his work with the Classcraft platform was featured at the GESS Dubai 2016.

Twitter: @classedgetech

Karen McGivern

Karen is an English teacher and a passionate believer in the benefits of Mindfulness. She has been experimenting with the ways in which it can enhance teaching and learning and wellbeing. She is also a keen Shakespearean, with an MA in Shakespeare and Education.

Suzanna Berg

Suzanne is a Cycle 3 English teacher who has lived in Abu Dhabi for the past two years. She enjoys traveling and blogging and is the proud mother of two wonderful daughters.

Joe Fatheree

Joe teaches media production and innovation at the Effingham High School in Illinois, US. He is the recipient of several education awards. His fresh approach to teaching and learning made him a key contender and top 10 finalist in the Global Teacher Prize 2016.

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Administrators′ Corner

Moving your school from outstanding to exceptional

By Leisa Simapili better than other schools you are, but rather an opportunity to have a vested interest in the success of another school.

Focus on people When a school is already outstanding, it normally does not have the same level of pressure to improve. This gives it a little bit more space to breathe.

Use this space and freedom to focus on the people in your school. Offer training, incentives and opportunities to ALL members of staff. Allow them to explore other areas of learning and interest that is not typical. The results could be amazing in building morale and staff retention.

Challenge the status quo

he past year has seen a record number of schools being rated outstanding by the inspection authorities. This is fantastic news for the hardworking school leaders, teachers, students and parents who have contributed to these results.

coveted outstanding rating. Now what? What can you do to become even better?

Below are four suggestions for things that outstanding schools can do to move from outstanding to exceptional.

Having been rated outstanding means that you have been doing something right. Now is the time to do something different. Allow your members of staff to do things differently. Conduct more research into what works in teaching and learning. Be an example and challenge the status quo. You now have the space to not have ‘school as usual’. Try shorter hours, extended hours, no textbooks, or no technology in some classes. Do whatever it is that you believe will work for your students, then publish your results and make changes. Become a centre of research and excellence in education.

Perhaps your school was rated outstanding because your leadership is inspirational in providing clear vision and direction. Maybe there are high expectations of all the students.

It could be that your curriculum engages and supports students and is personalised to accommodate individual aptitudes and needs. It is likely that all your teachers and school leaders insist on excellence in the quality of classroom teaching, and you have rigorous systems in place, which means that leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of all the members of staff. You set challenging targets and make good use of pupil tracking systems.

Offer genuine support to other schools

Identify your school’s unique strengths and share them

The KHDA Dubai has recognised the value in outstanding schools supporting other schools. They have developed a programme to help them do so. Outstanding schools may now be able to avoid external inspections by offering genuine help to other schools. Good practice is shared among schools and the entire city or country benefits. The value of offering help to other schools is not only of benefit to the recipient school, but also to your school. This is a good way to help develop the leadership, coaching and mentoring skills of your staff members. This is not an opportunity to show how much

This is not the same as sharing good practice. This is superficial but still necessary. Many schools have very unique strengths but no one knows about them. Now that you have been rated outstanding start sharing your strengths with the world. Encourage your leaders and staff members to write articles for education magazines like Teach Middle East Magazine, participate in chats on Twitter and other social media channels. Write and publish press releases on your school’s strengths. Yes, exceptional schools make a deliberate effort in building their public profile. No, you do not need a public relations company to help you in this endeavour. Good publicity is good for your school.

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Your school has been awarded the

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Sharing Good Practice

Start Strong: Begin the school year right

By Betina Fuentes 4. Rejuvenate yourself. Jet lag from summer travels can leave you less than your best. Make sure you leave enough time to rest, rehydrate and recuperate before the academic year begins.

Missing the beginning of school can result in a rocky start for everyone involved.

5. Choose a theme for the year.

Make your classroom a place where students feel at home. Giving them a theme helps them identify and engage with the classroom on a daily basis. Even Cycle 2 and 3 students appreciate a little effort put into making an attractive, productive, welcoming space.

Bonus Newbie Tips: 1. Make sure all your paperwork is complete. Take as many trips to your head office or headquarters as you need in order to finish all steps. Lack of documents equal lack of salary in many cases.

2. Get to know your peers. Take the time to introduce yourself and have a few words with as many co-workers as possible. This will make it easy for you to ask for help if you need it later.

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elcome back to another school year of inspiring and innovating! Before you greet your students with a smile and a positive attitude, make sure you’re on track for the best year ever with the following tips for teachers and a bonus five for newbies to the UAE. 1. Plan for success. Lesson planning is the key to less stress, more effective use of class time, and ensuring goals are met. Take some time to review your School Improvement Plan (SIP). Each school sets goals based on data and previous inspection reports, and the more correlated your classroom is with these goals, the better. If your SIP is not readily available, ask an administrator for a copy and explain why.

2. Do an inventory. Check around for resources you can use in your classroom. Many books, manipulatives and other supplies play a game of hide and seek over the school year, and should be rounded up for easy access by all teachers who need them.

Also, check storage areas for any extra tables or desks that can be used for centers or workstations in your room.

3. Get inspired. Watch one or two of your favourite “teacher movies” or read books or blogs by famous teachers. Mine are “Freedom Writers” with Hilary Swank, and the short novel "The Water Is Wide" by Pat Conroy and of course, Teach Middle East Magazine. Borrow some ideas from these teaching masters!

3. Learn your students’ names! Use tricks like seating charts or desk tents to help you. You can even turn it into a game and quiz yourself with the students’ help.

4. Take time to unwind. Enjoy your new adventure. Ask for advice on restaurants and sights to visit in your time off.

5. Communicate with your team.

They will be your biggest support at school. Making time to share a cup of coffee and discuss strategies, or even getting to know one another, will help ease the stress.

I hope that everyone is off to a fantastic start and that these tips will give you the edge when preparing and continuing the new school year.

Have a great semester!

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Sharing Good Practice

Empower young Learners with self-chosen play

By Gianna Ulyatt Provide activities that consolidate children’s skills, knowledge and understanding of the new ideas being taught. By making these links between teacher input and subsequent selfchosen activity, children consolidate and develop new learning in ways that best suit them. It is essential, to plan a good range of free choice activities.

Make sure the activities require children to think while engaged.

Ensure that all aspects/areas of learning are included to inspire all children to become engaged in the activities.

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any young children may lack play opportunities in their local environment. Schools therefore, need to teach children how to play.

This aspect is often difficult to plan.

However, if you get it right, children's learning overall is accelerated. Wellplanned play actively engages the child. When they are completely engrossed, they show high levels of brain and physical activity. Through play, they practise and rehearse new ideas, increase in confidence and take risks. Children learn to interact socially, develop resilience, feel contented and experience moments of excitement.

They problem solve and improve their memory skills.

Play has been described as "scientific research conducted by children".

Therefore, teaching should include worthwhile and challenging play opportunities on different levels and through all areas and aspects of the curriculum. Allocating times in the day for play-based learning requires a great deal of effort for the teaching team, but the benefits for children are tremendous.

Below are a few points to consider when planning for chosen play.

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Get organised: Initially it is essential to organize all the resources into containers. Photograph the contents and stick these onto the container.

This helps children to know exactly where to return the equipment they use, once their activity is completed.

This fosters independence, responsibility, observation, creativity, self-esteem and the capacity to learn independently.

Designate an area: Create separate learning areas or zones. Make sure that vigorous physical play does not encroach on quieter play activities.

Allocate appropriate and specific numbers of children allowed in each area/zone at one time. This allows all to benefit and have good access to the resources. It also prevents overcrowding.

Get involved: Talk with children while they are playing. Ask open questions.

Note the children who have attended the various activities. Teachers can then discuss and assess what individual children have achieved and discovered. This helps with planning the next steps to extend learning.

Children will quickly realize that adults value purposeful play.

Plan for play: Base planning for play around a specific theme or topic.

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Simplify: Introduce a simple topic about transport, for example, including information about buses, cars, metro, planes, boats, trains, bicycles, etc.

Children may choose to ride tricycles slowly and quickly or send toy vehicles down a ramp to compare speed. From pictures, children may draw or paint vehicles with detail. With boxes and cardboard, they can make models of vehicles. They may count the school buses, make a block graph of how children travel to school, and compare the number of wheels on different vehicles. They may make a simple sailing boat and try to make it move in water without touching it. They may browse various books about vehicles.

Checklist • Discuss free-choice ideas with the teaching team.

• Allocate a person responsible for setting up and resourcing the activity making sure resources are appropriate and plentiful.

• Ensure adults engage children in relevant conversation and open questions during their activities.

• Train children to tidy equipment away before they leave the area.

References: Hughes (1996, 1998) paraphrasing Eibl- Eibesfeldt (1970) “The Biology of Behaviour” Bruner J S, Jolly A, Sylva K. 1976 “Play: Its Role in Development and Evolution”

Sharing Good Practice

10 Habits of the organised teacher

By Rahima Jabeen of hand and referring back becomes a daunting task. Make folders, sub folders and sub ‘sub’ folders to manage all your soft copies in an organised way.

7. Written approval Make sure that you get it down ‘in writing’ whenever and wherever it matters. Documented proof for either giving or taking instructions is a big part of staying organized. It also helps in confirmations in case of any issues that may arise in the future.

8. Effective delegation

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hen I first started teaching, I was overwhelmed with how one task seemed to keep climbing on top of another until it all became an out of control mess. I’d find myself just barely making deadlines and often not being able to find relevant documents when they were needed. It dawned on me that continuing in this way would only cause more stress, a lack of professionalism and ultimately would also affect how my colleagues perceived me.

I analyzed how I could bring more order to the chaos and consequently attain a more satisfying teaching experience.

Here are a few pointers that turned my life around.

1. Teacher Binder/Folder Have your lesson plans, calendar, to do lists, student information forms and any other relevant documents handy in your binder. Have a portion to immediately put in random papers as they keep coming. For those brave teachers who dare to go paper free there is a great app that serves as an online binder - chalk.com.

2. Prioritizing Now that all the papers are in your binder, during your next break, put them in order and prioritize your tasks.

This saves a lot of time and brings

If you lead a team of teachers, then bringing out their very best work is your responsibility. The same applies to leading your students. Delegating responsibility accordingly not only gives excellent learning opportunities to those you lead, but cuts your work down as well.

efficiency into your routine.

3. Backup Plan The best of lesson plans can fall apart due to any number of reasons. In order to keep things on track, a wellorganized teacher will pull out her plan B to salvage the situation. Actually, have a plan C and even D if it helps to keep you and your students on track.

4. Classroom organisation Have a dedicated ‘nook and cranny’ for all the classroom stuff with labels.

Acquaint the children early on with these places and task them with keeping things in an orderly manner.

Pin up work for absent children in plain sight. A neat and organized classroom has a calming effect on both the teacher and students.

5. Post-its Use these magical chits for reminders, to print out little rubrics, motivational notes, as teaching aids and to pass messages to fellow teachers (Siri can lend a hand too). These should become your best friends

6. Keep files organized on the computer As you make worksheets, reports and assessments, etc., things may get out

9. Updating your portfolio Sometimes years can go by before we need to change our place of employment. Keep updating your portfolio regularly with any milestones and achievements that you accomplish before it becomes too complicated later on.

10. Collaboration Look for seasoned teachers who have mastered the art of organization. Read blogs, sign up on educational forums, follow Twitter accounts and Pinterest boards for motivation, inspiration and tips.

When it comes to improving any skill set, there is always room for improvement. There is no doubt that an organised teacher is a more effective teacher.

