Heba applied to the Teach. Engage. Aspire. (TEA) programme after hearing about it at Al-Azhar. She soon found herself welcomed into a supportive learning environment alongside educators and peers eager to collaborate and grow with one another.
‘The positive and motivating atmosphere created by my educator and fellow participants made the learning journey truly enriching,’ Heba shares.
TEA is a partnership with Al-Azhar and Egypt’s Ministry of Education. It’s aimed at building the teaching and language skills of people like Heba. It does this by providing access to high-quality, evidence-based learning resources, as well as comprehensive curriculum developed specifically for English teachers in Egypt.
‘The course content was well-structured and covered a wide range of essential techniques,’ Heba says, highlighting the interactive presentations, group discussions and hands-on activities that kept her engaged and eager to learn.
One part of the TEA programme that Heba found particularly useful was the focus on pronunciation, something that is often overlooked in traditional classroom settings. She hopes this will help her motivate her students to improve their English speaking skills.
Heba was also impressed by the variety of teaching methods she was introduced to as part of TEA. These include board races, class drawings and word searches. She now feels more confident about planning lessons and designing effective classroom activities that pique her students’ interest.
Heba is eager to put her new knowledge and skills into practice as an English teacher. ‘I aim to create engaging and interactive lessons that cater to the diverse needs of my students,’ she says.
Keen to stay up to date with the latest trends in English language education, Heba plans to continue her professional development by attending more British Council training and conferences.
Determined to support her students’ language learning journeys, and committed to her own growth as a teacher, Heba is transforming English education one lesson at a time.