Learning Environment

Inclusion Isn’t a Program, It’s a Climate

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:51:37 +0000

A student hesitates before joining a group. The activity has started, roles are being assigned, and no one has quite noticed they’re still standing alone. Moments like this, small, ordinary, easy to miss, are where inclusion either quietly succeeds or slowly unravels. When people talk about special education and inclusion, they often jump straight to labels, diagnoses, or support plans. Those things matter but they’re not where inclusion actually lives. Inclusion lives in the everyday climate of a classroom: how students work together, how teachers design learning, and how safe students feel taking academic and social risks. In my work with schools, I see this repeatedly: inclusive education works best not when it’s treated as a separate system, but when it’s woven into the culture of teaching and learning itself (Duka et al., 2024; Margas, 2023). In other words, inclusion isn’t something we add on. It’s something we build.

Why Classroom Climate Matters More Than Ever

Classroom climate is the emotional and social tone of a learning space. It shows up in daily interactions: who gets invited into group work, whose voice is heard, and whether students feel respected rather than merely accommodated. Research shows that students with special educational needs are more motivated, and achieve more, when classrooms are collaborative, supportive, and predictable (Duka et al., 2024). In positive classroom climates, students are more willing to participate, persist through challenges, and see themselves as capable learners. When the climate is negative or overly competitive, the opposite happens. Students with special needs are more likely to withdraw socially, disengage academically, and feel less accepted by their peers (Margas, 2023).

Bottom line: how students feel in a classroom shapes how they learn in it.

Research Snapshot

In inclusive primary classrooms studied in Albania, 49% of teachers reported that students with special needs were actively included in group work. Inclusion dropped sharply when classroom climate or adult support was inconsistent (Duka et al., 2024). Inclusion rises or falls not with student ability, but with classroom design.

Group Work: Inclusion in Action

Group work is often viewed as risky in inclusive classrooms. Yet research, and classroom experience, suggests it is one of the strongest tools we have when done intentionally. When students with special needs are meaningfully included in group activities, their communication skills, confidence, and academic engagement improve (Duka et al., 2024). Group work allows students to contribute in different ways, organizing ideas, solving problems, explaining concepts, or offering creative insight. Just as importantly, inclusive group work benefits all students. Peers without identified special needs develop empathy, collaboration skills, and a clearer understanding that learning does not look the same for everyone (Margas, 2023). This only works, however, when group work is designed with purpose. Roles must be explicit, expectations clear, and alignment with Individual Education Plans (IEP) intentional.

Bottom line: unstructured group work excludes; well-designed group work includes.

Project-Based Learning:

Belonging Through Purpose Project-based learning (PBL) offers powerful opportunities for inclusion because it values contribution over comparison. Students can enter the learning at different points while still working toward a shared outcome. Research shows that students with special needs demonstrate higher motivation and stronger learning outcomes when they are part of thoughtfully designed projects (Duka et al., 2024). Projects promote sustained engagement, peer interaction, and a sense of belonging, especially when success is defined broadly rather than narrowly. Teachers and parents consistently report social gains as well: students become more confident, friendships deepen, and self-esteem grows when learning is meaningful and shared.

Effective PBL in inclusive classrooms includes:

• Flexible expectations with clear goals
• Intentionally assigned roles
• Equal recognition of diverse contributions

Bottom line: project-based learning widens access without lowering standards.

Technology as a Bridge, Not a Bandage

Technology plays an important role in inclusive education, but only when it is used with intention. ICT supported teaching has been shown to increase motivation and persistence for students with learning disabilities when tools are aligned to specific needs (Duka et al., 2024). Assistive technologies, tablets, and interactive platforms can reduce barriers and increase independence. However, many inclusive classrooms still lack consistent access or adequate teacher training, limiting their impact (Margas, 2023). Untrained access is not inclusion, it is frustration. Technology must be paired with pedagogy, planning, and leadership support to truly serve students.

Bottom line: technology supports inclusion only when adults are supported first.

Technology Access Snapshot

In the same study, only 17% of inclusive classrooms had regular access to instructional technology such as smart boards or tablets, limiting consistent ICT support for students with special educational needs (Duka et al., 2024).

Leadership Reflection

Inclusive classrooms don’t happen by chance. They are the result of deliberate leadership decisions, about people, priorities, and practice.

Inclusion Benefits Everyone

One of the most persistent myths about inclusion is that it exists only to support students with special educational needs. Evidence from inclusive classroom research tells a different story. Studies of inclusive primary classrooms show that when learning is organized around collaboration, through group work and shared projects, peer interaction improves across the entire class (Duka et al., 2024). Students learn to communicate more effectively, take shared responsibility, and recognize one another’s strengths. These benefits are not limited to students with identified needs; they shape how all students engage socially and academically. At the school level, a positive inclusive climate amplifies these effects. When inclusion is embedded as a whole-school value rather than a separate intervention, it strengthens relationships, reduces social exclusion, and promotes a culture of mutual respect and belonging (Margas, 2023). Difference becomes expected, support becomes shared, and success becomes collective. In this way, inclusion is not a service for a fewit is a framework that improves the learning environment for everyone.

Leadership Makes Inclusion Possible

Classroom climate does not exist in isolation. It is shaped upstream by leadership decisions, timetabling, staffing, professional development, and resource allocation. When inclusion relies solely on individual teachers, it becomes fragile. When it is supported by systems, it becomes sustainable.

School leaders play a critical role by:

• Prioritizing inclusive practices in curriculum planning
• Investing in training for group work and project-based learning
• Ensuring consistent access to assistive and instructional technology
• Treating classroom climate as a core indicator of school quality

Reflection for School Leaders

• Where does inclusion in your school depend on individual effort rather than shared systems?
• When group work happens, who consistently benefits, and who quietly opts out?
• How visible is classroom climate in your evaluation and coaching conversations?

Inclusion does not happen through policy alone. It happens one classroom, one interaction, and one leadership decision at a time. The real question is not whether a school values inclusion, but whether its daily practices make belonging unavoidable. When schools get the climate right, inclusion stops being a challenge and starts becoming a strength.

References (APA)

Duka, A., Leka, K., Vampa, M., Bursová, J., & Jenisová, Z. (2024). The impact of climate in inclusive classrooms: Influencing the motivation of students with special needs. Journal of Education, Culture and Society, 15 (1), 303-314.

Margas, N. (2023). Inclusive classroom climate development as the cornerstone of inclusive school building: Review and perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1171204: Frontiers | Inclusive classroom climate development as the cornerstone of inclusive school building: review and perspectives

By Dr. Emanuel Vincent

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The Quiet Crisis in Inclusion - Who Is Supporting the Adults?