Rahima is a passionate teacher who hopes to make a difference. She conducts teacher training and uses her blog, Young Islamic Minds, to assist parents with their children’s education. Her Facebook page, Unleashing The Teacher Within, is aimed at motivating educators. Rahima also has a makeup review blog, Yet More Makeup.

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EDX Education

Hands On Heads On: The Correct Use Of Mathematics Manipulatives

EDX Education

Sharing Good Practice

Key things that make the Finnish education system very successful

By Maarit Rossi

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n May, I had in my classroom German and English students besides my own students. Their teachers sat at the back of the classroom. After the lesson, they were astonished at my methods. I taught these 5th graders the bases of statistics in English.

The students sat in groups and instantly started to compile statistics.

The groups gathered information from their classmates, for example: how many siblings they had, how each one of them had come to school that day and the colours of their eyes.

The success of the Finnish education system has been analyzed abroad and here in Finland. It has been noted that our strengths include; respect of the teaching profession, flexibility of the curriculum, teachers’ high level of education and autonomy of teaching methods, free education, student’s welfare, free school meals and school transportation.

Secrets to success 1. In our society education is still appreciated. This is reflected in the

high volume of people who apply to join the profession. For example the Helsinki University takes 120 applicants yearly. In 2015, there were 1,832 applicants, 120 were chosen. Under 10% of the whole amount. The teachers have Masters degrees in various subjects. In salary, teachers are the middle class. The salary increases by the working years. Also, teachers can achieve bonuses, which are granted by the principal for a job well done.

2. Flexibility with the curriculum means that I know which content belongs to different year classes and what my students are meant to learn during the year. With my colleagues, we can plan and carry out study modules in the best way based on our judgments. We take notice of the current local events.

We can also arrange the core content, so it supports the learning.

The curriculum isn’t a list of things to do. It’s a guideline for our planning and execution.

3. I have a full autonomy in teaching.

I can choose the materials and teaching methods myself. Usually,

the teachers collaborate in choosing the study books. However, I can still teach the way I want to, even with my own material. There are no school inspectors or national tests. I observe the learning daily.

The students have many breaks during the day. They go out and play together in the schoolyard. I can make my own tests collaborate with a colleague on tests. We don’t give much homework. Childhood is about being together with your family and friends and getting a lot of active exercise outside. The principals have conversations with teachers where they discuss and plan. I have room to be creative in my work!

4. To study is free. This gives everyone an equal opportunity to education.

The students have a chance to go on with their studies all the way to the university if they want to. We don’t have term fees! The children get free books and they get a free warm meal daily. The schools also have a school nurse who makes health checkups yearly and helps the students with their physical issues.

5. We also help the students in many different ways. The teachers observe students’ progress and if a learning difficulty appears, the student will get special tutoring.

Instead of control, competition, stress, standardized testing and the ranking list of schools, we have warm relations with students, collaboration with colleagues. We get highly professional, teacher-led encouragement and assessment. Our approach is truly different from the other school systems I have read about in other countries globally.

I will end with this quote, “If you look closely and open your mind, you may see the School of Tomorrow.” - William Doyle Source: www.tes.com/us/news/breakingviews/how-finland-can-school-america

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Sharing Good Practice

Things to consider when recruiting international students

By Dr. Jan L. Jones

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s a professor of tourism and a huge advocate for multicultural programming on campuses, I was always extremely excited about potential international collaborations. Often the strategies for developing these types of relationships will vary depending on the intent, size and leadership of a campus or school.

Below are a few strategies I would encourage both leaders and educators to consider before developing such partnerships.

Avoid quick fix recruiting tactics Throughout my years as an educator, I witnessed several new administrators come to campus with high hopes of globalizing the campus. They often came with their own personal agendas and economically based motives for increasing the number of international students on campus. Many schools want to increase international student recruitment as a way to alleviate the pressures of their declining enrollments. The reality is that it costs much more for international students to attend schools here, so more international students offers a quick fix.

While this is likely a natural reaction to low enrollments, administrators should first ensure that the school is ready to handle an increase of international students. This also involves educating staff across all departments about the specialized needs of international students.

While recruiting is important, your ultimate goal should be retention and continued success in the long term. Work with your current international students to assess and develop a marketing strategy. Work closely with faculty to determine the potential needs and challenges of increased diversity on campus.

Prepare students to succeed on your campus If your goal is to increase the number of students on campus, prepare the students to succeed. International students need to be culturally prepared in order to succeed. Lack

of cultural preparedness can be frustrating for them and their fellow students. Find out what services your students need and develop workshops and activities that guide them all the way from admissions to graduation.

Invest in your faculty and students as ambassadors Encourage your faculty to conduct research, attend conferences and conduct courses abroad. The best relationships and partnerships often develop in these environments.

I worked on several international partnerships, as a result of serving on international conference committees.

The best ambassadors are often your own students. If your students are happy with their programs they are your best marketing tools. The relationships they can form while abroad will be much more valuable than pamphlets and websites.

Develop a smooth transition

creative ways for students to take coursework and transfer credits seamlessly from one campus to another. One of the most aggravating processes for students is transferring their credits across institutions.

Students are often required to spend a considerable amount of money figuring this out and may choose to go somewhere else if your program does not help them.

Don’t force relationships Nothing is more frustrating than administrators who agree to an international partnership without assessing the potential opportunities for collaboration with their faculty during the process. I was sent on a trip abroad to develop partnerships with a school and found it pretty frustrating when I realized that many of the faculty had no interest in collaborating. The best connections I made were with those who had shared research and teaching interests.

Some of the best programs and international collaborations employ

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Sharing Good Practice

Creating Global Thinkers using enquiry in the primary classroom

By Terry Hudson, Author of Oxford International Primary Science What is an enquiry-based approach to teaching?

At the heart of enquiry is a good question Enquiry-based teaching is a student-led approach that encourages learners to question, conduct research, and make discoveries on their own. Through this approach students will question their own ideas and take responsibility to reflect on their own understanding.

The teacher often takes on a different role through this approach, acting as the facilitator to enable and encourage discussion in the classroom.

What are the benefits of enquiry-based learning?

Helping students learn how to learn The enquiry-based approach enables children to develop higher-order, information literacy and critical thinking skills. By encouraging students to take a lead in their own education, skills and tools for lifelong learning are developed:

Then set the scene to investigate further. The students can devise this or the teacher can provide it until they are sufficiently skilled: which material is best for keeping cotton wool dry?

• Self-organisation • Critical thinking • Effective communication • Collaborative learning • Creativity

How to use enquiry: an example for a primary Science lesson Lessons should begin by providing a context and outlining the learning objectives. This ensures that the class understands what is expected of them and creates relevance, linking the science to everyday experiences.

It also gives any enquiry a realistic purpose. You might, for example, ask “what do you wear/do when it rains?” By eliciting examples, you can help students understand that some materials can keep you dry.

The second stage involves using a picture stimulus to spark conversation and questions.

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After facilitating the initial discussion, clarify the main scientific ideas, for example, if a material keeps water out, it is waterproof.

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In this example, the teacher asks questions about waterproof materials for the class to consider such as, “why are waterproof materials important?”.

Before doing this it’s important to consider the following and prepare before the lesson: • What prior knowledge might they need?

• What resources might you need to demonstrate these ideas?

Allow time for the students to discuss the investigation and plan, check the plans and then allow the class to carry out the process.

Finish by encouraging students to reflect and analyse their investigation and suggest improvements and developments.

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How to develop enquiry-based skills for all subjects It’s important to remember that students do not have to carry out full investigations every time. A lesson or unit can concentrate on one or two phases of the scientific enquiry process. For example, present students with results from secondary sources and ask them to make sense of them.

Asking students to plan an investigation and discuss their plans without carrying out the investigation is also a good way to develop enquiry skills.

However, it is also important to allow the students to put these together and carry out full investigations. This is when they are truly enquiring.

Enquiry skills that are developed through this approach create independent and critical thinkers across all subjects, not just Science but also Maths, English, Geography, Computing and Social Studies.

For more information please ask your local Education Consultant in the UAE: info.uae@oup.com

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Sharing Good Practice

Mind your body language in the classroom

By Lisa Fatimah "What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson As teachers, we are tasked with a multiplicity of demands. At times, these demands can impact our health.

Yet, we are intuitive. We know that our body language can express good health, peace, reassurance, fairness, friendliness, patience, our axiology and determination. Before we give our very best to our students, we must impart this to ourselves. We are able to give our best, once we accomplish balance. Fluidity of motions and a positive outlook are tantamount.

How do we want to be remembered?

What adjectives will students use to describe their learning space in which you guide? Are you well groomed?

Is your hygiene in good order? Are your teeth, nose, ears, hair and finger nails clean? Is your workspace welcoming? All of this contributes to your atmosphere and the transmission of your body language.

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"

he most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said." ~ Peter Ferdinand Drucker

Lower the volume on your television.

What do your eyes hear?

When you look in the mirror you see your reflection but what do you feel? Your presence, phenotype, and beliefs all have energy, and your personalized transmission is universally communicated. It is a portent of what's to come. It is yours.

Your communication currency is deposited in the classroom. What will your scholars feel?

"Don't worry that children never listen to you, worry that they are always watching you." ~ Robert Fulghum Children are vibrational. They easily receive and sense your aura, your atmosphere and your majesty.

Children see the ‘you’ in you. Yes, your rules expressed through movement and manners are conversational.

What language does your body speak

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while standing still, as verbs, in tone?

Are your non-verbal clues projecting warmth, enthusiasm, compassion and openness? Do you encourage participation? Do you acknowledge students when they speak, raise hands or lower eyes? These are the questions you must answer, ask and share with yourself before you and your students enter the classroom.

Can you read your students' body language? Can you see, ‘I need help’, or ‘I am bored’ in your students? We have the ability to reassure, acknowledge, empower, distance and/or encourage.

With the raise of a brow, nod, or looks, we can create positive pacing pathways in the classroom. Nonverbal messages are genuine.

Nonverbal signals can convey confidence, attention or incongruity.

Gestures may be loud or soft and their messages are transparent. As educators, we must be in tune with our nonverbal classroom communication.

This will help us to be both great emitters and receivers of our own and our scholars' messages.

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At 90, the honourable mastereducator, Dr. Adelaide Louvenia Hines Sanford, Regent-at-Large, New York State Board of Regents said, "How we feel about ourselves and each other is paramount.

Before you teach science, math or reading, you teach who you are.

The children see you. They see your size, your shape, your colour, your contours and how you accept and handle yourself.

They don't care about what you know until they know that you care.

Once they know that you care, then you may, become their model."

Your scholars need for you to affirm them and bring your best. I am very confident that you will, and in so doing, your students shall listen, learn, share, enjoy and thrive.

PERSPECTIVES

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Mathematics Department A. What is your go to activity to grab students’ attention at the start of the school year?

B. What is the most unexpected item that we would find in your Math classroom?

Heloise Benecke A. A short introduction from me at the start sets expectations, c r e a t e s consistency, b u i l d s rapport and assures survival for both parties. Letting students see your human side is always an important start. With that you need to create curiosity, so that they always walk into the room thinking – “What’s next?”

B. Mine is not unexpected, but a necessity - Coffee and a sense of humour.

Siobhan Bee A. I always start the s c h o o l year with something fun and active. I get the pupils to work together in teams, so they feel comfortable with their new classmates. I love finishing the lesson with a challenging problem that leaves them thinking and excited for the next class.

B. The most unexpected thing you would find in my classroom - lots of ‘Bee themed’ paraphernalia.

The kids love my strange surname and get me the coolest gifts.

Ryan Copley A. It’s always something fun.

