Jordanian teacher at Karak school among 50 finalists of $1 million international award

AMMAN — A Jordanian teacher at a school in an underprivileged area in Karak Governorate is among 50 finalists from all over the world for the Global Teacher Prize 2016.

Nesrin Bakaeen, who has been a teacher of mathematics over the past 16 years, was able to build partnerships with the local community to provide better learning experiences for students and the community, despite the “very limited” resources.

The holder of a master’s degree in administration and educational supervision was nominated to the prize by her local community due to her social and educational activism. 

Granted by the Varkey Foundation, the international prize is an annual $1 million given to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, according to the award’s website.

The winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in March 2016 in Dubai, the foundation said.

Bakaeen said she has launched a number of ongoing initiatives aimed at improving students’ academic proficiency and bringing up socially intelligent individuals that are equipped with the needed skills to compete globally.

She started a twinning initiative between the Karak Secondary School for Girls and other schools in underprivileged areas of the governorate, located 140km south of Amman, in order to develop a sense of empathy and compassion among students.

“Students would spend a full day with their peers at poor schools, distribute donated stationary and supplies to them and invite them to visit,” she told The Jordan Times in a phone interview on Sunday.

Another initiative seeks to deepen respect and understanding for “the other” by having two students with different religions, nationalities or physical conditions put on a single oversized shirt, where each speaks about herself at the morning assembly. 

“The symbolism is that although the two may be different, they are in a single body and live in one country,” the educator said.

Stressing her belief in women’s role in developing their local community, Bakaeen said she and her students carried out a project to plant medicinal herbs, such as chamomile, thyme and sage in the backyards of houses in the Karak Valley.

“Housewives would look after the plants and students would sell the products in the school’s bazaar,” she said, adding that the project aims to generate income for the women “even if a modest one” and at the same time teach students project management skills.

Reflecting on her experience as a teacher, Bakaeen said the numerous activities she implemented in her school and in cooperation with other schools in the area give her an “indescribable sense of joy”, as she pays back  her community.

“Nothing feels better than the look of happiness on parents’ faces when they visit me to say thank you,” said Bakaeen, who gives free classes twice-a-week for underprivileged General Secondary Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) students in her area.

One of the most memorable experiences in her career was when a “good” 10th grader dropped out of school.

“I paid a visit to the student’s house and learned that she had to stay home to look after her newborn twin brothers, while her mother was at work to be able to put food on the table for her children,” Bakaeen recalled.

The teacher added that she was able, in cooperation with members of the local community, to secure somebody to look after the infants so the girl could go back to school.

Through her participation in the competition, Bakaeen said she sends a message of ambition and persistence to her students, who consider her “a role model”.

“Since I have been able to prove my capabilities and stand out among the 8,000 initial candidates from all countries, why can’t they succeed in spite of the limited resources?” she asked, adding that her students have witnessed her journey since its beginning.

Bakaeen, who received the Teacher Award for 2009 presented by the Association of Queen Rania Al Abdullah Award for Excellence in Education, dreams of establishing a centre for students in Karak that builds their capacities and hones their skills.