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:39:45 +0000

Inclusive education has progressed significantly in recent years. Classrooms are more diverse, conversations are more open, and the language of inclusion is now part of everyday practice. We speak confidently about differentiation, accommodations, individual education plans, and wellbeing.

Yet alongside this progress sits a quieter reality, one that is rarely addressed.

Who is supporting the adults who are expected to make inclusion work every day?

Across schools, inclusion is often carried by a small group of people: SENCOs, inclusion teachers, learning support assistants, and classroom teachers who care deeply and give consistently. They advocate, adapt, reassure, de-escalate, problem-solve, and reflect, often all at once. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, emotionally and quietly and over time, that quiet weight begins to take its toll.

The Invisible Labour of Inclusion

Inclusion is not only technical work; it is deeply relational. It involves constant emotional regulation, not just for students, but for adults as well. Educators support families navigating uncertainty, guide colleagues through complex decisions, and remain calm during moments of heightened need. They celebrate small wins while navigating systemic constraints such as limited time, competing priorities, and increasing expectations.

This emotional labour is rarely acknowledged. It does not appear in timetables or role descriptions. Instead, it is absorbed informally, often under the assumption that those working in inclusion roles can simply manage. Many educators do not experience fatigue because they lack commitment. They experience it because they care deeply, for extended periods, without structured support.

When Support Becomes an Expectation, Not a System

In many schools, inclusion relies heavily on goodwill. Dedicated staff step in, stay late, and “make it work” because they believe in what inclusion stands for. While this commitment is admirable, it becomes problematic when goodwill substitutes for systems.

Phrases such as “You’re amazing, you’ll manage” are usually offered with appreciation, yet they can unintentionally signal that ongoing support is unnecessary. Competence should not lead to isolation. Passion should not replace protection.

Professional development is frequently offered as a solution, but training alone is not sufficient. Without coaching, mentoring, and time for reflection, even well-trained educators can feel overwhelmed. Sustainable inclusion requires more than knowledge; it requires structures that allow adults to apply, reflect, and grow with support.

This shift does not demand radical reform. It begins with intentional decisions how time is allocated, how conversations are held, and how responsibility is shared.

The Emotional Cost of Always “Coping”

There remains an unspoken expectation in education that resilience means coping quietly. Many educators hesitate to voice their challenges for fear of appearing incapable or negative. Others worry that acknowledging difficulty may be misinterpreted as a lack of belief in inclusion itself.

Acknowledging challenge does not weaken inclusive practice. Ignoring it does. When adults feel unsupported, inclusion risks becoming reactive rather than reflective. Decisions are made under pressure, creativity narrows, and emotional fatigue builds. Over time, those most committed to inclusion may begin to question whether their efforts are sustainable.

This is the quiet crisis, not a lack of care, but a lack of care for the carers.

Reframing Inclusion as a Shared Responsibility

Sustainable inclusion depends on shared responsibility. It cannot rest with one role, one department, or one individual. Inclusive practice strengthens when responsibility is distributed across teams and supported by leadership at every level.

This involves moving beyond recognition toward practical action:

• protecting time for collaboration and reflection

• offering coaching alongside accountability

• building mentoring relationships rather than expecting self-sufficiency

• valuing learning support staff as professionals with expertise

• normalizing conversations about emotional load and wellbeing

When educators feel psychologically safe, they are more willing to reflect honestly, try new approaches, and seek support. That safety is not accidental; it is intentionally created.

Caring for the People Makes Inclusion Possible

Inclusive education is ultimately about belonging. That sense of belonging should extend beyond students to the adults who support them every day. When educators feel heard, seen, and supported, inclusion becomes more than a set of practices, it becomes a shared commitment. When adults are given the space to be reflective, human, and supported, they are better positioned to create learning environments where students can thrive.

Sustainable inclusion cannot depend on quiet sacrifice or individual goodwill alone. It requires systems that care for the people who carry it forward. Perhaps the most important question schools can ask is not “How inclusive is our practice?” but “How supported are the people making inclusion possible?”

Ultimately, when schools invest in the people behind inclusion, they create environments where both educators and students can thrive. And that is where meaningful inclusion truly begins.

By Rabia Shunaid Khan
SECON and G&T Coordinator
American School of Creative Science, Dubai

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The Power of Relationships

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 16:15:33 +0000

‘They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’
Carl W. Buechner.

The Research Behind Relationships

It is my firm belief that relationships are the foundation of impactful teaching, and this is not about being liked by your students or being a popular teacher, although a little charm never hurts! Research consistently highlights the link between positive teacher student relationships and student achievement, suggesting that students who feel respected, understood, and supported by their teachers are more motivated (Hattie, 2009) and are more likely to engage in learning (Wang and Degol, 2016, Cohen et al, 2009). Alongside this, research also demonstrates that when students have positive interactions with teachers, they have fewer behavioural problems (Roorda et al, 2011, O;Connor et al, 20011). In fact, John Hattie’s meta-analyses rank teacher-student relationships as one of the most effective strategies for improving student outcomes, with an effect size of 0.72; well above the ‘hinge point’ for impactful teaching (Hattie, 2009).

The Moment I Realised Relationships Matter

In my role as Head of Inclusion, I spend a lot of time on learning walks, observations, and the occasional student pursuit. One particular pursuit sticks with me because, from that day onwards it completely transformed the way I view effective teaching, and my own approach to student interactions.

I decided to follow a student who was, to be perfectly honest, notorious in our school. He had a talent for testing the patience of teachers, consistently disrupting lessons, and generally having a negative effective on his own and others’ learning. He also had a diagnosis of ADHD. Teachers, and that included me, struggled with him. But what I witnessed that day on that student pursuit was revelatory.

The day began with him walking into registration, where the atmosphere changed the moment he appeared. The teacher greeted him with, ‘I hope you are going to behave today?’ The first lesson was no different, with the teacher not even waiting for him to sit down before snapping at him, ‘One wrong move and you’re out.’ Another teacher actually rolled his eyes when he saw the student coming down the corridor. The low expectations and negativity for this student were palpable. Imagine how that feels when you are 15.

Then we reached the English class. The teacher stood at the door, smiling warmly at every student. When she saw him, she lit up in a way that showed him how pleased she was to see him. ‘It’s so lovely to see you! How are you today? I’ve been looking forward to this lesson with your class,’ she said enthusiastically.

His demeanor shifted immediately. Don’t get me wrong; he wasn’t suddenly a saint. But he participated in the lesson. He put his hand up and answered a question, and when she praised his response, I could see him trying to suppress a smile. In that moment, I saw what he could be when he was met with positivity and high expectations.

