“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.”

– Alexandra K. Trenfor

My name is Yasmin Salla, and I’m a science teacher at Al- Rawafid School. It’s been a year since I’ve been introduced to FIRST-ADLX Framework, and since then, my image of how a teacher should be has changed.

I was never a traditional teacher that only relies on books to enrich the students’ minds with knowledge. I always aimed to use tons of materials to make my lessons enjoyable, but I noticed that yes, my students enjoyed the period and caught the terms quickly, but after some time, the information was lost. FIRST- ADLX framework helped me recognize what my lessons were lacking, it helped me improve as an educator, and this is how my journey with FIRST- ADLX began.

I began my period with grade 4 with an emotional check-in, my students were shocked at first, but I asked them to go along with my pre-opener. So, each student wrote how they felt on sticky notes and placed them on the board. I went over each one asking the students to elaborate on why they are feeling sad, sleepy… I noticed a change in their features, and some laughed, others were more awake. I took that as a sign to start my lesson, knowing that my students took “a breath of fresh air.” 

We began with a game “Hangman,” students were very excited and happy to guess the 5-letter word plant. Then, I asked them to brainstorm in groups what information they know about this term. I wanted to trust my learners and pull from them more than just pushing information into their heads. I was surprised by the outcome. As simple as the word was, my students provided me with incredible details that helped carve a pleasant path for us to start the lesson.

Trusting the learner showed me that every learner comes to us with prior knowledge, skills, and understandings. A teacher might think a concept is hard, and no one in the class will know it, but when we present them with problems or new information, their prior knowledge and experiences influence their thinking, leading to astonishing outcomes.

Throughout the lesson, when a student answers correctly, another one will remind us to do the circular clap for them. I could also hear a “good job” or “high-five” from some. “Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.” It was delightful to see the friendly, safe environment between the classmates.

At the end of the lesson, I divided the class into groups based on the straw color they picked out. Each group had to draw the concept of “Photosynthesis.” As I passed by each group, I listened to them and discuss their strategies. I came upon the first group that was complaining that one is doing all the work and isn’t letting the other engage in the activity. I sat down and asked, “who has nice handwriting? Who likes to color? Who knows how to draw?” Each student said what he/she was good at. I recommended dividing the tasks among the members based on their strength points. They all smiled, and I cheered them on. Upon finishing their drawings, the class made a gallery walk, where each group did a little presentation about their picture.

Before the bell rang, we did a word storm. All the students engaged in this final activity. It’s like they were confident in the information they knew and wanted to compete with each other to see who can use the most terms taken. I can see them whispering to one another a term not mentioned yet, or looking at the board to see if they missed anything. 

The period was a total success, I felt satisfied with the outcome, and I was positive that my students left the class well aware of the topic discussed in class that day. 

“Tell me, and I’ll forget; show me, and I may remember; involve me, and I’ll understand.” Chinese proverb

FIRST-ADLX brought life to education. It taught me so much and made me believe that learning is not only about finishing the book and sticking to the curriculum. It’s about building the child’s self-esteem, creating a safe environment for him/her to make mistakes, and not worry about the consequence of being laughed at. Every student is unique in their own way, our job as educators is to embrace their uniqueness, shed light on their positive qualities, and help them improve to achieve greatness in life. FIRST-ADLX showed me that the learner’s entire experience matters. It made my classes more engaging, interactive, and my students were relaxed and excited to learn. Every period my students will wait by the door and ask how I’m going to start my lesson today. If I’d forget to end with a word storm or a step forward reviewing activity, they would remind me of it and ask to do it. FIRST-ADLX became a part of my daily preparation, and my students anticipated my periods because they knew I would always have a song to sing or an educational game to play. I genuinely believe that with FIRST-ADLX, we can build a better and productive society.  

“It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts… it is to teach them to think, if that is possible, and always to think for themselves.”

– Robert Hutchins