Prompt:
Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.
I had always believed that my best quality as a teacher was my compassion. My spirit ignited when I made a connection with my students and helped them grow. However, since the pandemic hit and changed our lives in almost every aspect, I had to rely on my other powers: my adaptability and perseverance.
COVID-19 has forced us to reprogram everything we knew about our lives. In my field of work in education, we were suddenly stipulated to teach our classes online. At the beginning, many of us were not ready. Teachers had to learn to familiarize themselves with new learning platforms and methods. I had to find a way where learning could still take place despite the fact that my students no longer occupied the same space with me. The challenges we are currently facing also reflect the important things we have been ignoring all along: learning is a privilege. Online learning is an even higher form of luxury because the resources are not always available to everyone.
Most of the teaching materials at my school had not been designed for distance or blended learning. I took the initiative to convert them into a version that would facilitate and optimize my online classes. I produced dozens of new resources-they came in two formats: slideshows for my presentation and documents for my students' independent study. I tested various media and techniques to see which could assist me and my students in achieving our learning goals. We found methods and platforms that worked for us. Our reliable platforms include Zoom for our face-to-face meeting and Google apps for lesson sharing. My students and I grew and adapted to this new life together, and I can proudly say that we did it successfully. I shared my work to my coworkers and academic supervisors, and I received very positive feedback. In fact, I have been offered a promotion.
However, a comment from one student left a profound impact on me. She thanked me and compared me to her own lecturer, who asked her to study a material without providing any forms of support-leaving her to her own devices. I was in no position to question the lecturer's teaching method because I understood the context in which this situation happened. We have been going through a collective trauma. Things are changing and there is a possibility that we can never go back to what we used to have. I have spent many days worrying that my students did not learn anything from me, or that they did not have a safe space to learn at home, or that they did not have internet access.
I am still trying to unlearn these fears and acknowledge the fact that I have managed to weather the disheartening circumstance. I adapted and persevered, and I know I will have to continue doing so to support my students. The only way is always forward.
Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries
.Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.
I had always believed that my best quality as a teacher was my compassion. My spirit ignited when I made a connection with my students and helped them grow. However, since the pandemic hit and changed our lives in almost every aspect, I had to rely on my other powers: my adaptability and perseverance.
COVID-19 has forced us to reprogram everything we knew about our lives. In my field of work in education, we were suddenly stipulated to teach our classes online. At the beginning, many of us were not ready. Teachers had to learn to familiarize themselves with new learning platforms and methods. I had to find a way where learning could still take place despite the fact that my students no longer occupied the same space with me. The challenges we are currently facing also reflect the important things we have been ignoring all along: learning is a privilege. Online learning is an even higher form of luxury because the resources are not always available to everyone.
Most of the teaching materials at my school had not been designed for distance or blended learning. I took the initiative to convert them into a version that would facilitate and optimize my online classes. I produced dozens of new resources-they came in two formats: slideshows for my presentation and documents for my students' independent study. I tested various media and techniques to see which could assist me and my students in achieving our learning goals. We found methods and platforms that worked for us. Our reliable platforms include Zoom for our face-to-face meeting and Google apps for lesson sharing. My students and I grew and adapted to this new life together, and I can proudly say that we did it successfully. I shared my work to my coworkers and academic supervisors, and I received very positive feedback. In fact, I have been offered a promotion.
However, a comment from one student left a profound impact on me. She thanked me and compared me to her own lecturer, who asked her to study a material without providing any forms of support-leaving her to her own devices. I was in no position to question the lecturer's teaching method because I understood the context in which this situation happened. We have been going through a collective trauma. Things are changing and there is a possibility that we can never go back to what we used to have. I have spent many days worrying that my students did not learn anything from me, or that they did not have a safe space to learn at home, or that they did not have internet access.
I am still trying to unlearn these fears and acknowledge the fact that I have managed to weather the disheartening circumstance. I adapted and persevered, and I know I will have to continue doing so to support my students. The only way is always forward.