That student pursuit was transformative for me. The experience ignited my passion for positive relationships and positive behaviour management, and it completely altered the way I interact with challenging students. I realised how much power we, as teachers, hold in shaping not just behaviour but also self-perception and self esteem. It made me see that we should not be blinded by the challenging behaviour, but we must connect with the student behind it. Behaviour is communication, and often students with ADHD or any other additional need can hide behind the ‘notoriety’ rather than show their struggles and vulnerabilities.

Each small act of connection from a teacher, a genuine greeting, a smile, a quiet word of praise, can lay the foundation for progress. It’s not about ignoring bad behaviour but about recognising the good, however small, and building from there. As teachers we can shape and build a student’s perception of themselves that can last forever, so we must ensure we build positivity through our relationships with our students.

Top Tips for Building Relationships

Be Present: Meet and greet students at the door. This sets a positive tone for the whole lesson and gives you the ability to read the mood of the students as they enter

Celebrate Progress: Even small victories deserve recognition. ‘You were only two minutes late today; well done! You are really improving.’

Learn Their World: Whether it’s football or reality TV, showing interest in their hobbies builds rapport and shows students you are interested in them as people.

Be Consistent: Relationships thrive on reliability and consistency. If you promise to check their work or follow up on a concern, make sure you do it.

Laugh: Humour humanises you. Laugh at yourself, put some funny pictures on your presentations, put a joke in your teacher talk and see who is really listening.

Remember this though; building relationships is not about being a ‘cool’ teacher who can do the latest trending TikTok dance routine (though if you can, it’s a bonus!). It is about consistency, empathy, and a genuine interest in students as individuals.

Final Thoughts

Positive relationships aren’t just a ‘would be nice to have’ in teaching, they are essential. Whether it is getting that disengaged Year 8 to pick up a pen or helping a Year 1 student feel brave enough to raise their hand, the bonds we build with our students lay the groundwork for their success in their adult lives. So, go ahead: ask about their weekend, laugh at their jokes, and show them every day that you are on their side.

Remember, relationships aren’t built in a day, but the results last a lifetime.

By Wendy Harris

Senior Director for Inclusion – GEMS Visionaries Cluster of Schools

Assistant Headteacher – Inclusion at GEMS Wellington International School

References

Cohen, J., McCabe, E.M., Michelli, N.M. and Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: Research, policy, practice, and teacher education. Teachers College Record, 111(1), pp.180–213.

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge.

O’Connor, E.E., Dearing, E. and Collins, B.A. (2011). Teacher–child relationship and behavior problem trajectories in elementary school. American Educational Research Journal, 48(1), pp.120–162.

Roorda, D.L., Koomen, H.M.Y., Spilt, J.L. and Oort, F.J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational Research, 81(4), pp.493–529.

Wang, M.-T. and Degol, J.L. (2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), pp.315–352.

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Building the Dubai Child

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:51:23 +0000

Dubai is at an exciting crossroads in education. With its rapidly growing population, rich diversity, and a vision to nurture children who are both globally capable and deeply connected to Emirati values, the city is reimagining early childhood education. Leading this transformation is the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which recently introduced the Policy on Arabic Language Provision in Early Childhood Education. This initiative ensures that children from birth to six years receive structured, meaningful exposure to Arabic — not just as a language, but as a bridge to culture, identity, and belonging. This is more than a curriculum change. It’s an intentional effort to shape the “Dubai Child” — a young learner who is bilingual, culturally grounded, confident, and ready to thrive in a global world. By weaving together policy, pedagogy, and infrastructure, KHDA is investing in a generation that feels rooted while reaching outward.

Nurturing the Next Generation through KHDA’s Early Childhood Framework is about building children who are confident, bilingual, culturally grounded, socially skilled, and ready for lifelong learning. It’s a holistic approach that combines language, culture, play, social-emotional development, and family engagement. KHDA’s Early Childhood Framework is about creating environments where children:

Feel proud of their identity and culture
Develop bilingual communication and cognitive flexibility
Build social-emotional skills to interact positively with others
Engage in curiosity-driven, play-based learning
Experience healthy, active, and supported development
Connect learning with family and community

Here’s a practical breakdown of how this can be done:

1. Foster Language and Cultural Identity

KHDA emphasizes the Arabic language and Emirati culture from birth to six years.
Strategies:

Arabic-Rich Environment: Integrate Arabic songs, rhymes, stories, and visual cues in the classroom. Begin the day with songs, stories, or greetings in Arabic. Include Emirati folktales or stories about UAE landmarks. Set up areas in the classroom with Arabic books, flashcards, puppets, or role-play props reflecting local culture.
Cultural Celebrations: Mark UAE National Day, Flag Day, and traditional festivals through themed activities, crafts, and role-plays. Celebrate other UAE events with themed activities, learn traditional dances, or prepare simple Emirati foods.
Storytelling & Oral Traditions: Share Emirati folktales, proverbs, and family stories to develop cultural pride and listening skills.

2. Encourage Bilingualism and Communication Skills

Early exposure to both Arabic and English builds cognitive flexibility and strong communication skills.
Strategies:

Dual-Language Story Time: Read stories in Arabic and English, encouraging children to retell them in either language.
Interactive Role-Play: Create scenarios where children use both languages in play, e.g., market, school, or family settings.
Labeling & Visuals: Use labels, posters, and signs in both languages to reinforce vocabulary naturally.

3. Develop Social-Emotional Skills

Social skills, empathy, and collaboration are key for the Dubai Child.
Strategies:

Circle Time Discussions: Encourage children to express feelings and thoughts in a safe environment.
Buddy Systems: Pair children of different backgrounds to complete simple projects together, encouraging collaboration and sharing.
Mindfulness & Reflection: Short exercises to help children recognize and manage emotions. Create a space where children express feelings through drawings, puppets, or storytelling. Teach words for emotions in Arabic and English.
Helping Hands Projects: Engage children in simple acts of community care, e.g., packing snacks for children in need or planting flowers in the school garden.

4. Promote Inquiry and Play-Based Learning

KHDA’s framework encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity.
Strategies:

Exploration Corners: Set up STEM or sensory play corners with hands-on activities that reflect the local environment, like sand trays mimicking the desert, or water tables inspired by Dubai’s coastline. Include nature-based play areas that invite experimentation.
Project-Based Learning: Children create models of UAE landmarks, conduct simple science experiments, or explore local flora and fauna, integrating art, math, and cultural understanding.
Question-Led Learning: Encourage children to ask questions about their environment and seek answers through guided discovery. Encourage children to ask and answer questions about their city, country, or daily life. Example: “How do we celebrate National Day?” or “Why is water important in the desert?”

