This year, TCLP alumni attended graduate schools, mentored peers, facilitated teacher trainings and other events, earned professional certificates, as well as participated in academic conferences, among other accomplishments.
In December of 2023, TCLP alumna Sabreen Kamel, hosted at Disney II Magnet School in Chicago, IL, from 2014-2015, completed her master’s degree in Educational Management and Policy at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. Ms. Kamel’s final thesis was on “Transformative Leadership and Its Impact on Organizational Health in Schools: An Analytical Study in the Alexandria Governorate.”
Above: TCLP alumna Ms. Sabreen Kamel (center) at her graduation ceremony
Also in December 2023, TCLP alumna Zhao Xin, hosted at Plantation Middle School in Plantation, FL, from 2018-2019, completed her first semester of a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). This course is a one-year full time program studied entirely in China and is jointly delivered by the University of Leeds, United Kingdom and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in China. This program allows experienced Chinese Teaching English professionals to gain a deeper understanding of how languages are learned, and the strategies used to teach and assess the students. Ms. Zhao is expected to complete her degree in September 2024.
In November of 2023, TCLP alumna Manal Salem, hosted by Nicotra Early College Charter School in Staten Island, NY, from 2019-2020, conducted a training for primary and preparatory teachers at Naba Al-Fikr Official Secondary School for Languages. The training activities were part of a “Connect 6 Training Program” series that focused on teaching the sixth-grade English language curriculum in Egypt. Ms. Salem led the session, “Teaching Productive Language Skills.”
Also in November of 2023, TCLP alumna Eman Bekheet, hosted at International High School of New Orleans in New Orleans, LA, from 2013-2014, led a series of three teacher training sessions for the British “Teach, Engage, Aspire” (TEA) Program. The TEA Program is facilitated by the British Council and the two main formal education systems in Egypt (Ministry of Education and Al-Azhar). TEA Program’s aims include supporting the ongoing education of English language teachers in Egypt, as well as improving local standards for teaching, learning, and student assessment. Ms. Bekheet facilitated sessions for English instructors on a variety of topics, including accuracy versus fluency, building rapport with students, classroom management, and more.
On April 18, 2024, TCLP alumnus Emad Gerges, hosted by Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, KS, from 2008-2009, held his Critical Language Project (CLP) “Arabic Camp Day" at Oxford High School in Oxford, Mississippi. Mr. Gerges’s project showcased aspects of the Arabic language and culture to Oxford High School students. The event recruited 12 local college students and 4 faculty and staff from the University of Mississippi who have a background in Arabic to run several different stations. Rotating between the stations, over 100 prospective Arabic students from Oxford High School participated in learning about Arabic's writing system, tasting Middle Eastern cuisine, observing displays of Arabic culture and customs, and listening to Arabic music selected from different countries.
From May 1st to May 7th, 2024, TCLP alumnus Abdelilah El Alaoui, hosted at the Thomas Edison Language Institute in Sacramento, CA, from 2018-2019, chaperoned students of English from the Sofía Sahara School in Morocco to visit the city of London in the United Kingdom. This trip resulted from a partnership between the Sofía Sahara School and the Teachers of English Association in Morocco (TEAM), a professional organization that Mr. El Alaoui is a part of. During the trip, students visited famous tourist spots such as the London Eye and Big Ben. Students also took tours of local museums and stadiums. The trip encouraged students to explore language and culture, as well as provided students an opportunity to practice their English skills.
Above: TCLP alumnus Mr. Abdelilah El Alaoui poses with students before they depart for their trip to the U.K.
Since the beginning of the 2024 year, TCLP alumnus Mohammed Etify, hosted at Anne Chesnutt Middle School in Fayetteville, NC, from 2018-2019, has earned numerous professional certificates in a variety of areas. For example, Mr. Etify received in January a certificate for completing an online “Designing the Organization” course, which focused on gaining skills such as organization design, strategic management, and knowledge of general business functions. Mr. Etify has also earned several certificates in programming, psychological first aid, and artificial intelligence (AI), including one that qualifies him as a “MagicSchool AI Certified Trainer,” which provides him with the opportunity to run professional development and training sessions for educators on how to embrace AI within the classroom.
In December of 2023, TCLP alumna Heba Ismael, hosted at Plantation Middle School in Plantation, FL, from 2022-2023, presented at the first Twinkl Arabic International Conference on her project, “Scenario-Based Learning in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language.” Thousands of Arabic teachers across the world attended the conference virtually. Ms. Ismael spoke about her TCLP experience and the impact it had on her professionally and personally, as well as gave insights on her project.
On April 21, 2024, TCLP alumnus Mahmoud Dahroug, hosted by Irving Elementary School in Bozeman, MT, from 2017-2018, presented at the 2024 TESOL Arabia conference held at the Canadian University Dubai (CUD) in the United Arab Emirates. The TESOL conference theme was “The Future of Language Education: Adapting to a Changing Landscape.” Mr. Dahroug presented on the topic of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). His practice-orientated session discussed how teachers who teach English as a foreign language or other subject matter using English as a medium of instruction face numerous challenges in their classroom, including learners’ poor English language skills. In this workshop, participants discussed and practiced CLIL techniques with Mr. Dahroug.
Above: TCLP alumnus Mr. Mahmoud Dahroug presents at the 2024 TESOL Arabia conference
TCLP encourages all alumni to submit their highlights to TCLP staff as well as fill out the TCLP International Alumni Survey! Since the fall of 2018, TCLP has started collecting your alumni stories as a part of a larger effort to stay in touch with alumni and connect alumni who have similar goals and who might be interested in collaborating on projects. You may have noticed your cohort leaders asking for alumni highlights! If you have a new highlight to share, please contact TCLP staff! We love hearing from you, and knowing what you are working on now helps us connect you to your peers and keep the TCLP network going.