Educating Through Adversity: A Call for Compassion and Collaboration

At One World education is our passion.?As teachers, principals, and organizational leaders, we love this work because we have seen the difference it can make in the lives of children – and the educators in their lives. At our core, we share a set of values that inspire our thinking, guide our actions, and drive our mission. In this series, we share our reflections on how our core values guide our work with our partners.

“If you hear some fireworks in the background, don’t worry, it’s just the missiles,” Samira jokes, logging into our Zoom call from the bomb shelter that doubles as her home office. “I told my daughter last night, “Listen! We have fireworks, we might as well find something to celebrate!”

Her humor is more than a coping mechanism as she navigates life as an Arab Muslim Israeli.? It is grounded in her belief that it is the responsibility of adults to model for children how to respond in challenging times.

“I model calm for my children because I want them to feel calm. I have friends whose kids are waking up with nightmares in the middle of the night, wetting the bed from the consistent fear of this war. And I can’t help noticing that it mirrors how their parents are reacting. I don’t blame them but I don’t want that for my kids. I don’t lie to them—when my daughter sees worry on my face, she’ll call it out and I tell her, “yes, I’m scared. And that’s an okay emotion to have but I know we are together as safe as we can be.”

“I want my kids to know that in life there are things that we can’t control. We don’t have control over this war or politics. The only thing we control is who we are and our own values.

My value is staying committed to kids and helping all children to get a better education.”

For the last five years, Samira has led One World’s in-country work in Israel focusing on developing leaders and teachers in underperforming schools. To bring about enduring change, Samira and her team worked to establish a culture of coaching and feedback between teachers and administrators.? Beyond tactical instructional practices, this required building a strong foundation of trust so that teachers and leaders would embrace the discomfort that often comes with pushing yourself to new levels of excellence.?

It is here that Samira once again employed her humor to lessen any tensions–even ones that were tied to her identity. “When I first started this work, I’d smile and make a joke using a phrase in Hebrew, and people would say, “wait, you know about that?” and we’d laugh.? I’d say, “of course, just because you’re Jewish and I’m Muslim doesn’t mean I can’t know you.” And then I’d listen. I find that when you start a conversation and speak from the heart and you lead with curiosity and open-mindedness, we realize that we are human beings with the same goals and fears.

"Through my work, I get to see women like Alia who teaches Hebrew in an elementary school and is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met—she could literally be working in any other field with the level of education that she has and yet she chooses every day to come in and be the best teacher she can be. Her care for the children extends beyond the classroom–when school is not in session because of a threat, she calls each of her students to help quell their fears.?

"And she also gets to see me and that my commitment is unwavering. It may seem like instructional coaching is a low priority when living through a war, but helping the instructional coaches and their teachers is how I can contribute to a sense of normalcy for kids. Throughout this uncertain time, we have created space for processing and healing and the number one ask from teachers and leaders is that we continue the work. When we can’t meet in person, we meet virtually and continue with the deliberate practice and honing of skills that will yield stronger student outcomes.?

“Many people have asked me if I feel safe entering these spaces where I am so clearly other. I can’t hide that I am a Muslim woman nor would I ever want to so I continue to walk into schools with pride–that’s who they’ve always known me to be. And because that hasn’t changed, they accept me as I am and our work continues.

"The result is that the schools we work with have moved from red to green in the Ministry of Education’s school rating system with 91% of teachers showing improvement in their teaching skills and reporting high levels of satisfaction with their instructional coaches. Most importantly, these schools are outperforming their peers in mathematics and literacy results increasing the number of proficient students by over 15%.?

"So, I would tell other educators who are working under a war or people who have to enter spaces where they are perceived as different to keep three things in mind:

1.? ? Be consistent. People look at your actions not your words. Someone told me once, “the great ones speak softly and say little, but their actions resonate all around them.” I try to live by those words.

2.? ? Put the children first. When conflicts arise, let your students’ best interest be your North Star. Remember that we are here because families gave us their most valued treasure and we must honor that trust.

3.? Be the bridge. When we are exposed to different people, when we cross pollinate, when we take the time to learn a little bit about each other’s cultures whether it’s a silly phrase or an obscure custom, it strengthens all of us.