“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge”
—Albert Einstein
Educators are the most important people in society. With their help, individuals grow to believe in themselves and are able to lead meaningful lives. Teachers have the opportunity to see their own perseverance, determination, and knowledge bloom in the form of their students.
Although teachers may seem like superheroes, highly intelligent and invincible, even they have much to learn.
Zeina Jhaish, an Education student who specializes in teaching English as a Second Language, is broadening her horizons through Paper Airplanes. Jhaish began her Paper Airplanes journey as a volunteer last summer and is now focusing on her position as a tutor coordinator.
Before becoming a volunteer, Jhaish only taught in Montreal and Kuwait, and never experienced teaching on an international level. When she discovered Paper Airplanes, she was excited to “give back to her own Palestinian community” and was looking forward to practicing her knowledge as an educator. Although Jhaish and her student had completely different backgrounds, they were able to communicate and understand each other through Arabic. While she was helping her student grow, Jhaish was also expanding her teaching methods and pedagogical approaches. Through Paper Airplanes, she learned the dynamics of online teaching and found her passion for creating social impact.
Jhaish then transitioned to her position as a tutor coordinator, in which she organizes the training program for Paper Airplanes’ tutors. As a tutor coordinator, she discovered the administrative aspect of teaching and was learning in a professional environment. At the beginning, there was a huge learning curve and Jhaish felt very overwhelmed. She had never been in an administrative role and information was trickling in so fast. However, she was thankful that she was learning something new everyday and was grateful for the community that would supported her.
Even as an educator, Jhaish is learning and growing every single day. No matter where you are in life, there is always something new you can always learn. Just like Jhaish, if you have the passion to grow and positively impact others, there is no limit to what you can accomplish.
What is something you hope to do to broaden your horizons?
About the author: Soumya Adusumilli
My name is Soumya Adusumilli and I am a first-year business administration student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. I truly enjoy reading, writing, and watching movies in my free time. I have been a part of Paper Airplanes since 2018 and I'm glad that I have the opportunity to continue my journey with this inspirational organization. I am also involved in entrepreneurship and lead The Intrepid, which is the voice of my college's entrepreneurship community. In the future I hope to accomplish my lifelong dream of visiting the seven wonders of the world!
The views and opinions represented in this post belong solely to the author of the blog post, and are not representative of the views and policies of Paper Airplanes and its staff members.