5. Strengthen Physical and Holistic Wellbeing

Healthy children learn better and develop confidence.
Strategies:

Daily Movement: Include traditional Emirati games, songs, and stretches in morning routines.
Outdoor Learning: Visits to local parks, heritage sites, or community farms where children can observe local flora, fauna, and cultural practices.
Healthy Habits: Teach routines around nutrition, hygiene, and self-care through interactive activities. Short breathing exercises or quiet reflection periods to help children self-regulate emotions.

6. Engage Families and Community

Learning is reinforced when the home and school environments align.
Strategies:

Parent Involvement: Invite parents to share traditions, lead story sessions, or participate in classroom projects.

Community Connections: Invite local artists, musicians, and professionals to interact with children and demonstrate cultural practices. Invite Emirati professionals to introduce children to different roles and traditions.

Showcasing Learning: Host exhibitions, performances, or open classrooms to celebrate children’s growth and achievements. Children create displays of their work (drawings, crafts, projects) and share with parents during special days or open classrooms

A “Dubai Child” is curious, bilingual, culturally grounded, socially aware, and confident. Teachers can integrate these elements daily through play, storytelling, collaborative activities, cultural experiences, and inquiry-based projects. Parents and communities strengthen this by sharing culture, language, and values at home, making learning consistent and meaningful. Implementing such a wide-reaching policy comes with challenges: ensuring consistent quality across hundreds of early education centres, training and supporting Arabic teachers, securing parental understanding, and maintaining accessibility. Yet, these challenges are opportunities to refine approaches, deepen engagement, and ensure every child experiences meaningful, joyful early learning.

If implemented effectively, this framework will cultivate a generation of children who are:

Bilingual and confident in Arabic and English
Proud of their Emirati heritage while globally aware
Socially connected, inclusive, and resilient
Equipped with strong cognitive and emotional foundations for lifelong learning

KHDA’s early childhood framework is not just a policy — it’s a vision for the future. It is about nurturing children who feel safe, valued, and connected, who find joy in learning, and who are ready to contribute meaningfully to Dubai and the world.

By Remediana Dias

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5 months ago

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Three Tools Needed to support the rise of Self Directed Education

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:47:56 +0000

After reading Dr. Peter Gray’s article on comparing self-directed education and progressive education, I found myself reflecting on where I stand. Which approach does the world most need today, and which works best for our time?

For me, the answer is clearly self-directed education. As Gray describes, this is where the learner follows their intrinsic motivation and curiosity about the world, with educators, guides, and adults serving as supporters. Progressive education shares many positive overlaps, but the key distinction is in who drives the learning. That difference makes self-directed education feel like the pedagogy we should be striving toward as humans.

That said, adopting this perspective isn’t easy. For more than a century, industrialized education has conditioned us to see learning as a chore—something imposed rather than something natural. We also hold a strong cultural bias toward a need to collect evidence and data about learning and growth, often convincing ourselves this is the best measure of progress. In reality, much of the evidence we collect serves more to hold the adults accountable, or create shorthand way to inform parents without context about the academic progress of their kids.

Another challenge is our cultural aversion to free play and independent play. We’ve become so accustomed to structured time for children that we overlook the deep value of open, flowing play as a powerful learning tool.

Finally, the world today is far more complex and interconnected than in the pre-industrial era, when self-directed education was more widespread. This complexity can make it feel overwhelming to decide what to do, where to go, or how to share who you are with the world.

Because of these challenges, I believe three components could support a transition toward more self-directed education:

The Sovereign Learner Record (SLR) – a personal record that documents and analyzes diverse learning experiences.
A Database of Experiences – a well-organized directory of opportunities learners can join in their community.
Learning Cafés – community hubs where learners gather, connect, and pursue projects together.

1. The Sovereign Learner Record

The SLR must belong to the learner. For young children, guardians might hold this responsibility, but it should never be owned by a school or organization. Think of it like a CV: a personal record that the learner builds, edits, and decides how to share.

It should accept many forms of evidence—reflective dialogues, certificates from challenges, standard transcripts, or personal accounts—creating a holistic view of the learner.

On the output side, the SLR should allow multiple filters. The same input data could be viewed through different frameworks: the IB program, the UK curriculum, the UN’s development goals, or frameworks like Habits of Mind. Each provides a unique lens for understanding the learner’s growth.

The outputs could then be shared in different ways: kept private for the learner and guardian, shared with trusted guides or organizations, or made public—always with the learner in control.

This kind of tool could only exist in the age of AI, where diverse inputs can be interpreted and transformed into meaningful narratives.

2. The Database of Experiences

As a parent, I often wonder what my daughters might enjoy exploring. While I can ask them directly, I also want to share opportunities that already exist. The challenge is finding them. My awareness of what’s available is limited, and the internet doesn’t always present options in an accessible way.

Imagine a system that organizes experiences clearly:

Which ages they’re for
When they happen
The organization’s values and character
Their location on a map

This would allow learners to discover not only great opportunities but also the ones closest to their home, making participation more practical. Much of this information already exists—it just needs refining and presenting in a learner-friendly format. The concept is most beautifully presented today in the Cities of Learning project form the RSA, wherein youth can find meaningful learning opportunities in the cities they inhabit.

3. Learning Cafés

One of the biggest concerns people raise about not attending school is socialization. Learning Cafés address this.

Rather than showing up at a fixed time for a set curriculum, learners could go to special cafés to meet friends, connect with guides, work on projects, and treat the space as their home base. These already exist in various forms around the world, but they lack recognition and connection. By synthesizing a clear blueprint for Learning Cafés—and linking them with the SLR and Database of Experiences—we could create a powerful distributed ecosystem for learners.

A great example comes from Chris Balme’s writing on Learning Cafés, which led me to discover Alcove Learning in Los Angeles. It felt like a beautiful model of what a Learning Café could be.

Closing

So that’s the big picture: three core components that could help self-directed education thrive—The Sovereign Learner Record, the Database of Experiences, and Learning Cafés.

What do you think? Are these the missing pieces that could make this type of learning ecosystem flourish? Or do they already exist but only in limited geographies?

By Noan Fesnoux

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5 months ago

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From Language to Learning: Rethinking How Literacy Begins

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 16:05:05 +0000

Wael I. Nasr, MD, MBA
Founder & Director, Chapters & Co.

The New Frontier of Education

Artificial Intelligence has transformed the world’s imagination — but in education, it has exposed an uncomfortable truth. Despite countless initiatives to promote critical thinking, we have spent decades treating it as a subject-specific skill rather than a reflection of how the mind learns. Schools continue to focus on content delivery, not cognition. As algorithms learn to write, solve, and simulate, we are reminded that what defines us as human is not information, but understanding — our ability to connect, reason, and create meaning.

If AI is teaching us anything, it is that learning begins with structure. And for humans, that structure is language.