Maths is always perceived as boring (which obviously I disagree with). So I usually go with activities like Tarsia Jigsaws and treasure hunts that get students moving, discussing and engaging, but most importantly enjoying the subject!

Simon Kenworthy A. The Mars Bar challenge.

It’s 50 times tables to be completed in under 5 minutes.

If everyone in the class gets 50/50 then I will buy them all a Mars Bar each. Within just a few sessions the children’s scores go rapidly upwards and their times get faster and faster.

Only twice in 17 years have I had to buy the Mars Bars, as there is nearly always someone who gets one or two wrong! It’s fast, competitive and fun :-)

B. Cribbage boards! The game of cribbage is heavily Mathematical.

I often use it to get students to understand playing cards, particularly in the UAE, where they often don't know how many cards are in a deck, cards in a suit, etc.

Often playing cards are used in probability questions and very often out here students have no idea how to answer them, not because they can't do the Maths, but because playing cards are not commonly used nowadays.

B. A model storm trooper.

Nelson Mitchell A. Something fun, engaging a n d c hallenging to set the right tone for the year ahead – usually a Maths based game such as Fizz Buzz, Around the World or a code chase.

Stephen Deady A. Space Invaders - a rapid fire, mental facts recall game, working on a knock out basis.

B. I have a big picture of a train, also with pictures of my students on board the train. This symbolises the “train journey to success”, which all students are aware of.

They need to get on board the train because it is not stopping – destination success!

B. A sense of humour - I think this is true for the entire dept. Maths teaching has come a long way from the rote learning of years ago.

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Sharing Good Practice

Top 6 Ways to safely promote your school on social media

By Simon Noakes

you can always report the account to that social channel. Please note, that the social channels will take only defamatory and inflammatory comments seriously as they all promote freedom of speech.

Just because someone disagrees with something you have posted, doesn’t mean they are bad!

4. Don’t use teachers’ names on school accounts.

Setting up a social media account under a teacher’s name blurs the lines between school (professional) and personal.

School departmental accounts should be set-up, in order to allow many teachers to contribute. This then allows the school to follow their students, and allow their students to follow the department without safeguarding being called into question.

5. Register & reserve your school handle.

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t seems like schools are still struggling to balance using social media, and hiding behind the “eSafety” card. Communities thrive on positive storytelling, but it is important to be safe and post/ comment appropriately. Here are our top 6 ways for your school to stay safe on social media.

1. Understand Privacy Settings for each channel.

Privacy settings differ. Fully private only those you allow to follow you or be your friend can see what you post; semi-private - only those that you share a link to that content can see it. Note: they don’t have to be following you or your friend; public - anyone in the world can see. Just be clear on what content needs to be private, and put the rest public - so people can enjoy and share your content. That, after-all, is the point of social!

2. Don’t post students names!

Why do you need to? Prospects looking at the content are interested in the variety and diversity of opportunities.

Parents know what their child looks like. A good example would be “Year 7 Ski Trip to Colorado”. It tells that the school is taking year 7 skiing, and if my child is in year 7, I will be interested to take a look in the hope there is a photo of my child. This is the ONLY thing I am interested in.

3. Block unwanted followers.

Just because your social channel is public, doesn’t mean you should accept all requests to follow your account. Make sure you review all followers, and block those who do not fit your ideal profile. There are many spam accounts, X-rated accounts, and accounts from individuals, who have opinions and posts that are not aligned to that of your school’s. If you receive unwanted comments, then

Every URL is unique, and that means only ONE URL can exist for each social channel - and in particular your school's brand name. Have you taken steps to reserve your school handle across the major social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, Sound Cloud, Snapchat, Periscope, etc.)

- even if you don't plan on using them actively in the short-term? If you haven’t, you are in danger of someone else cybersquatting on your brand and using it. This may be legitimate use (E.g. Natalie West owns @NatWest on Twitter, so the well known UK bank has no recourse to claim it). Don’t fall victim to this - as it can easily be avoided with planning.

6. Keep social media handles consistent.

There is nothing worse than someone connecting with the wrong social media account, due to the handle being obvious but also wrong. Take a look at www.twitter.com/StoweSchool! This is a disaster for any school. Not only does the school not control their own brand, but also the only comment left on the account is not exactly great. Users want to seamlessly jump between a school’s social media accounts - using the same consistent handle. Simply, “find us/ SchoolName”….

Follow Simon on Twitter @SimonNoakes

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Class Time

Sharing Good Practice

Implement an effective STEAM programme in your school

By Malachy McGrogan • Teachers are still responsible for their own subject area within the STEAM curriculum but it is crucial that they plan with other departments.

It is necessary to consider the impact and value that creating a STEAM curriculum would have for your students. At Key Stage 3, it is much easier to develop an exciting curriculum without the shackles of the exam boards.

The primary school environment also works well for promoting a STEAM curriculum, as the teacher is able to manage the different subjects’ content around a centralised theme.

In secondary, being able to develop personalised schemes of work with matching grading criteria allows us to engage with a range of departments to merge curriculums and add value to the students’ learning.

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he Arts have been incorporated into the previously known STEM philosophy to give us STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. With this addition, it opens the concept of cross curriculum planning to include the more creative side of our students.

Traditionally, students have developed skills and understanding for each subject discreetly. What we often find, however, is the inability to transfer these developed skills to other subjects.

Students may study formulae and functions in Maths or Science, but when they attempt to create a spreadsheet in ICT, they become confused, as if looking at this logic for the first time.

STEAM allows students to develop skills across the curricula, building an in-depth understanding of what they are learning, and ultimately allowing them to apply these skills in a range of environments.

Having a variety of tools at your disposal can enhance the learning

environment for students. Schools are starting to invest in technologies such as drones and 3D printers. In a STEAM curriculum, this allows students to progress further down the design and prototyping path than previously possible. They have an opportunity to hold a physical prototype in their hands, analyse its effectiveness and plan realistic improvements.

There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration when beginning to implement a STEAM curriculum.

• Careful planning is required. For this, staff need to be able to allocate time to collaborate. It is important that staff have a chance to investigate each other’s discreet curriculum and see where there is opportunity for overlap and joint planning.

• There is usually a range of topics covered over the year by different subjects. If planned correctly, these could create marvelous opportunities for a STEAM environment.

As teachers, we so often find ourselves wrapped up in our own cocoon, working within our departments, settling into the comfortable, yet busy, daily routine. We seldom grasp the opportunities to explore the wealth of activities taking place around the school.

It becomes exciting, looking for ways to collaborate with other departments.

An example unit of work could be about Superstructures, where students research existing structures and develop their own design.

Through STEAM, we can enhance this unit as the students learn about architecture, geography, weather and materials used in building.

They can go further and consider how their structure could be ecofriendly, by incorporating solar panels or vertical farms. They could also consider dimensions and location.

When finished, they get to print their computer generated 3D model on the 3D printer. Approaching the work with real world scenarios allows students to further consolidate their learning and gives them the ability to apply their new-found skills beyond the classroom.

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Sharing Good Practice

Why we need mindfulness in the modern Middle East classroom

By Karen McGivern

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‘

isten when someone speaks’ has been one of the key expectations of my classroom since the day I started teaching some 18 years ago. Along with ‘Speak one at a time’ I hoped, as an English teacher, that these expectations would create an open, respectful environment in which students could share and have their views heard on literature, the world and their place within it. It is an approach that led to discussions in which students consistently impressed me with their perceptiveness, sensitivity and empathy. However, more recently, I have found myself repeating one plea over and over: ‘focus’- feeling listening skills, in particular, seem to be on the decline. In my more reflective moments, and with an increasing interest in and knowledge of Mindfulness, I have come to ask myself whether there is a reason for this shift and whether Mindfulness can address it - I believe it can.

Teachers are now sharing their classrooms with a generation of young people for whom technology has always been an integral part of life. According to a report last year from the UK body ‘OfCom’, young people are now spending an average of 27 hours a week on their electronic devices. It’s not just school children, of course; most of us are now in thrall with technology and our attention is quite often at least partly on our tech when we are ostensibly engaged in another task: email/SMS/social media alerts/that crucial fact that just needs to be verified or burning question to be answered while watching a TV programme/the multiple windows we flip between on our computer screens. For young people add in Snapchat, Instagram, Whatsapp and, undoubtedly, a whole range of other apps and platforms that I’m too past it to be aware of, and it becomes clear that our attention is rarely resting in the place we would like it to be. This bombardment of stimuli doesn’t only come from technology, it must be

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said, but also from the myriad of tasks, activities and pulls on attention that students and adults now face in their average, inevitably pressured, school or working days. They and we rush between one obligation and another, to the extent that, behind the scenes, it is starting to make our heads quietly spin.

Worryingly, this overwhelming amount of stimulation can lead to what is known as ‘attention deficit trait’. It is caused when the amygdala- the primal part of the brain associated with fear and emotion - is overly activated, triggering the ‘fight or flight’ stress response for which this part of the brain is also responsible. Put simply, as this kind of stress goes up, performance goes down. More hearteningly, MRI scans show that after an eight week course in Mindfulness, the amygdala

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appears to shrink, allowing the prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain associated with higher order thinking and brain functions such as awareness, concentration and decision making to strengthen. It is telling, I think, that more and more, when given a creative, open ended task to work on, students will ask me: “Can we use our phones?”

How do I answer? “Well perhaps later, but I’d like you to approach the task with your own brain (preferably the pre-frontal cortex part - O.K., I don’t say that to them, but maybe I should) rather than Mr Google’s first.” It can be our job as teachers to explain these powerful forces that are at work in our brains and explain how, via simple Mindfulness techniques, students might become more aware of and alter them to the benefit of their studies and their personal wellbeing.

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Sharing Good Practice

Help students to value learning

By Dr Thomas Gamboa Jr., Ed.D.

O

ne of the continuing challenges teachers face is engaging of students in meaningful learning experiences. Too often the learning outcomes and standards stipulated by the education system is not what students find fun or relevant.

With this in mind, as teachers, we must bridge the gap between required content and what is meaningful and relevant to students’ lives.

One way to have students make the connection between content and find value in learning is to give them ownership of the process through Project Based Learning (PBL). When students are allowed to make decisions on what they are learning and how they are learning it, they become invested in the outcome more and actively engaged in the learning. PBL allows students to determine the way they want to demonstrate mastery of content, whether it is a presentation, a model, or some other method. This enables them to not only determine the outcome but to see how the content relates to the world in which they live, as well as giving them control of the learning process.

Another way to help students learn to value learning is to incorporate

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technology into their learning. One tool that works well along with PBL is the use of WebQuests. WebQuests are predesigned Internet scavenger hunts that allow students to choose from preselected websites to read and learn to complete academic tasks. This could include use of graphic organizers or other structured student centered learning activities that help students learn content and find relevance through the use of technology.

Expand on the use of PBL and WebQuest, by creating career exploration research assignments using PBL and WebQuest to allow students to explore the skills they will need for their chosen future careers. By using PBL and WebQuest to demonstrate skills needed to enter students’ chosen careers, you allow them to personally explore and identify the connections between content and their chosen careers. The key here is the student takes ownership of the learning that is structured by the teacher.

Allowing students to see how the content they are learning transfers into future careers through guest speakers can facilitate interest and engagement from students. Exploring potential

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corporate and community partnerships that are willing to come into the classroom and share experiences with students can be a powerful motivator.

Although finding willing partners can be time consuming, it is such a powerful tool to motivate students, and it is worth every invested minute of effort to build these partnerships.

Expanding on the power of corporate and community partnerships, another powerful motivator to engage students in learning is through the development of internships. Working with partner organizations, in creating summer or temporary internships for students who demonstrate mastery of content.

