UAE's remote teachers tell of challenges of leading classes from home


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a remote learning revolution as schools around the world swiftly embraced technology to ensure pupils did not miss out on crucial education.

The switch from classrooms to living rooms, however, raised questions about the long-term impact on pupils left disconnected from friends and teachers.

But it was not just learners who have had to make the transition from in-person studies to Zoom lessons.

Now, because I'm at home, I don't get that opportunity for regular intervention. So that's actually the biggest challenge that I'm facing so far
Christi McKeever

While government schools across the emirates and all schools in Abu Dhabi are adopting remote learning until January 21, some teachers have had to get to grips with remote teaching while pupils are in class.

Christi McKeever, a grade five teacher at American Academy for Girls in Dubai, had to immediately switch from leading an in-person class to teaching remotely after she was identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 case.

Ms McKeever teaches English, mathematics, science and social emotional learning, and has 18 pupils in her class, evenly split between remote and in-person learning.

For her class, a staff member oversees the progress for children who are in class, while Ms McKeever teaches from home via video.

“There are definitely challenges when it comes to the actual teaching, such as making sure lessons are engaging, accessible and challenging, and also trying to provide individualised support, especially if pupils are at home," said Ms McKeever.

She said that in a normal classroom dynamic, she would be able to support children on the spot and monitor their work and progress.

Mastering a new way of teaching

“Now, because I'm at home, I don't get that opportunity for regular intervention. So that's actually the biggest challenge that I'm facing so far," she said.

"I'm trying to figure out ways that are going to be engaging and accessible and challenging, but also catered to that individualized support that our pupils need, because they all have different ways of learning.

“It required teachers to completely shift their skill set. And it sometimes it feels like starting from nothing.

“it's constantly just having to be creative, and flexible, and adaptable. And it's throughout the day, it's after school hours, it's in the morning before you log in.“

She said that if a pupil made a mistake she could not always catch it in the moment or address it immediately.

Or if a student was doing really well, she was not able to challenge them on the spot to deepen their understanding.

Plans in place to help teachers

Lisa Johnson, Principal at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National
Lisa Johnson, Principal at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Lisa Johnson, principal at the American Academy for Girls in Dubai, said flexibility was key to allow teachers to tailor lessons.

A hybrid model may involve all pupils learning online or divided into groups with some in class and others working remotely.

She said sometimes teachers would be dialing in just to work with one or two pupils because they needed a little extra attention or support.

“We see sometimes that pupils who are online, tend to disconnect a little bit. It's very difficult to keep them engaged and motivated unless you keep the pace of the class moving," said Ms Johnson.

While some of her grades have around 80 per cent pupils attending in-person classes, others have only 10 per cent of pupils in classrooms.

Ms Johnson said planning logistical changes during the winter break and making schedules was a challenge.

“We've scheduled a system for the admin team and for specialists to make sure that homeroom teachers get breaks to plan and have a bit of lunch and tea.

"All this (planning) was happening over the winter break. So that was an element that made the planning a little bit more challenging, because I had staff traveling. In addition to that, we were completely redoing our master schedule to respond to the four-and-a-half-day work week," said Ms Johnson.

Teacher presses on after infection

Hadeel Jallad, an Arabic teacher at Gems American Academy in Abu Dhabi, was keen to put her pupils first after testing positive for the virus.

With the support of her school, she chose to continue teaching from home.

"It was a little bit difficult and on some days I wasn't feeling well and needed to have medicine before the class," said Ms Jallad.

"My pupils are so young in grade one and grade two, so it was a bit difficult."

She said she decided to use quizzes to make learning fun.

She explained the concept to pupils, got them together in groups, and then used quiz platforms such as Kahoot.

New age of education

Pupils during class at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National
Pupils during class at American Academy for Girls in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Nathalie Pageau, a grade two teacher at the American Academy for Girls in Dubai, said supporting pupils in the classroom as well as online could be difficult.

"It definitely has its challenges such as to keep everyone engaged," she said.

"There are technology issues. Sometimes the technology doesn't work, the calls don't go through or the cameras are not working, so you can't see what the pupils are doing at home."

She said these created disruptions to the lessons and schedule.

"It can be frustrating and challenging at times, because we need to adapt really quickly to a new way of doing things."

INFO
What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Saeed%20Teebi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%C2%A0House%20of%20Anansi%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Easter%20Sunday
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jay%20Chandrasekhar%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jo%20Koy%2C%20Tia%20Carrere%2C%20Brandon%20Wardell%2C%20Lydia%20Gaston%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

Race results:

1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min

2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec

3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

The Bio

Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”

Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”

Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”

Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”

Abu Dhabi card

5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m

6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m

7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m

7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m

The National selections:

5pm: Valcartier

5.30pm: AF Taraha

6pm: Dhafra

6.30pm: Maqam

7pm: AF Mekhbat

7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi  

Scores

New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs 

New Zealand win by 47 runs

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The specs

Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm

Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto

Price: From Dh139,995

On sale: now

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm

Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh130,000

On sale: now

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Updated: January 16, 2022, 6:15 AM`