Teacher Raghda Abu Yaqoub – Non-Governmental Track
That Arabic language lesson was not an ordinary one; it was a vibrant, engaging experience filled with enthusiasm and deep thinking.
That day, our lesson for third-grade students was titled “From Our Values – Helping the Elderly.” After greeting my students, I began the class in an unusual way. I showed a short skit on the screen portraying a boy who refused to give his seat to an elderly woman on the bus—the opposite of what the lesson promotes.
I looked at them and asked:
"Imagine this happened while you were on the bus… what would you do?"
Comments quickly filled the room:
“This is not good behavior.”
“He should help her.”
I could see thinking beginning to take shape.
Then I posed another question:
"Imagine you are walking down the street, and an elderly man wants to go to the hospital because he feels tired, but he doesn’t know how to get there… What can we do to help him?"
I paused for a moment… and curiosity sparkled in their eyes.
At that moment, I drew upon the life skills and STEM strategies I had learned during my training in the Teacher Capacity-Building Program with Teach for Palestine. I did not want to lecture them about values; I wanted them to design the solutions themselves.
I told them:
"Today, we will work in groups to think and design solutions."
I divided the students into six groups and hung a sign in the classroom that read: Time – Quiet – Performance. I had learned this organizational tool during life skills training to enhance self-discipline and responsibility. I explained its meaning and assigned group names.
The Workshop Begins
The classroom transformed into a real workshop.
Discussion, drawing, planning, ideas flowing… I could see learning happening before my eyes.
I applied the structured cooperative learning strategy from my training by clearly assigning roles within each group, ensuring that every student felt responsible and involved. I also implemented problem-based learning from the STEM approach by presenting them with a real-life situation that required thinking and designing—not memorizing a ready-made answer.
While designing the road, bus, and traffic light, students used engineering thinking in planning and drawing, scientific thinking when discussing alternatives, and problem-solving skills when searching for solutions in case a seat was unavailable.
In a special moment, I invited a student dressed as a police officer. His role was to be the “road leader,” explaining traffic rules and organizing cars and streets. The students enthusiastically engaged with him, as if the scene had become real life.
After completing their work, each group presented its project. We voted for the winning group and distributed prizes. But the real reward was the pride and confidence they felt.
Reflection Moment
At the end of the lesson, I asked:
"What did we learn today?"
They replied:
The students left the lesson feeling that they had not just learned a story, but learned how to be people who help others in their daily lives.
As for me, I left with even stronger conviction that my training with Teach for Palestine was not merely a program—it was a transformative experience that reshaped my teaching practice. The classroom became a space for critical thinking, teamwork, design, and empathy.
Thus, the lesson “From Our Values” turned into a living learning experience that combined values, life skills, and STEM methodology—proving that true education is the kind that connects knowledge with life.