This can be a powerful motivator to engage them in learning. Furthermore, it also provides them with real world application and job experiences.

Motivating passive students can be a real challenge for teachers, but it is not an impossible task. The key is to help students take ownership of their learning, through generating interest and engagement. Utilise all available resources to make students active participants. This will lead to them becoming active participants instead of unattached recipients when it comes to their learning.

Sharing Good Practice

Five essential student engagement tips

By Joe Fatheree

T

here is something truly magical about a classroom where the students are actively engaged in the learning process. There is a constant flow of energy, as students work together to solve complex problems. Classroom environments like this don’t happen by accident. It takes a lot of planning and a willingness to trust the potential your students have to create a culture that promotes innovation and creativity.

One of the first thing visitors notice about my classroom is how engaged all of my students are from bell to bell.

It takes me approximately 3 weeks at the start of each school year to create a culture that empowers my students with the tools and support they need to begin their journey. Here are 5 tried and proven tips I have used to motivate students.

We are in this together One of the most important lessons that my students learn is that if it matters to them it matters to me. Unfortunately, for many of my students, this will be the first experience they have with an adult actually sitting down and listening to their dreams and aspirations.

Together, we learn to celebrate the positive and deal with the negative.

This requires that I schedule a regular time to meet with all of my students both individually and as a class. I understand the lure to steer away from doing this in today’s pressure packed school calendar. Don’t! Find something else to cut. Use this time to create a classroom family. For some of my students, it’s the only family they have. One of the major reasons my students find success is that they know they are part of a family and together we will solve whatever problem stands in our way.

Embrace failure Don’t let the pressure of high stakes testing and new evaluation models scare you into thinking there is no place for failure in the classroom setting. Failure is one of the most important tools in my student’s toolbox for success. As a class, we

constantly probe and research why things don’t work. Those efforts pay big dividends. My students develop the skills they need to understand how to solve complex problems, grow through persistence, and learn how to handle both success and failure.

Failure is an inherent part of life. Teach your students how to overcome it.

Make your learning space a learning space Ask yourself the following question?

Does your learning space promote learning? The tables and chairs in my room are constantly being rearranged to support the learning of the day. Ask your students how the room could be better arranged to support the task at hand. You may be surprised at some of the ideas they have.

students and asked what they want to learn and why? If you want to see the motivation in your students grow exponentially find a way to ‘tie in’ something they care about. Likewise, do you offer your students alternate ways to share their knowledge on a specific topic? Some of the best student work I have seen came in the form of plays, short films, songs, and video games they created in order to showcase the mastery of a skill.

Connect the curriculum to the real world Have you ever been asked, “Why do we need to know this stuff?” Help your students answer the question by connecting the curriculum to the real world. Your assignments will take on a new purpose that will drive students to do their best.

Discover their interests Have you ever sat down with your Class Time

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3P Learning

Recover summer learning loss with online maths learning over a dozen international curricula, to develop mathematical fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills.

New courses combine interactive activities, a set of printable eBooks, videos, dynamic investigations and real-time challenges. Alongside this, we are also proud to include our Graphical Calculator, powered by Desmos.

A range of rewards immediately engage students and with both PC and tablet compatibility, students independently take their learning beyond the walls of the classroom. The ability for differentiation, diagnostic assessments and detailed progress reporting makes Mathletics the maths resource of choice for teachers too.

But don’t take our word for it…

W

ith the long school holidays promising much excitement and freedom for students, it's debatable whether learning will have played a major role in all the fun this summer!

Unfortunately, as teachers will know all too well, children can be highly sensitive to learning loss over the summer break and the damage can be significant.

From speaking to educators across the Middle East, we understand that it’s not uncommon to spend up to six weeks after the school holidays combating the regression in learning for students that can occur as a result of the dreaded “summer slide”. With such a tight teaching schedule and so many curriculum topics to cover in a short space of term, teachers are often on the look-out for anything that can help to accelerate learning, and get students successfully back on track.

Thankfully, Mathletics can help to reverse some of the damaging effects of summer learning loss. A multi award-winning digital resource for maths, it can be accessed via both PCs and tablet devices (even with an offline

mode!), so your students can use it in the classroom, or as a homework tool to catch up with those vital extra minutes of learning each week!

“When Mathletics was introduced it created a massive buzz about maths.

Children have definitely achieved higher levels as a result of using Mathletics.”

As a digital resource used by more than 4.6 million students in 20,000 schools worldwide, you may have already heard of Mathletics. It's no secret that students relish the competitive side of our Live Mathletics feature; however it's come a long way since being introduced as the original online maths race.

The Kilburn Park Foundation School

Mathletics reinforces key maths skills:

The Downley School

• Motivating children to practise their maths with fun rewards and certificates; • Supporting progress with curriculum aligned courses, differentiated in line with students’ abilities; • Improving attainment and raising engagement, confidence and motivation in maths.

Mathletics contains over 1,400 activities aligned and customisable for

“It’s great to see how motivated and engaged children are when they use Mathletics. It has made a big change to children who are anxious about maths and they are now excited about the subject.”

3P Learning is a global leader in digital education, providing multi award-winning resources for literacy, numeracy and science. To find out more, visit our website or contact us at: W: uk.mathletics.com/tu1 E: registrations@3plearning.co.uk

Mathletics GetGet thethe Mathletics

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Learn more Learn more at: at: www.3plearning.com/mathleticsadvantage www.3plearning.com/mathleticsadvantage

Featured School

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi: A rich heritage of academic excellence and family values

I

t is true that a solid foundation is usually at the core of any great school. This point is not lost on Headmaster Brendan Law, who heads the prestigious Cranleigh Abu Dhabi School – sister school to Cranleigh UK, a formidable and wellestablished institution, known for scholastic excellence in the United Kingdom.

Mr Law added that in selecting the right people from the outset, the job of securing ‘buy-in’ is relatively easy.

The school serves a strong international and culturally diverse community on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. This lends itself to the school’s motto, “Ex culto robor” or “From culture comes strength.”

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi has been commended for having strong leadership and governance. While smart recruitment is one of the effective strategies that the school employs, another strategy focuses on how the staff is engaged.

All members of staff are charged with carrying out the vision and mission of the school. For Mr Law, the recruitment process is key when it comes to ensuring that members of staff buy into the vision and mission of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.

“As Headmaster, I make recruitment one of my highest priorities. I have personally interviewed and appointed every member of the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi team. The fact that our retention rate is over 90% tells me that the investment made in this area is worth it,” stated Mr Law.

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“It helps to recruit individuals who already share the same educational vision. The fundamentals of a strong team are in place from day one, because you are all striving for the same set of goals,” he continued.

“Once you have talented, like-minded people on board, it is of course critical that they know that they are valued,” shared Mr Law. Below, Mr Law shared a few additional points on how staff is successfully engaged at Cranleigh.

• We ensure that each person has the opportunity to voice his/ her opinions and be listened to.

When people know their input is respected, they become more invested in school life. They take

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Mr. Brendan Law, Headmaster at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.

Featured School year for returning pupils – allow us to set the scene for the year ahead, lay out the primary focus areas and reinforce what it means to be part of a school that prides itself on providing a deep, broad, pupil-centred education.”

Students on International Day. (Photo credit: Cranleigh)

These occasions also serve to encourage innovation and entrepreneurialism among staff and pupils. The school adopts a theme for the three terms ahead.

“This year, we will be focusing on the rich power of traditional and contemporary Islamic arts and culture.

This will be used as a backdrop for a host of academic and co-curricular educational initiatives,” said Mr Law. pride in playing a meaningful role in its success.

• We have an open door approach to communications. On a daily basis, we encourage face-to-face dialogue in place of email.

• We work hard to celebrate successes and overcome hurdles in a transparent and honest manner.

• We have regular whole school and departmental staff meetings and an active common room committee.

A new school year usually has a few hurdles during the first few weeks. Many schools plan for these challenges by implementing programmes to offset the predictable ones, while leaving room to correct the unexpected.

Naturally, at Cranleigh, underscoring of the values that underpin the school’s community is a top priority. The Cranleigh Code clearly articulates the

school’s values - respect, collaboration, responsibility, adaptability, kindness, and empathy.

The Cranleigh Code is further reinforced by integrating it into the curriculum, where used daily as a behavioural framework for pupils and teachers alike.

Mr Law noted, “Throughout the academic year, we choose a value of the month and a thought for the week.

These are spoken about in tutor time, assemblies and woven into lessons.”

Mr Law and his dedicated team also launch their academic year with an induction week for new and existing staff members.

There is also an induction for new pupils and their families.

According to Mr Law, “these inductions – along with the first assembly of the Inside the Cranleigh auditorium.

(Photo credit: Cranleigh)

Parents are essential stakeholders in any educational institution. Their involvement in the education of their children’s school can significantly bolster or diminish the relationship between school and parents.

A great parent-school relationship usually adds to the overall success of all stakeholders.

It is with this in mind that Cranleigh Abu Dhabi took a personalised approach to engaging parents.

Cranleigh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) provides a personalised online platform, where pupils can engage with their teachers and peers. This allows for an extension of their learning beyond the classroom and the traditional school hours.

How does the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) work?

1. Parents have access to the full range of subject content, as well as their children’s academic and pastoral records.

2. The VLE’s forum, blog and assignment pages are versatile.

They can be adapted for many innovative uses such as, facilitating project work and also for pupils to interact with each other.

3. Pupils use the VLE to reflect on their learning and receive feedback to improve.

4. The VLE is a continuing learning log of students’ progress and is invaluable for teachers, pupils and their parents. It forms a basis for assessment and on- going development.

Parents of the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Featured School school community are encouraged to participate in and contribute to a number of varied academic, cultural and sporting events programmes.

Some of the internal and external activities that parents are engaged in at Cranleigh include: academic competitions such as Model United Nations, costume making and set designs for drama productions, and organising and participating in UAE National Day and International Day at

the school.

“From cheering on the side-lines at sports matches to being an appreciative audience at school performances, the energy and engagement of our parent body is tremendous,” Mr Law stated with pride.

“Their incredible support ensures children get the most they possibly can from these occasions.”

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is building on a foundation that is rooted in excellence.

The school is realising its goal of providing students with a first class, all-round education.

The diligent work being undertaken by all the stakeholders of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will ensure that the school continues to grow in excellence … a feat that all are ready to accomplish.

Learning is fun at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi!

Photo Collage Captions: 1. Students practise playing the trumpet during a music lesson. 2. Students doing the ‘Hair Dance’ during National Day festivities at Cranleigh. 3. A student gets a henna tattoo on National Day. 4. Sports Day. 5. Drama at Cranleigh. 6. A feast for all on Citizenship Day at Cranleigh.

7. Students performing on Citizenship Day. 8. World Maths Day. 9. IGCSE dance. 10. Swimming at Cranleigh. 11. Citizenship Day at Cranleigh.

12. World Maths Day. (All photos for collage provided by Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.)

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Sharing Good Practice

Integrate more easily in the international classroom

By Gregory Anderson

M

oving abroad can be daunting for students, parents and teachers. Before my first international job, I asked two teachers at the British School in Paris, what was distinct about the international classroom. They told me, ‘it’s normal’. After moving abroad, I would have to disagree with them.

Things may appear normal but there are hurdles to overcome as a new student or teacher in an international classroom.

Most international classrooms can appear to be ‘like home’ to some students: all modern conveniences are available and are easy to get to.

In some ways, it is easy for students and teachers to assume that nothing is different from home, however, if one digs a little below the surface, many differences present themselves.

