What Happens After Women Shatter The Glass Ceiling?

Howdy peeps, this week, my cup is full, and in the newsletter, I will pour from my full cup into all who read. So sit back, kill the mindless scrolling, and take five minutes to read this week's edition of the newsletter.

By now, you know that the Women in Education Leadership (WELN) Summit took place yesterday at the lovely Hartland International School in Dubai. Before I proceed, please allow me to pause and say thank you to the wonderful Fiona Cottam FCCT for hosting us. Fiona is a force for good. I admire her so much. I think I might have posted about that in the past, but I have to say it again. Fiona rocks!

Now, back to what happened yesterday (Saturday, September 28, 2024). After months of planning, nearly 200 women leaders gathered to build bridges and break barriers. I am no stranger to conferences. Heck, I have planned and hosted a fair few, but yesterday was different; it was the result of women working together, and the result was a day filled with inspiration and connection. I would like to thank the indomitable Hannah Wilson FCCT FRSA ACC for pulling us all together. Tracy Moxley , Rebecca Annand , Emma Downie , Lauren Brennan , Suzanne Watson , Paola Wingrove and Fiona Cottam FCCT It was so wonderful working with you. Would I be crazy if I said, let's do it again?

In the morning, I led a panel discussion on building bridges. It was such an uplifting conversation with women who continue to beat the odds and stand as beacons of hope for countless others. Hazel Govender , Abhilasha Singh ?? , Mufida Said Al Digeil, M.Ed and Mansurah Arowosekila , your vulnerability and willingness to tell your stories will continue to inspire me and others for years to come. Thank you ??.

For my sins, I led a workshop immediately after my panel on how to use your voice online to build a personal brand. Those 45 minutes felt like 2 minutes, and I could have easily spent a few hours with that great group of women. We dove head first into why it is important in this day and age to use your authentic voice to tell your stories online. Following that session, I think I would like to conduct a free webinar on the same topic. If you would like that, please comment ' Personal Brand' in the comments section on Linkedin.

Thnks Nicole Haynes for being so real and sharing your inspiring leadership journey with us all. Jamaican ???? and Guyanese ????. No wonder you are so spicy. Lol. ?? I thoroughly enjoyed your session.

Now, let's address the topic of the newsletter. What happens after we as women shatter the glass ceiling? Professor Yusra Mouzughi delivered a riveting closing keynote at the WELN summit in which she gave the answer. When we shatter the glass ceiling, we have to walk over the broken glass.

What does this mean? I drove home thinking about this, and this is what I came up with...

When we, as women, shatter the glass ceiling, we will still face difficulties, such as resistance, scrutiny, and pressure to perform perfectly. Progress is not parity.

The broken glass represents the hardships, emotional toll, and potential backlash that may accompany our success as women, not to mention the fact that we will have to stand on those broken pieces of glass to be a ladder for other women to ascend.

Are we ready?

It is a lot to digest, but I think the work is worth it.

Thank you to everyone I met yesterday and for the opportunity to reconnect with so many friends and colleagues.

Here's to building more bridges and breaking more barriers.

Rachael Wilding , Joy Buckner , Sania Green-Reynolds M.S.Ed., B.Ed., Dip.Ed. , Gemma Donovan , Victoria Hopkin FRSA FCCT , Hayley Lamb , Zoubiya ?? Ahmed , Neelam B. , Natasha Hilton , Esther Mustamu-Daniels , Priya Mitchell , Michelle Hinds , Fatima Rihane , Fatima Bailey, Ed.D. , Laura Wild , Sanam Yaqub , Nalini Cook , Jane Clewlow , Sajida AL Bashir and so many more.

NEW TEACH MIDDLE EAST PODCAST EPISODE

In this episode, Amanda Spielman joins us to discuss a new, supportive approach to school inspections. We dive into how inspections can be reframed to help schools grow and improve rather than focusing solely on punitive measures. Amanda shares her vision for making the process more constructive and beneficial for educators and students alike.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS WITH THESE UPCOMING EVENTS.

1. The fourth annual STEM MENA Conference and Awards- November 9, 2024 in Dubai- www.stemmena.com

2. The Middle East Language and Literacy Conference- November 21, 2024, in Dubai- www.languageandliteracyme.com

3. GESS Dubai- November 12-14, 2024- Dubai- www.gessdubai.com

4. The Sixth Annual? Middle East School Leadership Conference- February 5-6,2025- Dubai- www.schoolleadersme.com