Language: The Starting Point of All Learning

Every act of comprehension — reading a sentence, solving a problem, or expressing an idea — begins with language. It shapes how we organize thought and how we process meaning. For young children, that process begins not with letters or printed words, but with sound.

Infants recognize rhythm and tone, imitate familiar speech patterns, and begin to map meaning to what they hear. These early interactions form the brain’s natural pathway to language — from sound to meaning, and only later, to symbol.

Yet most literacy instruction begins with abstract symbols rather than spoken language. Children are asked to learn letters and decoding rules before they have built a solid foundation in sound awareness.

The Sound-First Revolution

At Chapters & Co., we decided to realign literacy instruction with how children actually learn. Our programs, sMiles for English and Basamat for Arabic, begin where speech begins — with sound.

By introducing sounds in the order they are acquired in natural speech development, we simplify what has long been the most complex step in early education: decoding.

In traditional phonics instruction, children are expected to memorize letter names, recall multiple sound rules, and apply them to printed words — a heavy cognitive load for a five-year-old. In our sound-first approach, decoding becomes intuitive. Children recognize sounds they can already produce, match them to familiar symbols, and begin reading words almost immediately.

It is the difference between forcing language through symbols and allowing symbols to emerge naturally from language.

Simplifying the Decoding Process

Decoding — the ability to translate print into speech — is where many children struggle and where literacy gaps begin to widen. Our framework removes unnecessary steps that separate spoken and written language.

Each new sound is introduced through clear articulation, visual cues, and contextual stories. Children hear it, say it, see it, and use it — before ever encountering it in print. Only once the sound is mastered does the written form appear.

This sequencing dramatically reduces confusion. Instead of memorizing abstract letter names, children learn that every symbol represents a sound they already know. Reading becomes a process of recognition, not translation.

Crucially, writing is treated not as a separate skill but as part and parcel of the same learning process. As children begin to write the letters that represent familiar sounds, they physically reinforce what they have learned. The act of forming letters strengthens the association between sound and symbol, solidifying the decoding process. Writing, in this sense, becomes a tool for learning rather than a later stage of it.

Once decoding is effortless, comprehension naturally follows. The child’s attention is no longer divided between figuring out how to read and understanding what is being read.

A Universal Framework for English and Arabic

When we applied this method to English, the results were immediate: students read earlier, with greater confidence, and with fewer errors. But when we extended the same framework to Arabic, the outcome was even more remarkable.

Contrary to the common perception that Arabic is more difficult to teach, our experience showed that it becomes easier when approached through sound. Arabic has a shallow orthography — what you see is what you say. Once students can recognize and produce its unique sounds, decoding is straightforward.

The challenge, historically, has been that Arabic literacy instruction began with abstract symbols and grammar rules rather than sound and meaning. Basamat reverses that order, grounding the learning of Arabic in the same speech-based progression that underlies sMiles.

The results have been transformative. Teachers report that children are reading words and sentences months earlier than expected. Parents note that their children are eager to read aloud in both languages, switching comfortably between Arabic and English.

Proven in Practice

Across schools implementing sMiles, the results speak for themselves. On standardized Iowa Assessments, every student scored above the 80th percentile, and half reached a Grade 2 reading level by the end of Kindergarten — a remarkable outcome for early learners.

The success of Basamat mirrors this pattern. In pilot schools, Kindergarten students are decoding full Arabic words confidently and reading simple texts with comprehension before the end of their first year. Teachers describe the experience as a “breakthrough” — not only in reading ability but in how children perceive language learning as a joyful, natural process rather than a struggle with symbols.

Beyond Reading: Building Confidence and Curiosity

Simplifying decoding does more than produce fluent readers; it changes how children feel about learning itself.

When literacy begins with success, it sets a positive trajectory for all learning. Children who can decode quickly gain confidence in their ability to understand, explore, and express. They approach new challenges with curiosity instead of hesitation. Writing, too, becomes a natural expression of this confidence — a visible reflection of what the child can now decode and understand.

The Future of Education: Aligning with How the Brain Learns

The arrival of Artificial Intelligence challenges us to rethink education from the ground up. If machines can process information faster than we ever will, our role as educators is not to compete with technology but to nurture understanding, creativity, and human connection.

That begins with how we teach literacy — the foundation of all learning.

At Chapters & Co., our mission is to design educational programs that align with human development. sMiles and Basamat show that when teaching follows the natural sequence of language acquisition, learning accelerates. We are not adding more to the curriculum — we are removing unnecessary complexity and returning literacy to its natural roots in sound, speech, and expression.

The future of literacy is not about teaching earlier; it’s about teaching smarter — by aligning with how the brain was built to learn.

At GESS 2025, Chapters & Co. will showcase its groundbreaking early literacy programs, sMiles (English) and Basamat (Arabic), both designed to simplify decoding and accelerate reading through a sound-first, neurodevelopmental framework that integrates writing as a core element of the learning process. For more information, visit chaptersnco.com or contact [email protected]

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6 months 2 weeks ago

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Reconnecting a Generation: How Outdoor Learning Can Redefine Education Across the GCC

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:46:02 +0000

It’s early morning in the desert. The wind is cool, the sky still blushing with first light. A group of students are gathered in a circle, listening to the rustle of the sand dunes and the crackle of the campfire. They’re quiet — not because they’ve been told to be, but because they’re completely present. In a world defined by screens, deadlines, and endless notifications, moments like this are becoming rare. Yet for many schools and universities across the GCC, these are the moments that matter most.

Outdoor learning is no longer a novelty or an extracurricular bonus. It’s emerging as one of the most powerful tools in modern education — one that helps young people rediscover who they are and how they connect to the world around them.

“The outdoors doesn’t just build confidence — it reveals it.”

A Generation Disconnected

Today’s learners are growing up in an age of extraordinary opportunity — and extraordinary pressure. Their world is faster, noisier, and more competitive than ever before. Technology brings endless access to information but has quietly reduced their access to something even more vital: time outdoors, time with each other, and time with themselves.

Educators across the GCC are noticing the effects. Attention spans are shortening. Anxiety is rising. Empathy and resilience — once the natural byproducts of play, teamwork, and unstructured exploration — are increasingly difficult to nurture within traditional boundaries.

This is where outdoor education steps in. It bridges the widening gap between academic learning and personal growth, providing a space where lessons aren’t confined to textbooks but are lived, felt, and remembered.

Learning Through Experience

The essence of outdoor learning lies in simplicity. Take a group of students away from the classroom, strip away distractions, and give them challenges that require teamwork, courage, and problem-solving. Suddenly, learning becomes tangible.

A student who struggles to take initiative finds themselves naturally leading while crossing a wadi. Another, who shies away from group work, discovers the satisfaction of teamwork while setting up a tent in the windy desert or the mountains. These are the moments when character forms and when the quiet lessons of perseverance, communication, and empathy come to life.