Below are six useful pointers to consider when integrating into an international classroom.

Do not think you have left all your problems behind Teachers and students tend to believe that when the plane hits the tarmac, all their problems will be solved.

Both students and teachers are often surprised to find that the education system in their new country carries

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its own set of challenges. It is very important for them to learn how to deal with challenges and to overcome issues with a positive attitude. There is no perfect school system.

Find a buddy A student in his/her first international classroom may be outside established friendship groups. Do not leave their socialising to chance. Choose kind and confident students to be their buddies, and check that they are meeting up during breaks and between lessons.

Keep in mind that they might not gel with the students with whom they are initially placed. The same holds true for teachers. The more connections you make at the start of your new journey, will help to determine how you adjust to your new environment. Just to have someone to ask for help and advice can make a world of difference. Some schools are very good at creating buddy systems while others not so much. If your school is one that does not have a very developed system, reach out to fellow educators on social media. I find that the educators in the Middle East are very open to helping their colleagues.

Participating in sports can help you form real connections Realise that sport is massive in

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the Middle East. Sports provide a wonderful entry for many into new friendship groups and communities.

Encourage students to take advantage of opportunities even if they aren’t especially sporty. A great school will have opportunities for students of all abilities. Teachers, you too aren’t too old to kick a ball or run around on a field. It will do you a whole lot of good.

Focus on wellbeing Make the wellbeing of teachers and students a priority. In the rush that precedes a move abroad, one can become very tired and depleted. Even children can feel drained and mentally and physically spent. The mental toll of a move to a new country should never be underestimated. With that in mind, encourage students to reflect on how they experience the first weeks in their international classroom. Teachers, find ways to refuel and reconnect with your inner peace. If you normally practice yoga, meditation or even exercise, try to get back into a routine as quickly as possible.

Embrace the challenges, savour the new experiences and enjoy the journey. Welcome to the international school system.

Sharing Good Practice

Using Classcraft as a tool for classroom management

By Thomas Edge

I

t is not new for educators to employ a range of strategies for classroom management. Today, digital tools are becoming increasingly more popular in daily practice. Classcraft is an amazing tool for classroom management. It inspires students and engages them on a deeper level than many traditional strategies.

Behaviour management is a crucial part of becoming an outstanding educator.

Ensuring students are focused and on-task means that learning remains at the core of their school experience.

Helping them understand the importance of rules and regulations nurtures students as responsible, productive global citizens. Motivation is the key. Well-motivated students are naturally more engaged and willing to follow instructions, rules and steps for success.

Classcraft allows the teacher to captivate students, stimulate their attention and facilitate an engaging learning environment where behavior is no longer an issue. Providing data, instant feedback and the opportunity for children to be innovative with their learning, it acts as a motivational tool that can directly impact learning and progress.

At face value, it simply rewards students with points, but underneath, there is much more at play. Its unique blend of gamification, collaboration and challenge breeds students who are hardworking, cunning and eager to succeed.

Classcraft is a journey, an interactive game with rewards and consequences, a transformation of teaching and learning and a tool to enhance teamwork. It’s also a lot of fun.

Students become fantasy characters and are assigned to teams with whom they have to collaborate throughout the year to keep each other alive within the game. The teacher (games master) can reward students for anything, for great effort or good behaviour by awarding them XP (experience points) or gold.

These can be used to up level their character and acquire new powers, that can be used in lessons, as well as to purchase new outfits for their avatars.

Alternatively, HP (health points) can be deducted through poor behaviour, not handing in homework or failing to complete tasks. The children almost become competitive, collaborative Tamagotchi's and they absolutely love it!

Interwoven in the game are many uniquely engaging features such as The Random Event of the Day and The Wheel of Destiny, where, once losing all HP, the student falls in battle and has to complete a forfeit before being introduced back into the game.

All outcomes and events can be tailored which makes it incredibly easy to personalise the experience for your students. Writing a page from a selected book, arm wrestling the teacher or becoming the door holder

- are more light-hearted and enjoyable than missing a break. The most powerful feature by far is the Class Content Manager where activities can be set, resources saved and students can comment while displaying their work. By providing immediate feedback and rewards, all children become engrossed in activities. They even begin completing additional tasks at home voluntarily.

Classcraft can be used as much or as little as a teacher wants. Sometimes I have used it to just reward good behavior and at other times I have structured whole lessons around it. Either way, the benefits were noticeable in both the long and short term: • When rewarding students, the effort and productivity of everyone else in the class increased because they also want to be rewarded.

• Students developed collaboration skills, strategic thinking and camaraderie.

• Students could share work with their peers, inspiring each other.

• Students made great progress in reading, writing and SPAG. Behaviour was never an issue. The focus shifted from 'How can I get these students to engage?' to 'How am I going to make them love the next lesson?'

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Featured Teacher

Richard Henwood … Re-imagines Mathematics to excite students

T

here is an undeniable push for educators in the UAE and globally to think outside the box in implementing, innovative and engaging activities inside the classroom. Educators have two choices, either step up or get lost in the fray.

His background is in accounting and working as a sports coach. However, once the opportunity to teach Mathematics presented itself, he realised that he had found his true love.

All these things combined with the fantastic and hard-working Maths team we have here at Cranleigh forms the basis for our students achieving great success in the subject.

Both colleagues and students will agree that Richard Henwood, Head of Mathematics at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, has stepped up to the challenge of being an innovative educator.

With a professional background that spans working in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, he brings an international approach to the UAE, which has been his home for the past four years.

Share two successful Maths initiatives in the 2015-2016 academic year.

He has spearheaded many exciting initiatives that have resulted in students becoming more engaged in the subject.

Richard has been an educator for twelve years.

Richard Henwood, Head of Maths at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.

Below he provides some insight into his role at Cranleigh, and why he has led the Maths department in thinking outside the box to make Mathematics more engaging for their students.

Where are you from originally?

I was born in a town called Walsall in the UK – just North of Birmingham.

Who inspires you most?

My parents inspire me. They always have, still do and always will.

How do you develop a love of Maths in students?

We create a love of Maths by simply making it enjoyable. The Cranleigh Maths Department has one main aim and it has nothing to do with results or targets. We aim for all students to arrive to Maths lessons with a smile on their face, looking forward to their Maths lesson. If the students enjoy Maths, then with a bit of hard work, they will succeed.

We use a variety of teaching methods and resources. We also do some cool stuff such as; treasure hunts, code chases, investigations, game based learning, etc.

ICT is heavily integrated into lessons.

We subscribe to both MyiMaths and Manga High. Our use of the innovative Socrative software in lessons allows for instant feedback and helps in visualizing student understanding.

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Initiative 1 – Cross-curricular project with Science and Design Technology (DT). We got together and came up with an innovative project to design and make a projecting device (catapult). The Science and DT elements were the design and creation using basic or recycled materials. The Maths element was to collect and analyse the results.

It was very challenging trying to coordinate across the 3 departments and timetables, but we just about managed it. We learned that although it is challenging, working across departments is good fun and there is a lot of knowledge and great ideas outside of your own department to share and tap into.

Initiative 2 – Maths Day – We held our second annual Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Maths Day on May 4, 2016.

Our theme was Star Wars and both students and staff were encouraged to come to school dressed as their favourite Star Wars character. All students were off timetable taking part in a series of fun and engaging Maths challenges with a Star Wars twist. Our Maths Department collaborated with the Art and PE departments in designing activities that included: Blow up the Death Star, Fire the Photon Torpedo, Tatooine Tessellations, Crack the Empire Code, Rescue R2D2, Padme’s Problem Solving and Jedi Agility Training.

Other activities included an original Maths department drama production, Stormtrooper Rock Show, The Brass ensemble performing the Star Wars theme, Year 3 boys performing a dance

Featured Teacher to the Imperial March, Fancy Dress Competition and catwalk.

We received a lot of support from educators throughout the school (Miss Rigon, Mr Johnson, Miss Martin, Miss Lee, Mrs Board, Mr Lane and Miss Williams) who were instrumental in preparing students and actively participating.

Students were very excited about the activities and the opportunity to win prizes such as house competition (Al Sharaf) and Best Dressed (Luke McGarry, Year 5 and Percival Millet, Year 7).

The biggest challenge was pulling the whole day together and planning/ delivering the challenges. A lot of people worked very hard on making the day successful.

The feedback from students and parents was fantastic. To have a Maths Day where [all] students went home happy after having had such fun was well worth the effort. This will go a long way to help remove the stigma, that Maths is a difficult and boring subject – the eternal battle of the modern day Maths teacher continues!

Describe two ways in which you and your colleagues promote independent learning in Mathematics.

Independent Learning is crucial in creating better Mathematicians and all round learners. Getting “un-stuck” on a problem independently is a powerful skill and will make a huge difference.

One way we promote this skill is to use the “4 B’s” - Brain, Book, Buddy and Boss. The idea is that if a student is stuck on a problem they go through the 4 B’s before giving up.

1. Brain: read the question again and have another think 2. Book: look in their exercise books or text books for previous examples or ideas 3. Buddy: ask a person on their table for help 4. Boss: after all of the above, finally ask the teacher for help We have the 4 B’s displayed in every Maths room and continually refer to them to promote independent learning.

Maths investigations are a fantastic way to promote independent learning. We do these twice a year with each year

group and they take a week’s worth of lessons. We start with a simple problem based on shapes and patterns. The students then take it further, gradually working towards an overall solution.

The students often go in different directions with their investigations – which promotes independent learning, but end up with similar solutions. Students also really enjoy investigations, get “lost in their learning” and end up hungry for more!

Share a few activities that you do outside of school to create work-life balance.

I am very active - golf, touch rugby, gym, and kayak. A friend and I bought a boat this year. We enjoy going out on it most weekends with friends – banana boat, water skiing, fishing and swimming. I also enjoy travelling, cooking, reading, movies and socialising with friends of course.

I am a big believer in having a healthy work-life balance. I try to promote this to the rest of the Maths team and encourage them to spend quality time outside of work with family and friends.

As a result, we are all usually smiling and energised on a Sunday morning and ready for the week ahead.

Richard (2nd left) with some of the teachers from the Maths department at Cranleigh.

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Inside the Staffroom

5 Ways schools can personalise professional development

By Chassie Selouane

A

s teachers, we are consistently reminded that every learner is different. The same rings true for teachers. Every teacher is as unique as the students in his/her classroom. Each teacher has a different history, set of skills and preference in how they learn best. Every year, a teacher is faced with a new and challenging set of students, all with distinct needs.

Many schools are finally beginning to realize teachers need individualized learning opportunities. Below are 5 ways that schools can personalize Professional Development to be more relevant, making use of 21st century skills.

Create a structured plan for PD Ensure that your school has a written, structured professional learning plan. This can be, either a weekly or monthly plan. This is perhaps the most important step. Utilize the data and input of teachers to help create a strategic professional learning plan.

Include topics that are relevant and allow teachers to take charge of their own PD. Let teachers give their input on the topics covered in the learning sessions. This promotes engagement of teachers and increases their interest.

By participating in the creation of the Professional Learning Plan, teachers feel a sense of ownership and pride in their professional learning.

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Set a structured time Often the biggest excuse for teachers is, they do not have the time for professional learning (PL). Schedule a set time for PL, so it becomes an expectation of all stakeholders.

Research shows us that on average, it takes about 66 days before a new behaviour becomes a habit. Teachers understand the importance of structured classroom routines. The same structure is important for their PL. Setting a structured time is the first step in taking control and personalizing professional learning. Teachers have to make the commitment to open their minds and develop their skills.

