Teacher Stories: Khaled, Lebanon

This story was collected as part of Teachers in Crisis Contexts (TiCC) Event Series to ensure that the voices and experiences of teachers working in crisis and displacement permeate all aspects of the event. For more stories, click here.

One Day, I’ll be the Best Teacher in the World

Name: Khaled Batouni

Role: English Teacher

Location: Lebanon

Video Transcript (English):

Khaled Batouni from Syria now teaching English in Lebanon. 

First of all, I want to speak about what did I learn from that training with the Edukans and SIDA. 

I teach my students in a traditional way of teaching. I am speaking all the time and my students are listening to what I am saying. But when I get the experience from Edukans and SIDA and learn something new about the worksheets, work in groups. I know how to make my class more active. 

[Khaled] Now, make something with Ahmad. Look at your phone. 

[Khaled and Student]

'Hello, Ahmed.'

'Hello.'

'How are you?"

'Mm, I will not come tomorrow.'

'So please tell the students that Mr. Khad will not come tomorrow. Thank you, Ahmad. Goodbye.'

[Student] Okay. The teacher told me that he won't the following day. 

[Khaled writing on the board] Excellent. What did Akmad say? The teacher... told me...

Maybe, as a human, we have to dream. And really, after I got the certificate from the Edukans, and I will get the certified teacher from the American University of Beirut - maybe my imagine [imagination] has ballooned [expanded]. Maybe one day, I become one of the best teachers in the world - not just in Lebanon or Syria or Pakistan but in the world. This is my dream.

The views expressed in this blog are the author's own.