Two Palestinian teachers from the occupied West Bank district of Nablus qualified to participate in the Global Teacher Prize organised by the Varkey Foundation.
A Palestinian teacher, Hanan Al-Hroub, won the prize in 2016.
This year, Lina Raheid Rashad Al-Betar and Nidaa Dar Salah, two of 18 Palestinian teachers who registered to participate, qualified for the competition.
Al-Betar, an English teacher in Bir Quza elementary school, has begun an initiative in her school to learn by playing and singing, which aims to get students to love learning by using songs and games.
She also uses technology to reinforce her method of teaching in order to stimulate the students’ abilities to creatively think and focus, and maintains direct communication between the school administration, parents and the local community to address issues.
Meanwhile, Dar Salah, a first grade teacher in Beita elementary school for girls, has worked on an initiative entitled “My right to learn in love and peace” which aims to inculcate values and morals in students and liberate them from restrictions, with the belief that all students have different abilities that must be liberated in order to be developed.
During her seven-year career teaching first graders, Dar Salah has focused on using technology, theatre, singing and acting in her teaching method, along with encouraging students to actively participate in classes.
Dar Salah cares for students with special needs and tries to motivate them to participate in activities inside and outside the classroom.