Using data to inform Professional Development There has been a huge push to use data to inform learning in many school systems globally. Who says that the data collected can only be used to inform student learning? Schools can pull data from across all areas of the school to help identify the needs of the school and the teachers. This can help with recommending courses and resources for professional learning and development.

Use the experts in your schools Workshops are not a one size fits all and it is important for schools to realize this. Schools should offer a choice of

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learning, which cater to the needs and interests of the staff. There is no hard and fast rule that the experts running sessions have to come from a source outside of the school. Each school has teachers who are experts in certain areas and fields. Look for pockets of best practice. Create opportunities for teachers to learn from each other.

Use technology to enhance and support professional learning. There are a wide variety of platforms that encourage teacher collaboration and development from around the world. Experts in subject areas are available at the click of a mouse, with social networks, webinars, Edmodo Communities and Online Learning opportunities.

Create partnerships Offer professional learning budgets that can subsidize and encourage teachers to participate in learning programmes outside of school hours.

In the UAE, there are several options for teachers to return to school to upgrade their credentials. Seek out partnerships with universities and other institutions of higher education.

Zayed University in Abu Dhabi is currently offering a very good Masters in Education programme.

There are also online programmes that offer teacher certification in as little as 9 months. Contact us if you would like recommendations: email, info@teachuae.com

Travel

Leisure

Check out our travel features to see some of the exciting places that educators have travelled to. Find useful tips on how to make travelling fun!

Articles that focus on meaningful ways in which educators can enjoy their leisure time.

After The Bell Bella

Finance

Maryann For advice on beauty, wellness and personal development, Ask Maryann provides you with great tips and more.

Wealth management, savings and loans, retirement planning and so many more useful tips are provided for you.

A Moment With

A Moment With Kevin Simpson…

CEO of Know Do Serve Learn (KDSL)

By Carolyn Lee

I

f you are part of the vibrant education scene in Dubai, you may have encountered or heard of Kevin Simpson, the effervescent CEO of Know Do Serve Learn (KDSL).

KDSL’s enigmatic leader is a native of Flint, Michigan in the USA. A seasoned educator, Kevin has taught in Michigan, Virginia, Dubai and Laos. He has served as an instructional coach for over 30 schools and participated in math reform projects in four different countries.

His entrepreneurial passion was ignited in 2007, when he conceptualised KDSL in a bid to remain in the education sector. Kevin is currently enrolled in the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE) Institute for School Leadership.

His brainchild, KDSL is now a global educational consulting company, which was started in 2007. In 2013, KDSL was established in the United Arab Emirates. Since then, the majority of their work has focused on American curriculum schools.

In his role at KDSL, Kevin has been

instrumental in assisting numerous schools with accreditation, training and development.

The company has served as a thought partner on school start-up projects.

They have collaborated with over 500 schools and thousands of educators worldwide in over 20 countries.

Kevin’s vision for the company is that it becomes the leading learning organization focused on empowering American curriculum educators in the MENA region.

Know Do Serve Learn (KDSL) will be celebrating ten years in 2017. What motivated you to start KDSL? What are some of the services that you provide?

During the summer of 2007, I was a consultant with the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Teacher-toTeacher initiative. I wanted to continue to work in education around the world.

At that time, I had worked and lived in Laos and had no clue where to begin. I took a risk and registered KDSL. Our big three services at KDSL in the MENA region include: • Supporting new American curriculum schools start-up.

• Providing on-going professional learning and partnering with schools to ensure continuous improvement.

• In the USA, we partner with a variety of organizations such as, Edspired, RYE Consulting, The Global Sleepover and MidSchoolMath.

We look forward to sharing our next venture soon in celebration of 10 years.

The education landscape of the UAE has changed significantly over the past few years. What role has KDSL played in contributing to some of these changes?

Kevin Simpson, CEO of KDSL.

At KDSL, we try to stay a step ahead of what will happen in education with a focus on professional learning.

Common Core Camps was launched in 2011 when I was a freelancer in the region. This led to finding out the needs of many schools. In addition, as the new Common Core State

A Moment With Standards were being released in the USA, we tried to keep parents, leaders and schools aware. We have written two white papers focused on American curriculum. Our next white paper, coming out this year, will address the latest American science standards and implementation in the USA and in the region. Teach Middle East Magazine and KDSL collaborated on the bilingual supplement highlighting American curriculum in the UAE. Now we are collaborating with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and have set up the GCC ASCD. Founded in 1943, ASCD is the global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner. The GCC ASCD will kick off this year at the MENA Teacher Summit in Dubai in October.

You are a trained and certified educator. What has been one of your most memorable moments in the classroom?

This would have to be stopping my class of 10 year old boys in Flint, Michigan from arguing over who would be the first one to read a book about Michael Jordan. Right then I knew that they loved books and reading.

Share three key things that every education entrepreneur should consider before going into business.

1. Be willing to take risks.

2. Sometimes you have to say no so that you can grow.

3. The process is as important as the product.

Do you have a philosophy that you use to guide some of the key life decisions that you make? If yes, what is it?

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

What do you do for fun? Why? 1. Run 2. Yoga 3. Tennis 4. Swim 5. Watch TV 6. Travel Running a business is stressful but when I play sports or travel I get the chance to really de-stress. I am a sports fan but above all I believe that, it is good to have balance. These

activities help me to stay alert, healthy and focused.

What is the best advice that you have received? How has it helped you?

Relationships matter. I see this as a daily act whether it is with family, friends or colleagues. In the midst of being busy, it is always important to remember that I am who I am because of my family, mentors, friends and community.

To learn more about the work that Kevin is doing, visit http://knowdoservelearn.org/ or connect with him on Twitter @KDSL07.

ArabBaba

7 ways to get your children to confide in you

By Mostafa Hassan

T

he saying, “children should be seen and not heard” rang true in past generations. In many cultures this still rings true.

As parents, it can be that we are so busy trying to take care of ‘life’, that we forget that our children represent the future. What we instill in them now will be of help to them in their approach to life and relationships.

Children who know that they have an adult who is non-judgmental, trustworthy, and supportive of their endeavors are usually more confident with sharing their feelings, thoughts and dreams.

I’ve put together seven key things that have helped me in developing a trusting relationship with my children (2 years old and my 6 years old). While this will always be a work in progress, I believe it is important to have trust in any relationship especially with your children.

Speak the truth When sharing with your children, be aware of how much a child should know. Factor in their age and emotional maturity. Tailor the subject but always speak the ‘truth’. This is incredibly important. Speaking the truth shows that we trust them to understand the situation in a way they can comprehend and it builds trust.

Watch body language and tone Children are very good at reading body language. They notice when we are smiling, withdrawn or angry…even if we say nothing. In a conversation, when a person folds his/her arms – a wall has gone up. The ability to absorb substantial content is limited. When we keep our arms open, look them in the eye and talk with an even tone, we encourage a similar response from them. Remove the threat of a confrontation – no matter what the topic.

Be practical with discipline

Follow through

Children make mistakes. Discipline is a part of creating a structured family environment with set values. How we handle discipline can remove the fear a child may have in telling you the truth next time, or coming to you when they have made a mistake. Give them ideas on how to problem solve, instead of negative criticism. This will allow them to troubleshoot their own solutions.

When you make a promise, show your child that it’s important enough to make it happen. When you keep your word, it shows them that they are valued and that you do what you say.

Share your thoughts Trust your children enough to share your own concerns. Bring up a challenge you had when you were young. Talk about things that frustrated you and how you solved them. Ask for advice and what they would do in such a situation. Sometimes a childish response can help you to understand more about your children and how they perceive problems.

Be apart of their lives Simply ask to join them in something they are doing. This will allow you to understand why they are reading that book, watching that show, feeling sad or happy. After a while, they will start to look forward to sharing with you.

Listen This is most important in any relationship. When we feel we are really being heard and not interrupted or dismissed, we open up. Sit quietly and ‘hear’ them until they are done.

These points are sometimes hard to accomplish, but if we are successful at a few, we open up a door to an entirely new relationship with our children.

We allow them to become a valued member of the family where their thoughts and ideas are important.

I challenge everyone to pick one idea that you can actively start on today.

Reach out and let me know how it works! Share your ideas as well.

Leisure

How to overcome shyness as a newbie

By PreSha Barnes

W

hen you are new to a school, country or any situation, it can take a while to acclimate. If you are shy by nature it may take even longer and, things can feel overwhelming.

It is normal to feel anxious, but it certainly helps to know that there is always someone willing to help. This article shares a few points that you can consider to help to overcome shyness when you are a newbie. Before long, you will have an entire network of friends!

You are not alone!

Most teachers prior to transitioning join teacher groups on social media, where they connect with others either already there or on their way. Once you are settled, let the teachers that you connected with know where you are.

Set a coffee date where you can meet in person. Keep in mind that there are other teachers who are also new to the school and country. Like you, they are hoping to make new connections. At work, keep an eye out for teachers who have lived in the country for a while and get to know them. Observe body language and use that as a marker to guide the comments that you make and the type of questions that you ask. Network with others - co-workers,

neighbours and/or local organisations.

Social media is a great tool for staying connected. Join online groups that align with your personal interests.

Opt for groups which will help you to have a positive experience in your new environment. You have to get out there and make yourself visible.

Get involved Once you start socializing with others, the invitations will start rolling in. Turn up when you accept an invitation and participate. Many events are family oriented, so you can bring your family along for additional support. If you are alone, there are lots of events where you can meet and interact with others who are here without family. Remember to alert the person who invited you that your plans have changed when you are unable to attend an event.

Be approachable A smile sends the message that you are approachable. Smile when you meet someone for the first time.

Express a genuine interest in what they have to say. Be mindful of the culture and what is appropriate to ask.

It is polite to enquire after the well

being of children. Be helpful to those who offer you assistance. For example, if school faculty welcomes you, gives you resources and materials; return the favour by bringing a nice tray of refreshments for all to indulge. This will help to show your appreciation.

In addition, if a neighbour helps you move in, be nice. Invite them over for dinner or give them a “Thank You,� card.

Share Share what you know. Make contributions to your department and the school. Showcase your abilities in meetings. Answer questions when you have an answer. You have a wealth of knowledge and if it aids in the success of your students, share it in your meetings! Engage in small talk with your neighbours. These are the people who may be able to help you in your personal life.

When you are shy, it may seem like a lot of work trying to engage with others.

However, once you interact with others, you soon find that you have a good network of people that you can rely on. Before you know it, you will be able to assist someone, who was just like you!

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Travel

The key to work life balance: Work hard, play harder and travel hardest

By Suzanne Berg

Welcome, new teachers!

Prepare to work hard and play hard! Relish the fact that living in the Middle East allows folks like us to visit a myriad of lands that were less accessible from our home countries. Whether your budget is large or small, you’ll want to take advantage of travel opportunities. Choosing a destination is the most difficult part.

#InAbuDhabi #SirBaniYasIsland (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

#TravelVietnam (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

#TeaTime #InIstanbul (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

If you love Middle Eastern culture…

#InAbuDhabi #SirBaniYasIsland (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

Drive six hours to the capital of Muscat or fly cheaply in under an hour. Check out the Royal Opera House, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, and the city centre. Trek into the mountains on a day tour, if you desire outdoor adventure.

Adventurous spirits may opt to camp in Salalah, where the stunning Omani southern coastal region is without parallel. From late September until March, the dream climate means the natural beauty of the region can be enjoyed with basic equipment. Add 4x4 capability, and the possibilities are endless. As an added bonus, you’ll find the locals both friendly and welcoming.

