Students now have reason to go to Facebook

The campaign is inspired by the wildly popular "Humans of New York" series, which since 2010 has amassed over 15.5 million Facebook followers by sharing intimate moments from the lives of everyday New Yorkers.
In KHDA's version - which was launched to coincide with World Teachers' Day on October 5 - a different Dubai teacher is profiled daily. In each post, the unnamed teacher describes what he or she most likes about teaching or why they became a teacher, or a particularly touching or memorable moment they've had with a student.
"Every teacher has the power to change the world. We entrust teachers with the future of our children, and our city, and we are humbled by the love they show towards their work and their students," said KHDA Director General Dr Abdulla Al Karam. "Teachers of Dubai is one way we as a community can show our appreciation to the teachers who enrich our children's lives and give them the skills to be happier."
In the first post of the series, a smiling young woman looks towards the camera, and in the text describes how she uses music as an instrument with which to connect with her pupils.
"I believe you need to get into a child's heart before you can get into their heads. I bring my oud into class and I play and sing old songs by Fairuz to the children. I like to make it fun for the kids as it gets them motivated and excited," she says. "They all like the music and sing along, and it helps me teach them Arabic pronunciation."
"Once I get into their hearts they grow to love me and try their best at school," she adds.
The teachers profiled - 12 as of Sunday - come from a wide variety of backgrounds and teach students from all of Dubai's Emirati and expatriate communities.
In another post, a female teacher describes the inspiration she draws from her student's ability to learn.
"I teach Arabic to non-Arab students. For a summer project, I asked my students to think about their future career choices and come back to tell the class," she says. "One student came dressed as a doctor, complete with a doctor's kit, and explained in fluent Arabic why she wanted to help people. I had to remind myself that Arabic was not her first language, not even her second language! My students really inspire me."
Still other posts describe the path teachers took to where they are today, or what inspired them to take up teaching as a profession.
"I didn't intend to become a teacher, but my father wanted me to go out into the world and do something useful," reads a post from Saturday, October 10. "I've been a teacher for over 20 years now, in the same school the whole time. Our principal is so understanding and supporting that I've never felt the need to look for a job elsewhere."
A theme common among all the posts, however, is the caring that teachers display for their young students. The fourth teacher in the series, for example, described how he watched a stressed-out student be transformed through sport during a difficult period in his personal life.
"It gave him a focus and he started working really hard in school. He aced his GCSEs with top marks and he went on to get one of the best results in ours school. He is now studying journalism at a university in the UK," he says.
"Students like him make it all worth it."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai