“Everything ends; you just have to figure out a way to push to the finish line”.
Jesse Itzler
You have made it to the third term of the 2020-2021 academic year! The fact that you have made it to the final term of this academic year is cause for great celebrations. As an educator, you have taken all the shots fired at you, and you have gone above and beyond to ensure that your students continued learning. Take some time to stop and think about the fact that you remained resilient through great challenges, and feel proud of yourself.
As you plan for your summer break, make sure to plan some time for yourself. We here at Teach Middle East Magazine will also be taking a break from publishing over the summer holidays. We will be back at the start of the new academic year with the publication of the big back to school issue (Sep-Dec 2021) and the launch of volume 9 of the magazine.
We want to leave this academic year on a high, so we have packed all that we can into this issue. We have pulled out all the stops to bring you great content from some of the best educators in the region and beyond. Keep turning the pages to find out what educators across the region have been doing to maintain their wellbeing through this difficult period. Learn more about how our featured school, Shining Star Private School in Dubai, has used the global pandemic and distance learning as catalysts to transform their digital strategy.
If like many, you are moving from being a classroom teacher to your first leadership role in the new academic year, we have you covered. Nadine Powrie, a leadership coach par excellence, has penned an article to guide you on your newly embarked leadership journey. If you are a seasoned leader who is looking for some inspiration, we have not forgotten you. Lori Brown shares her insider secrets on how to manage stress as a school leader. Don’t forget to also check out our ‘after the bell articles’; these articles are specially designed to help you to live your best life outside of work.
Over this academic year, we, like many others, had to pivot our events to online. We successfully hosted the Middle East Teaching and Learning Conference #METLC in August 2020 and the STEM MENA Conference in March 2021. Although we miss live events, we have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the thousands of educators who attended our virtual events. It is our hope that we can return to live events in the upcoming academic year. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels to learn more about the events that we have planned for the upcoming school year.
To kick start the new academic year, join us online on August 24-26, 2021, for the second Middle East Teaching and Learning Conference. This is a free to attend event for educators. Please visit www.meteachingandlearning.com for more details.
I really hope that you enjoy reading this issue. I would also like to invite you to tune in to the Teach Middle East Podcast. The Teach Middle East Podcast is available on www.teachmiddleeast.com and on all major podcast platforms. As I always say, the best conversations happen on our social media platforms with like-minded educators, so join us on Twitter @teachmiddleeast and on all other social media networks @Teach Middle East Magazine.
Enjoy the rest of the term, and have a fabulous summer holiday!
Leisa Grace Wilson
Editorial Director
Teach Middle East Magazine