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If you love to people watch…

Head to Vietnam. Once you arrive, everything is super cheap. Ho Chi Mihn City (formerly Saigon) is teeming with locals weaving around on scooters at all hours. Visit Cu Chi Tunnels, the underground hideouts that were used in the Vietnam War. Tour the Saigon River on a Vietnamese sampan, watch locals make coconut candy, and bargain for wares at the floating markets in the Mekong Delta.

After The Bell

If you love nature, adventure, and animals…

Check out Sri Lanka. Hire a driver/guide for the duration of your trip and he’ll plan a route that includes the sights and attractions of your choice. Wander through the historic capital of Colombo, visit Buddhist and/or Hindu temples, and partake in water sports. Spend an interactive day at Elephant Freedom Project in Kegalle. You may even have the chance to speak English with some nearby local schoolchildren.

Travel #InIstanbul.

(Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

#TravelOman (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg) #TravelIstanbul (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

#FromVietnam (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

If you love safaris…

If you love meeting people…

Head to Istanbul, Turkey.

A breathtaking mix of old and new, Istanbul is a bustling metropolis.

However, the locals make time to chill throughout the day. Stop to sip a coffee or tea al fresco and you’ll surely end up in conversation with someone. Take a Big Bus tour, cruise the Bosphorus River, and spend a day in the Sultanhamet area of Istanbul visiting Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the underground cistern. At night, Beyoglu/Taksim Square offers nightlife that often lasts until breakfast.

Hop over to Sir Bani Yas Island via Rotana Jet. A nature retreat located just off the shore of the western region of Abu Dhabi. HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan established this protected area forty years ago. Sir Bani Yas Island, with its lush greenery, is home to thousands of free-roaming animals. Safaris top the to-do list but snorkeling, kayaking, archery, and biking are also popular activities. There are only a few hotels on the island and none are at budget level, but turning this weekend into a group excursion will help keep costs down.

Other wildly popular destinations include Thailand, Zanzibar, Jordan, and Egypt. As an American, I’ve popped into Europe while traveling to and from Abu Dhabi. Why not check out a new city for a day or two if a direct flight isn’t on the cards. Favorite destinations include Prague, Krakow, Berlin, Dublin, Amsterdam, Rome and Paris. Really, you can’t go wrong no matter where you choose to go. There’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored, so enjoy one of the perks of teaching in the Middle East and get packing!

#Vietnam (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

#Oman (Photo credit: Suzanne Berg)

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Health

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

B

reast cancer affects women and in some cases men all over the world. October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in America and some Caribbean countries. It is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

What is breast cancer?

The Mayo Clinic defines breast cancer as “Cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts.” www.cancer.org offers a longer definition, “Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control. These cells usually form a tumour that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump. The tumour is malignant (cancerous) if the cells can grow into (invade) surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body…”

Quick facts: • Breast cancer can occur in both men and women. It is more common in women.

• Survival rates have increased over the past years. Early detection and a personalised approach to treatment are key factors that help.

• Symptoms may include a breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue, bloody discharge from the nipple, change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast, a newly inverted nipple, peeling, scaling or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin or redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange.

Risk factors: 1. Most women who have one or more breast cancer risk factors never develop breast cancer, while many women with breast cancer have no known risk factors other than being a woman and growing older.

2. Risk factors like a person’s age or race cannot be changed.

3. The environment and personal behaviour such as smoking, drinking and diet are linked to breast cancer.

4. 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, meaning that they result directly from gene defects (called mutations) passed on from a parent.

5. Women diagnosed with certain benign (non-cancer) breast conditions may have a higher risk of breast cancer. Some of these conditions are more closely linked to breast cancer risk than others.

Doctors often divide benign breast conditions into 3 general groups, depending on how they contribute to this risk.

Questions to ask if diagnosed: 1. What type of breast cancer is it?

2. How big and where exactly is it?

3. Has it spread to lymph nodes or other organs?

4. What other tests are required before treatment?

5. What are the chances of survival based on the type of cancer?

Questions about treatment: 1. How much experience do you have treating this type of cancer?

2. Should I get a second opinion?

3. What are the treatment options available?

4. What treatment do you recommend and why?

5. What are the chances of cancer returning after treatment?

In closing, if you find a lump or other change in your breast — even if a recent mammogram was normal — make an appointment with your doctor for prompt evaluation.

Special note: The questions stated are taken from a longer list. Please, click on the 3rd link to access the full list of items.

Sources: 1. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/ detailedguide/breast-cancer-what-is-breast-cancer 2. http://www.breastcancer.org/ 3. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/ detailedguide/breast-cancer-talking-with-yourdoctor 4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/

Business

Super charge your savings in 5 easy steps

By Aaron Crotty 1. Run the numbers Do you know how big a nest egg you'll need down the road? According to a recent Wells Fargo study, four out of ten expats are unable to estimate the amount required to live a comfortable retirement. Check out the retirement calculator at BankRate.com and plug in your particulars to come up with a concrete figure. Then invest the money ASAP. Sure, you have other expenses to deal with, childcare, school tuition, but the earlier you start; the more it becomes a lifelong habit.

Here is an example of a retirement calculation for a 40-year-old expat looking to retire at aged 65, earning an income of $65,000 per year in today’s terms. We have to factor in, an annual global inflation rate of 3% to preserve buying power.

Annual income in retirement from age 65 - USD 65,000.00 Assuming inflation at 3% per annum to age 65 - USD 136,557.64 Lump sum required to provide this income* - USD 2,731,153.00 Monthly saving required to achieve income @ 10% growth - USD 2,642.00

*Based on 5% annual income from growth after maturity. How do you feel about these figures?

2. Invest in pension provider The problem we face in the UAE is that very few companies offer any form of financial provisions for our long-term financial goals, such as retirement.

The majority of us have come from a structured financial jurisdiction where financial benefits are provided as common law. Sadly in the UAE, it is up to ourselves to replicate said provisions to ensure we are not aiming towards a shortfall. Of course, if you can afford it, you should set aside more. Aim to save at least 10 percent of your gross income. If you can't manage that, put in what you can and bump up your rate by 1 percent every year. Don't bank on government pension plans, which are no longer being contributed into. Not contributing to your pension fund will almost certainly lead to a shortfall.

3. Attack debt Every dollar you spend on interest payments means less money you can invest toward your retirement.

If you have significant high-interest debt (such as from revolving credit-

card balances), whittle it down before ramping up retirement savings, since the percentage you pay can easily cancel out investment gains. Prioritizing debt might mean cutting down on luxuries to set side extra money. You might also try snowballing your debt, that is, paying off your smallest balance first and then reallocating toward the next-largest number. Wiping debt off the books now makes it a lot easier to save for later.

4. Maintain your Rainy-Day Fund If you don't already have six months' worth of emergency living expenses, build it up now. Having this cushion enables you to keep your retirement savings plan on track when an unexpected bill or expense comes along.

5. Keep your costs down Got a raise? Great. Don't upgrade your lifestyle. A bump in pay can entice you to move to a nicer place or buy a new car. A better approach is to stay where you are, keep driving your old vehicle, and invest the money for retirement.

Beauty

How to hydrate your skin in hot climates

I

f you just moved to the Middle East from a much cooler climate zone, your skin may be in for a bit of a rough period. If you have been living here for a while, you understand just how hot it can become and how damaging it can be to the skin.

Temperatures in the UAE have been known to soar close to 50 degrees celcius during the summer. In fact, it usually doesn’t ‘cool down’ until late October-early November.

Extensive exposure to this kind of heat can lead to an increase in acne breakouts and/or parched, dehydrated skin.

Protecting, hydrating and nourishing the skin should not only become a priority when a breakout happens.

What can you do to protect your skin?

Below are a few tips that you should consider in order to keep your skin healthy and glowing.

Cleanse: This is perhaps the most obvious point to consider. However, are you doing it correctly? If your face is hot, wash first with cold water to cool the skin and then cleanse. Consider using a foam cleanser to cleanse the face gently during hot days. Avoid alcohol base cleaners as they tend to dry the skin.

Exfoliate: Heat and sweat go hand in hand. Sweat and newly opened pores can lead to both whiteheads and blackheads. It may seem practical to use a peeling gel or scrub, but don’t. It may help to consult with a dermatologist to see which types of cleansers; exfoliation and moisturising products work best with your skin type.

Hydrate: Practice drinking a glass of water before sleeping. Also, drink a glass of water before having breakfast.

This has a number of benefits inclusive of glowing skin, cell renewal, and purifying the colon among others.

Consider using an oil free moisturiser daily to combat dehydrated skin.

UV Protection: There are a myriad of UV protection products on the market today. UV radiation can lead to breakouts and darkening of the skin.

Again, your skin type plays a key role in the kind of UV protection that works best for you. Check the amount of SPF and PA. Ensure that it contains UVA and UVB protection.

Use a humidifier: A humidifier can help to stop the dry air from drying out your skin. It’s a good option if you sleep in air conditioning. If you don’t have one, fill a bowl with water and put it in your bedroom overnight. The air conditioning will dry up the water from the bowl rather than your skin.

Go easy on the caffeine: A single cup of coffee can lead to significant dehydration. Ensure that you drink the required amount of water. Some dermatologists recommend that you drink half your body weight daily. If you aren’t fond of drinking water, add a bit of flavour with lemons, lime or mint.

Another option is to steep herbal teas in a pitcher of cold water. Avoid sugary beverages.

Opt for fruit: Many fruits are high in fluids. They also have additional benefits such as antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Go easy on sodium rich foods: Foods that are high in sodium can draw water from your body. This could contribute to dehydration depending on intake. Reduce the consumption of processed meats, fast food, canned soups and canned vegetables to a minimum. Keep in mind that some sauces are also rich in sodium (soy sauce, teriyaki and some brands of ketchup).

There are many more points to keep in mind when it comes to skin care. Diet, exercise and sleep all play an important role. A good starting point is to know your skin type and understanding what products (ingredients) work for you.

Bella

Dear Maryann,

lamps for ambience and mood.

I’ve been living in a hotel apartment for the last 2 years and I love it, especially the daily maid service. Except a few things: every time I make friends with someone, they are gone the next week, or there are always new faces. I never feel like I “know” anyone. Also, nothing is mine in my apartment. I buy plants and candles, but I miss the feeling of dressing up a place. Do you have any other suggestions to make it “my home”?

5) Invite guests over frequently. Open your apt for entertainment. Keep in mind hotel rules.

Out of place, Shakira

Decide whether you are ready to commit to the UAE. You can very well live in a hotel apartment for many years.

Wealthy people all over the world do this. However, it sounds like you want to stake your claim on something.

So, that begins with a decision to stay. Once decided, do all of the 5 things listed. Then, if you feel like “nothing”, then it’s time to move. I hear Al Bateen is gorgeous!

Dear Shakira,

Maryann

You need an internal shift. Something is holding you back from completely committing to where you live. A hotel apartment is the perfect location for someone on a contract or needing a place until they find something permanent. Two years would be just fine if you had made it your home from the start. Here’s what you should have done, and should implement right away.

1) Buy your own plates, pots and pans. Do not use the hotel stuff.

2) Deny maid service. Clean your room yourself. That way you have a handle on germs, etc. Maid services frequently use the same cloths and mops from one room to another.

Unlike having a maid at your private home where you can buy the tools for them, you cannot buy hotel staff tools to work.

Dear Maryann, I do not know where else to turn. I am in love with the father of one of my students. He is always giving me the eye and he flirts with me, and even leaves me candy gifts. We are both from the UK. I’m afraid to turn him down, but I don’t want any problems.