“Every obstacle outdoors mirrors one within.”

Outdoor experiences don’t replace academic learning — they enrich it. They show that knowledge has context, that success can look like cooperation instead of competition, and that failure is simply another way of learning.

The GCC: A Living Classroom

The GCC offers a learning environment unlike anywhere else on earth. From the vast dunes of the Empty Quarter to the cool mountain air of the northern ranges and the dramatic wadis carved through time, these landscapes are more than scenic backdrops — they are teachers in their own right.

Each environment invites different kinds of growth. Deserts teach patience, observation, and humility. Mountains cultivate persistence and self-belief. Coastal and wadi settings inspire teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving. The region’s natural diversity gives educators an extraordinary platform to build programs that are both challenging and culturally grounded.

At Husaak, we’ve seen students from every corner of the GCC step into these landscapes and emerge changed. They arrive with uncertainty but leave with self-awareness — not because we tell them who they are, but because nature helps them find out for themselves.

Stories of Transformation

Some of the most powerful evidence of outdoor learning’s impact isn’t found in data but in lived experience.

During one university expedition, students were hiking in the mountains when an unexpected thunderstorm rolled in. Visibility dropped, the air grew cold, and for a brief moment, concern spread among the faculty accompanying the group. But while the rain poured and thunder echoed through the valley, our guides remained calm and focused — moving the students to a safe location, ensuring everyone stayed together, and managing the situation with quiet professionalism.

By the time the group returned, soaked but safe, the atmosphere had transformed. What could have been a moment of panic became a moment of profound trust — not only between students and guides, but between the educators and Husaak’s leadership team. The experience demonstrated the very heart of outdoor learning: calm under pressure, teamwork, and confidence built through experience.

Another group once faced a challenging canyon section where hesitation and fear gave way to support and encouragement. One by one, every participant crossed — not because they were forced to, but because they believed they could. Another team on a multi-day hike learned the value of endurance when fatigue set in — their determination replaced complaints, and their pride replaced doubt.

These stories are universal. They show how young people — when given the chance — rise to the occasion. The outdoors doesn’t give out trophies or grades; it gives perspective, humility, and lasting confidence.

Educators Rediscovering Purpose

Outdoor learning doesn’t just shape students — it transforms educators, too. When teachers and university faculty join these experiences, they often see their students differently. The quiet ones emerge as problem-solvers. The outspoken ones learn to listen. The group dynamic shifts from instruction to collaboration.

Many educators tell us that outdoor programs remind them why they chose teaching in the first place. They see growth happening in real time — not through grades or rubrics, but through empathy, teamwork, and courage. For many, it’s both a professional and personal renewal.

Beyond the Trip: Reflection and Integration

A powerful outdoor experience doesn’t end when the bus arrives back at campus. What makes it truly educational is the reflection that follows — the campfire debriefs, the journaling, and the quiet conversations that turn experiences into insights.

At Husaak, reflection is woven into every program. Participants are encouraged to look inward as much as outward — to identify what challenged them, what surprised them, and what they learned about themselves. This is where outdoor learning becomes lifelong learning.

When a student writes, “I didn’t know I could do that,” it’s not about climbing or kayaking — it’s about discovering capability. That realization builds confidence that carries into academics, relationships, and future challenges.

Building Skills for Life

The modern world demands more than knowledge. It requires adaptability, communication, emotional intelligence, and resilience — skills that are best developed through experience, not instruction. Outdoor learning provides a living laboratory for all of these.

When students must plan their own meals, navigate routes, or share responsibilities within a team, they learn independence and accountability. When they face discomfort — physical or emotional — they learn how to manage it. These lessons translate directly into academic performance and, later, into the workplace.

It’s no coincidence that some of the most forward-thinking education systems in the world are reintegrating outdoor programs into their curricula. The GCC, with its unique geography and commitment to youth development, is perfectly placed to lead this movement.

The Husaak Approach

For over a decade, Husaak has been working with schools and universities across the GCC to design outdoor programs that are purposeful, safe, and educationally aligned. Each experience — whether a one-day challenge or a week-long expedition — is structured around three principles: Challenge, Reflection, and Growth.

Our guides don’t just lead groups through landscapes; they facilitate experiences that help young people connect with themselves and with others. Every program is designed to nurture teamwork, self-confidence, and curiosity — qualities that every great educational institution strives to cultivate.

This is why outdoor education is not a break from learning, but a breakthrough in learning.

“Sometimes the greatest classroom is the horizon itself.”

A Call to Reimagine Education

As the world changes, so must education. The classrooms of the future will not be defined by walls, but by opportunities to connect — to people, to place, and to purpose. Outdoor learning sits at the heart of this evolution, reminding us that growth is not measured in grades but in self-discovery.

The GCC has all the ingredients to become a global leader in experiential education: breathtaking environments, ambitious institutions, and a generation ready to engage. By embracing outdoor learning, we can create not just better students, but better humans — resilient, compassionate, and deeply aware of their world.

Looking Forward

At Husaak, we believe that education should ignite curiosity, not contain it. Every campfire conversation, every shared challenge, every mountain climbed is a step toward something greater — a generation that learns not just to achieve, but to understand.

Because in the end, the most powerful lessons aren’t written in textbooks or displayed on screens. They’re found in the wind, the water, the laughter of teammates, and the quiet pride of realizing, I did it.

Outdoor learning reminds us that the future of education isn’t about teaching more — it’s about teaching differently. And the journey begins just beyond the classroom walls.

Husaak Adventures: https://husaak.com

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6 months 3 weeks ago

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Quality in Early Years Settings: More Than Standards, A Commitment to Children

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:21:00 +0000

When we talk about quality in early years settings, it’s tempting to focus only on checklists and compliance forms. While regulations are important, they only touch the surface of what truly makes an experience high-quality for young children. Real quality is not about one standard—it’s about how the environment, relationships, learning, and values come together to shape a child’s earliest educational journey.

As an early years consultant, I am tend to emphasize that quality is experienced day in and day out in the everyday, repeated contact between children and adults, in families' feelings of belonging when they are in a setting, and in the care and thoughtfulness of the curriculum that promotes learning and play. This article addresses the areas of quality, how crucial they are, and how early years practitioners can move beyond compliance to introduce real excellence to practice.

1. Health and Safety: The Basis of Trust

No child can learn, discover, or flourish unless he is safe. Health and safety are the basis of quality —without them, nothing else in education can take root. This includes clean environments, clear child protection procedures, and secure buildings.

