GCC best teacher wants to boost Arabic learning

The Emirati teacher, who won the Dh1 million prize for the best teacher in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, said she will use the prize money to develop educational programmes to further improve students' learning skills.
Laila Obaid Salem Mutawa Al Yamahi, an Arabic teacher in Fujairah, won the Mohamed Bin Zayed Award for best teacher in the GCC. The teacher from Murbeh Secondary School received the award from Lt-Gen Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, at Qudwa 2019 - a forum for teachers by teachers - that ended in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
"This is a great honour. I am so excited about winning the award," Al Yamahi told Khaleej Times on Monday.
"Today, I have the best shield and the most prestigious honour. I am filled with pride. Thank you Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed."
She added: "I love teaching and I will use the Dh1 million prize on various educational programmes. For instance, I would like to expand the project of discovering students' talents and developing them through various capacities.
"I want to further promote Arabic language and the habit of reading among youngsters in the UAE."
She also intends to complete her postgraduate studies and enrol for the masters degree programme.
Al Yamahi, 54, said she has dedicated her entire life to teaching and that she treats all students as her own children.
"I have been a teacher of Arabic language for more than 22 years and nothing is more important to me than seeing that my students have understood my subject and are performing well," she said, adding that Allah didn't give her a child and that her students are her own children.
"I care so much about my students and I always do my best to ensure that everyone understands what I teach."
She said her hard work of developing educational plans and conducting research projects that have helped promote reading and learning enabled her win the award.
Al Yamahi had developed and implemented 20 integrated plans, and completed more than 45 detailed plans over the past five years as part of the UAE initiatives like Year of Zayed, Year of Innovation, Year of Giving and Year of Tolerance. Each plan entailed preparing a resource room for talents and a book club.
She also developed a comprehensive strategy to nurture talent in terms of preparing and executing programmes and events at her school. A student she supervised went on to become the Arab Reading Champion in the UAE and third overall. The teacher has seven educational, procedural and specialised researches to her name. "My message to all teachers is that they should love their job, do it with dedication and be proud of teaching because they pass on knowledge that makes generations successful and able to serve their nations and take responsibility of their families," said Al Yamahi.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com