Confused, Laila

Dear Laila,

3) Buy more plants and candles. Make your room as green as possible. Candles for charging the air with good energy, and a little music on a regular basis helps, too.

Keep everything positive.

I think you are overthinking all of this. As a professional, you should always remain polite and keep your feelings in check. I would not make a big fuss out of this, unless your safety is infringed upon. Why would you think there would be problems? Is there more to this story? Is he married?

Please be careful. Mind your business and focus on your work, instead of your feelings. Wear sunglasses, when he comes around.

4) Play with lighting and invest in a few, good additional

Maryann

Maryann Reid, educator and lifestyle expert from New York, can be reached at maryann@teachuae.com

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Meet Our Writer

Meet our Writer DR. Jan L. Jones

I

was extremely lucky to have a mom who encouraged me to stay in college and to take courses that I was passionate about. She maintained that if I loved something enough the right job would come,� states Dr Jan L. Jones.

Jan has been a professor for almost 15 years. She discovered her passion once she started to study Sociology and International Development.

She credits past professors, Dr Henry Veltmeyer and Dr Jim Sacouman, who sparked her desire to study international tourism development and ultimately pursue a PhD in the United States.

Based on their encouragement, she participated in a two-week course in Cuba. While there, Jan fell in love with education and cultural travel.

She eventually gravitated towards teaching, which allowed her to continue

learning about topics that she was passionate about. Teaching provided her with an environment to share and nurture those passions in others.

You have travelled extensively as an educator; tell us a bit about two of those experiences.

I believe strongly that my teaching improved after every trip I took abroad. Three places that profoundly changed my life and worldview are Cuba, Jordan and Jamaica. Traveling to Cuba improved my confidence and gave me a feeling of independence.

It ignited my love for learning about other cultures.

I took a solo trip to Jordan to conduct research with people I had never met in person. It was overwhelming because the reactions of most people about my trip were mostly negative and extremely cautionary. I soon realized that most people didn’t know anything about Jordan. I chose to and rely on information and advice from people who had actually been there several times. After just my first day in Jordan, I knew that I would love it there.

My favourite part of the trip was hiking in Petra and traveling to 13 smaller communities with my outstanding colleague and now close friend. It is a truly different experience to travel with someone who grew up in that culture. It surprised me to discover the similarities we shared with many core beliefs and life aspirations.

My trip to Kingston, Jamaica also elicited negative responses. I was

warned not to leave the resort. I flew directly to Kingston and opted not to stay in a resort. For many years, I had studied the tourism development issues in Jamaica. It was quite another thing to travel there, live with local people and hear about their daily challenges. I was fortunate to stay with Ashley Hyde who owns Touch the Road.

In Jamaica, I became distinctly aware that kindness and a smile go a very long way. Our culture conditions us not to talk to or connect with strangers.

We should be doing the opposite.

The beaches in Jamaica are beautiful, however, the people and food really stood out to me. The entrepreneurial spirit and passion of the young people that I met was inspirational. Everyone should experience the local fried chicken and Rastafarian food!

What would you say made the biggest impression on you professionally and personally throughout your travels?

As professors, our research defines us.

We are convinced that we are more important if we publish articles and books. Many spend countless hours applying for grants and developing projects in hopes of building a name for themselves. I gradually realized that I cared less about making a name for myself. I was more interested in the personal connections and the growth I experienced through travel. Over time, I began sharing more of the life lessons I experienced in hopes of inspiring my students to travel and explore the world in more culturally sensitive and locally beneficial ways. While I still have a profound respect for academia, I think that we sometimes stray too far away from what is really important.

Meet Our Writer What are two fun things that you like to do?

I am a very social person. In my free time, I like to stay connected to my friends and family around the world.

I enjoy inspiring people to live healthy and active lives. My absolute favourite thing to do is to go on little adventures with my husband and kids.

Educators are often painted as being overworked and tired throughout the academic school year. Is this an accurate representation? What are 3 things that can improve work-life balance?

First, there are so many different kinds of educators. I knew that I would not be a good fit in an 8:00am-3:00pm classroom environment. Being a professor was a perfect fit for me because it fits my personality.

I also believe that many educators are over-worked and tired. There is a desire to standardize and test studentlearning outcomes for everything.

I agree that there needs to be consistency in what we teach. However, I often found myself frustrated with the focus on standardized tools. I have seen excellent teachers leave academia and teaching because they felt like their jobs had become more about testing than teaching. I encourage my friends in teacher training to remember to have a life beyond their careers. If you don’t look after yourself and your loved ones, you will eventually get burnt out in any career.

Here are three things that recommend teachers work on:

I

1. Volunteer your time for projects/ committees that you love. Learn to say no to “busy” work. When I served on a committee, I always attended the meetings and was actively involved in the work. I had no desire to simply have my name associated with a bunch of committees that did nothing.

2. Look after yourself mentally and physically. Carve out free time for yourself to do something each day that allows you to relax. I personally love to exercise and try new recreational activities. I always feel rejuvenated and more productive when I do so.

3. Create a world beyond your work that you also nurture. I have realized this past year that I was not always the best at appreciating what was

right in front of me. It can be hard to do this when you are always working and/or traveling. Spend time with your family and friends.

Find something to be passionate about that has nothing to do with your career.

You recently started your own tourism education consultancy.

What are some of the services that you will be offering?

I have been developing a tourism education consultancy with a colleague. In my experience, I often saw international students struggle with cultural acclimation, networking and professional career decisions when studying abroad. Having worked as a career and academic advisor for over 15 years, I developed a series of college success and professional development workshops for students planning to study abroad.

I have also seen countless international students fall through the cracks due to frustration with the recruiting process at their institutions. While the International Offices are often well equipped to help international students, other administrative offices are not often well educated about their needs. I would like to assist schools and colleges assess the strengths and weaknesses of their current international recruiting and admissions efforts. I can help them identify areas and strategies for improvement. The best place to start is to assess the experiences of current international students and then build on their knowledge to develop creative and interactive cultural tourism recruiting programs.

Despite having a solid educational focus, your articles often reflect the ‘heart’ that goes into being an educator. What is the motivation behind this?

Having studied for 12 years in higher education in both Canada and the United States, I had the opportunity to learn and grow from a variety of teaching methods and styles. The professors who truly impacted my life were those with heart. Those professors who truly cared about

my success beyond the classroom are the ones that I will always cherish and remember.

My proudest teaching moment was when a student came up with a slogan that she felt represented me as a teacher - “Travel with an open mind and a kind heart.”

Share one thing about you that would surprise your colleagues.

Not many people know that I have a black belt in karate and have won several national and international point fighting competitions.

How can others contact you - social media, email, etc.?

Please feel free to contact me at janlouisejones@gmail.com or you can check out my LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ janlouisejones Live, laugh, love, travel - Dr. Jones

Travel Snapshot

Travel Middle East

Snapshots Teachers and other expatriates living in the Middle East have explored a number of its vibrant destinations.

In this edition of Travel Snapshots, we hope to fuel your passion for travelling, with a few of the Middle East destinations that you should add to your bucket list.

Qatar Doha – recognised as one of the New7Wonders Cities, Doha or “the big tree” is Qatar’s capital city. It is also the fastest growing city. In 2010, Doha was chosen as the Arab Capital of Culture. Some of its key attractions include museums, stadiums and stunning skyscrapers. Qatar will be hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Photo Credit – Richie Chin

UAE: Dubai Burj Khalifa – undoubtedly one of the most easily recognised structures in Dubai (and globally), the iconic Burj Khalifa remains an important feature of the everdeveloping Dubai landscape. The award winning structure is a key attraction for both residents and visitors to the bustling Metropolis.

Photo credit – www.burjkhalifa.ae

UAE: Abu Dhabi

Istanbul

SZGM – the stunning beauty and majesty of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi have made it a mustsee location for thousands of UAE residents and tourists.

The mosque is also the final resting place for H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, (MPBUH) Founding Father of the UAE.

Istanbul has been known as one of the more popular destinations in the Middle East for people living in the UAE. It’s rich heritage, culture, friendly people and exciting attractions all add to the lure of Istanbul. Unfortunate events over the past few months have impacted tourism.

However, Istanbul should bounce right back!

Photo Credit – Richard Simapili

Photo credit – Carolyn Lee

Travel Snapshot

Oman

Egypt Cairo – Many people have held a deep fascination with visiting the pyramids in Egypt. The City of Cairo is the capital of Egypt and is also its largest city. Egypt can be likened to an open museum with monuments from the different historical periods on display everywhere. The pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian museum, Old Cairo and Bab Zuweila are among a few of its top attractions.

Photo credit – Wikipedia/JMCC1

Muscat – It’s always nice to visit our neighbour, Oman. Many expats have trekked across the border to explore this beautiful country, which is merely hours away depending on where you are in the UAE. Muscat is Oman’s port capital and has a vibrant history that dates back to antiquity.

A few of its best-known attractions are Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the Bait al Zubair Museum and the Mutrah Corniche among others.

A recent (January 2016) Forbes article describes Muscat as “Exotic, historic, unusual, adventurous and geologically stunning.”

The Dead Sea (bordered

by Jordan, Palestine and Israel) For most of us, The Dead Sea was merely a Biblical reference that we heard about as children. For those of us who now call the Middle East home, visiting can now become a reality. Known as “The Sea of Salt’, “The Sea of Death” and “Salt Sea”, The Dead Sea is a salt lake and the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It has been an attraction for thousands of years. It is also a popular location for health research.

Photo Credit – Bettina Bennett

Photo Credit – Richard Simapili

Jordan Amman – the Jordanian capital boasts the country’s largest population. It is also the home to ancient ruins.

The tourism sector of this city has been experiencing a steady boom over the years. It is the 93rd most visited city in the world and the 5th most visited Arab city. Amman is known as the Middle East’s hub for medical tourism.

Of note, Amman is said to be one of the most liberal and westernised cities of the Arab world.

Kuwait

Photo Credit – Wikipedia/Rami Tarawneh

Photo Credit – Maryam’s flicker

Kuwait City – Are you interested in shopping, scouting out a few museums or simply relaxing and enjoying gorgeous architecture? Visit Kuwait. Boasting a booming economy, Kuwait is known for home-grown theatre. Kuwaiti soap operas are among the most-watched in the Arab world.

Among its attractions are the Kuwait Towers, Al Hamra Tower, Seif Palace and Water Towers among others.

1582

On October 4, 1582, the Gregorian Calendar took effect in Catholic countries. Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree stating the day following Thursday, October 4, 1582, would be Friday, October 15, 1582, correcting a 10-day error accumulated by the Julian Calendar. Britain and the American colonies adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752.

1967 1881

This Month In History October “Everything you can imagine is real,” Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter, sculptor Artist Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He was an experimental painter and also became a fine sculptor, engraver and ceramist.

“There is nothing new, except what has been forgotten,” – Marie Antoinette, French Queen On October 16, 1793, Queen Marie Antoinette was beheaded during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution. She was the wife of King Louis XVI and had become the symbol of the people's hatred for the old regime due to her extravagance and frivolity.

Other Important Events

On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was known for opposing discrimination and the death penalty, and for championing free speech and civil liberties. He served until 1991.

“Being honest won’t get you a lot of friends but it will always get you the right ones,” John Lennon, singer, songwriter, activist, co-founder of the Beatles

1940

1793

“Equal means getting the same thing, at the same time and in the same place,” Thurgood Marshall, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (USA)

John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England on October 9, 1940. He was a member of The Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. He was murdered in New York City on December 8, 1980.

Other important events and commemorations in October are:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Eczema Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

World Food Day (October 16)

World Teachers’ Day (October 5)

Sources: the history place and wikipedia

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