But quality settings go beyond a safety inspection minimum and first aid. They offer climates in which children are emotionally safe, knowing they will have needs met regularly and with care. For example, when a teacher drops down to reassure a child who is scared during drop-off, that reassurance is constructing safety culture just as much as the locked gate outside.

2. Learning and Curriculum Experiences: Play- Based Learning

One of the most fundamental questions that need to be asked by educators is: What type of learners are we preparing for the future? The response lies in the nature of the curriculum.

In early childhood education, an excellent curriculum is not one that in some way simulates school readiness through rigid lessons or worksheets. Instead, it honors play, curiosity, investigation, and imagination as the routes to learning. Children have a natural desire to learn, and the curriculum needs to foster that inner energy.

For instance, building a tower using blocks by a child is not just involved in fine motor skills but also in mathematical problem-solving and thinking, and persistence. A well-designed curriculum recognizes such moments as learning opportunities and extends them intentionally rather than breaking them up with contrived exercises.

High-quality settings also ensure that the curriculum is inclusive, culturally responsive, and flexible enough to react to the stage of development of each child. This balance of structure and freedom is what will help children thrive.

3. Educator Expertise and Qualifications: Skilled Practitioners, Reflective Learners

No matter how well the curriculum is planned or how current the setting, the standard of a setting also depends heavily on staff qualifications. Decades of research have confirmed that highly qualified staff lead to better outcomes for children.

Highly qualified staff:

• Know child development very well.

• Observe children well and use observation to inform planning.

• Know when an individual child needs more support or challenge.

• Have the capacity to reflect on their own practice in order to continue to develop.

Qualifications are only the half of it. Quality settings invest in continuous professional learning, so staff remain learners in their own right. Workshops, coaching, reflective practice groups, and peer observations keep teachers upskilled and inspired and informed about best practice. Staff culture for lifelong learning therefore becomes a quality mark in this manner.

4. Environment and Resources: Spaces That Speak to Children

Children learn from their environment. The physical space and materials of an environment convey to children what is valued. Is autonomy encouraged? Can children explore freely? Do they see themselves reflected in the materials around them?

A quality environment is not measured by how expensive the toys are, but by how rich and accessible they are. Open-ended materials such as wooden blocks, fabric, natural materials, and loose parts allow for imagination and problem solving. Thoughtfully designed spaces have space for movement, collaboration, and peaceful reflection.

For example, a cozy reading nook with soft lighting and cushions will encourage a passion for literacy, and a mud kitchen outside will open boundless creativity and social play. When the environment is thoughtfully designed, it is a quiet instructor, learning alongside children through discovery and exploration.

5. Relationships and Interactions: The Heart of Quality

At its most basic, quality in early years is relationship. Warm, responsive, and respectful relationships between adults and young children are the foundation of everything else.

Consider the contrast between an adult hurrying to zip a child's coat versus one where the adult shows the child how to do it herself, being patient and supportive, and offering praise for effort. The second interaction promotes independence, resilience, and confidence.

Research shows that child-adult interaction is the strongest predictor of successful child outcomes. Homes and settings that place a high value on caring relationships foster settings in which children feel heard, respected, and motivated to learn.

6. Family and Community Engagement: Extending Quality Beyond the Classroom

Young children do not learn in isolation; they have families and communities. Good settings recognize this and actively engage families as collaborators in their child's learning.

This can be achieved in many different ways:

• Regular contact with parents about their child's progress.

• Involving families in events, workshops, or projects in class.

• Respecting cultural heritages and incorporating them into the curriculum.

When parents are welcome and included, children feel school-home continuity and learn more profoundly. Beyond parents, building community partnerships—maybe libraries, museums, or local services—enrich children and their networks.

7. Measuring Quality: Beyond Compliance and Inspections

Regulations and inspections are required to achieve baseline quality, but they are not the same as a snapshot in time of quality. True quality is lived daily, not shown to an inspector.

High-quality settings use self-assessment strategies, reflective practice, and facilitated feedback to continually assess and develop. These activities allow teachers to see what works, where there are gaps, and how practice can alter. Most importantly, these measures capture the lived experience of children and families—not just the paperwork.

8. Inclusion: Quality for Every Child

Perhaps above all else, the most defining trait of quality is inclusion. A genuinely high-quality setting will ensure all children—regardless of ability, background, or need—are made to feel valued, respected, and included.

This means providing additional support for children of determination, adapting surroundings for children who experience speech or developmental delays, and making transitions easier for children. But it also means developing a culture where difference is not just tolerated but welcomed.

Inclusion should never be an add-on or an independent "initiative." It is the very essence of what ensures a setting is of high quality. A valued, seen child is a child who can thrive.

Conclusion: A Living Commitment

Quality in early years settings is not static. It cannot be achieved once and for all; it is a living, breathing pledge that requires thought, responsiveness, and enthusiasm.

And lastly, quality is not decided by reports or policies, but by the everyday experience of children:

• Are they loved and safe?

• Are they engaged and curious?

• Are they proud of what they can do?

• Do their families feel included and respected?

When the answer is yes, we can be sure we are touching real quality. For early years professionals, the challenge—and honour—is to prepare environments in which every child's talent is encouraged and every family feels respected. That is excellence.

May Zalat

Inclusion Director - Kids First Group

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7 months ago

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Impact: The Hydra of Education

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 08:57:44 +0000

Impact: the Hydra of education

I have been working with a lot of my client schools of late on the impact paradigm in education - and how, in our rush always to see the impact of what we do through a narrow and sometimes exclusionary metric, over a short and finite timeframe, we are blinkered, and problematically so.

It seems to me that there is so much impact - positive and negative - which does not show itself when we want it to, where we want it to, how we want it to - and yet, even though we know in our gut this to be true, we continue to chase it within those narrow confines, and, worse, castigate ourselves and our students, or, even worse, allow our students to castigate themselves and their parents to compound this, when the confines prove too narrow.

But when I found myself blaming Hattie for his role in propagating and perpetuating the myth of confined impact, I thought I would listen, intentionally, to what he is actually saying. Rather than, as so many have done with Dweck and Maslow and the like, simply allowing what people are always saying about what he is saying somehow to morph into his voice, when it is not.

And so I listened, recently, to an episode of the Talking Teaching podcast from the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, on which, in July 2025, reflecting on his extraordinary career, he helps me bust a few Hattie Myths. And here are some snippets that stuck with me.

“We should be looking for evidence that we are wrong”: he speaks about this wise counsel from Carl Papa, which actually spearheaded much of his own work. He explains, “Why is it every teacher can tell you what they do works? Why is it every government tells you their policies work? Why is it every article says it works? Why do we have a profession that says everything works?” And he seeks to reframe this from “What works?” to “What works best?”, using that as a conduit to focusing on the conditions. And I breathed a sigh of relief.

