4 minute read
For the Love of Teaching: Why Supporting Our Teachers Matters
For the LOVE of Teaching
Teachers are superheroes. Really. I think we all do appreciate our teachers, however the gravity of the job is seldom understood. As someone who, for the first time this year, has dipped my toe into the shallow end of education, it has become painfully clear just how admirable, and hard, of a job teaching is. I am in awe of all the teachers around me who bring so much energy, passion, and selflessness to their classes - at 7:00am, nonetheless! Despite mounting hardships and personal struggles, discussed in hushed tones behind closed doors of the teachers lounge, their classrooms have remained colorful havens of learning, positivity, and creativity.
At IC, teachers do not just educate children on reading, writing, and arithmetic - though these are hugely important and by no means an easy task. They are responsible for modeling and instilling values of kindness, community mindedness, confidence, leadership, teamwork, creativity, patience, discipline, critical thinking, organization, and social justice. Children are the future, and teachers impact not only the lives of individual students, but the society that these students will one day lead.
Why, then? If it is such a challenging, exhausting, and undervalued job, do teachers choose to teach? Rather than tell you - we asked them.
To make it short: I teach = I breathe… Teaching for me is more than anyone can ever imagine, it is what makes me who I am. Éduquer les citoyens d’avenir.
Chamaa, French, Elementary School Ain Aar, 28 years at IC
Yara Cheikho, Arabic, Preschool Ras Beirut, 5 years at IC
Middle School Ras Beirut, 1st year at
I teach to feed my soul, it makes me feel like I’m making a difference in the hearts and minds of a generation that will one day run the world.
Neveen Ahmad, Homeroom, Preschool Ras Beirut, 1st year at IC
Teaching is an opportunity to learn from this generation on a daily basis. To share, reflect, think, and mostly connect with a desire to share and partake in something bigger than ourselves. We teach because we believe what we do matters and has purpose
Tracy, Arabic, Middle School Ain Aar, 5 years at IC
I teach first because it is one of the most noble professions, and second because I love the look on the kids’ faces when they learn something new.
Khalil Chahine, Mathematics, Middle School Ain Aar, 8 years at IC
C’est une mission sacree
Hana Kabbani, French, Middle School Ras Beirut, 5 years at IC
L’enseignement est une vocation: on travaille avec des enfants qui vont construire un monde meilleur.
Nada Malas, Preschool Ras Beirut, 30 years at IC
Teaching is an opportunity to make the world a better place by shaping the next generation. I teach because I believe what I do matters and has purpose.
Maysa Barakat, Elementary School PE teacher, Ras Beirut, 19 years at IC
Teaching, caring and nurturing my students is my way to fight for a better future for Lebanon. I know that with the tools given to my students by IC, they will be the change we want to see in this world.
Lea Hedary, Homeroom, Preschool Ain Aar, 8 years at IC
C’est la formation de la génération prometteuse du futur. C’est donner sans retour. C’est la satisfaction.
Juliette Bikhazi, Mathematics, Middle School Ras Beirut, 42 years at IC
It is my way to contribute to the community. Teaching and education are the roots of society.
Raghda Mouawad, Drama, Secondary School Ras Beirut, 13 years at IC
مــيركلا شــيعلا اــهل لاــخ نــم بــلطن ةــنهم مــيلعتلا نأ وــه هــناركن نــكمي لا اــم .ةذــملاتلا ىــلع اــباجيإ ســكعنت نأ لــمأن يــتلا تاــيقلاخلأاو مــيقلاب رــخازلاو عــضاوتملا ةلاــسر ،رــخآ ىــلإ لــيج نــم ةــلقانتم ةلاــسر ىــقبي فوــسو مــيلعتلا ناك ىرــخأ ةــيحان نــم ةــينلاو ةــبحملا راــطإ يــف كــلذ لكو ةــيبرتلاو ءاــطعلاو ةيناــسنلإا اــهتايط يــف لــمحت ةــيفاصلا Secondary School Ras Beirut, 6 years at IC يبرع بدأ - بايد اناڤليس
L’enseignement pour moi est une vocation qui me permet tous de communiquer avec les jeunes générations et leur inculquer des valeurs authentiques
Randa Kazan, Enseignante Titulaire, Elementary School Ain Aar, 12 years at IC
قافلآا عساو باب ميلعتلا I love teaching because every single day we make a difference in someone’s life, which goes far beyond knowledge.
Loulou Abdelahad, Social Studies, Middle School Ain Aar, 17 years at IC Hanan Khansa, Arabic, Preschool Ras Beirut, 38 Years at IC
To see a change in the future of Lebanon we have to count on today’s children. What’s a better means to achieving this than being a teacher, a mentor, an educator to those young women and men? I teach to enlighten their budding souls, to be honest, principled, and ready to take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to open their minds to others and encourage them to seek different points of views. I teach to be critical thinkers who question and inquire in order to seek the truth. I teach them to show respect, empathy, and compassion toward others. I teach to let them realize and value their strengths and weaknesses. I teach to help them recognize our interdependence with other humans and organisms. I teach because I want a better future.