“It soon became obvious that people were misinterpreting what I was trying to say.” In other words, educators were leaping to the league tables of impact measures, and using them reductively. He says, “I’ve spent the last 15 years trying to get the message out there that it is about the underlying things, not just the methods themselves”.

Or, in other words, the impact measures were just probability. The truth lay within the conditions; the context. He cites a colleague, Alison Jones from the University of Auckland, who said to him once “I’m stunned that you know classrooms to the second decimal point.” And this pushed him even further towards trying to understand the real game changer, “the social psychology of classrooms”, seen, as he says, “through the eyes of the learner”.

He says the real questions are these:

“To what degree are schools inviting places for students to come to?”

“Do students feel like they belong in this place called learning?”

Yes! Hattie, like me, is a big believer in belonging as a foundational priority for schools; and not as an alternative to academic achievement, but as a contributor to it. And then he says something which encapsulates so much of what I say when Secondary schools argue they have to focus on narrow, academic metrics, because that’s what matters to universities: “We are not a selection mechanism towards tertiary. Those days I would have hoped would have gone, but they haven’t.”

And this got me thinking about totally different impact paradigms:

Persistence and Fadeout Dynamics

This paper explains the significance of persistence and fadeout in the impacts of child and adolescent interventions. In other words, impact can disappear, but it can also persist - and this is true of impact that is demonstrably positive as well as that which is inarguably negative.

Unexpected Long Vortices

How might affinities, practices, or knowledges nurtured today create deep, disruptive currents 30 or 50 years later? Whilst most recent in our minds is the example of the COVID pandemic, this paper details the long-term eﬀects of unexpected interruptions in compulsory schooling, through the example of storm-ridden regions in India. So, in fact, and existentially so, we needs must design for generative resilience, not just immediate performance.

Epistemic Ripples

What emerges when you treat impact not just as what we intend but as how knowing shifts over generations and geographies—like soil bearing unseen seeds? This is what I found myself reflecting upon when I read about the extraordinary example of the amazing “Cottage by the Sea” project. A counter narrative to the long-term impact of trauma - something of which my own body has definitely kept the score - this argues that impact is about cultural transmission as much as individual knowing.

Effects and side effects

And finally, Yong Zhao's paper, “Effects and Side Effects: What Is Missing in Education Research”, calls for a fuller accounting of educational consequences. Much like my own work on ‘The Wellbeing Footprint’ does too, about which I am honoured to have written another article, for ISC Research.

Thinking recently of the importance of ‘upstream thinking’ when we design for wellbeing and belonging (and for everything else, really) set me thinking about downstream thinking too, which got me to thinking about both, simultaneously: ‘thinking midstream’, if you like. (If you’d like to play ‘upstream’, there are much worse places to start than with Tricia Friedman.)

So, please, let’s start to think differently about impact in education: it is our Hydra, a creature of many heads. Sure, sometimes it appears quickly, nearby and in ways we would have hoped, or it appears equally swiftly and proximally, even in ways we never intended. But oftentimes it doesn’t. And the important thing to remember is that, if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean we haven’t made students’ life and learning better, but nor does it mean we have actually managed to follow the silent code we all took as educators: namely, to ‘Do No Harm’.

Matthew Savage

Director - The Mona Lisa Effect

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7 months ago

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Smart Classroom Management: Modern Strategies for Teaching Arabic

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:56:36 +0000

In our fast-paced world, a teacher's role today goes beyond simply transferring information. It requires building a stimulating learning environment that fosters interaction and cultivates a passion for learning in students. With the unique challenges facing Arabic language teachers, implementing smart classroom management strategies becomes vital to ensuring a successful educational process. So, how can we transform our classrooms into vibrant spaces that blend discipline with flexibility, inspiring our students to discover the beauty of their language?

1. A Supportive Classroom Environment: The Indispensable Foundation

Effective classroom management begins before the first lesson. It starts with creating a positive and supportive classroom environment. This requires the teacher to be a role model and to build strong relationships with their students based on mutual respect. When students feel safe and accepted, they are more willing to participate and take risks in their learning. In the context of teaching Arabic, this means creating a space where a student isn't afraid of making linguistic mistakes, but rather sees them as an opportunity for improvement.

• Set Clear Expectations: Start the school year by setting clear and specific classroom rules in collaboration with your students. When students contribute to setting these rules, they are more likely to adhere to them.

• Encourage Interaction: Use positive and encouraging language. Celebrate small successes and applaud all attempts, even if they aren't perfect.

2. Smart Integration of Technology: Interaction Breeds Learning

Technology is a powerful tool in the teacher's hand, especially in language instruction. Instead of using it merely as a display board, a teacher can integrate it interactively to enrich lessons.

• Interactive Apps and Websites: Use apps like Kahoot! or Quizlet to reinforce vocabulary and grammar in a fun way.

• Create Digital Content: Encourage students to create short videos in Arabic, blogs, or even podcasts to practice their language skills in real-life contexts.

• Virtual Classrooms: Use educational platforms to manage homework and communicate with students and parents, saving significant time and effort.

3. Innovative Teaching Strategies: Breaking the Routine

To capture students' attention in an Arabic class, teachers must break the routine and adopt unconventional teaching strategies.

• Project-Based Learning (PBL): Ask students to work on group projects that require them to use Arabic in research, planning, and presentation. For example, they can work on producing a collection of short stories that includes their creative works, and publish them for the school community and library.

• Games and Interactive Activities: Use language games and puzzles to teach grammar and vocabulary. This approach not only makes learning enjoyable but also fosters critical thinking and teamwork.

• Stories and Narratives: Use authentic Arabic stories and tales to teach values and ethics while simultaneously enriching students' vocabulary.

4. Behavior Management: Guidance over Punishment

Managing student behavior is an integral part of classroom management. Instead of focusing on punishment, the emphasis should be on positive guidance and prevention.

• Early Intervention: Be vigilant about potential behavioral issues and intervene early. Communicating with a student one-on-one solves many problems before they escalate.

• Separate Behavior from Person: Direct your criticism at the undesirable behavior, not at the student's personality. For example, say: "I'd like to see you raise your hand before speaking," instead of: "You are always interrupting."

• Reward System: Use a simple and effective reward system to encourage positive behavior and adherence to classroom rules.

Conclusion

Smart classroom management is not a set of rigid rules, but a flexible approach that adapts to students' needs. When we adopt these strategies, we don't just teach the Arabic language; we nurture a generation of learners capable of critical thinking, collaboration, and innovation. It is a call to transform our classrooms into centers of creativity and growth, where the Arabic language becomes a source of pride and inspiration.

Emad Ahmed

Arabic Subject Leader - Dar Almarefa Private School

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7 months ago

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