Loading ...Teachers: The Catalyst of Change
By: Rena Elhessen / Arab America Contributing Writer
On National Teacher Appreciation Week, our team at Arab America extends our gratitude to teachers from all walks of life. To be an educator is to be responsible for sustaining and improving our way of life through understanding the world around us. The job of an educator is difficult, but with the right dedication, it can mould future generations. After all, the very heart of our foundation was born from a teacher whose dedication to education continues to impact lives.
The Arab American Teacher
This April was a remarkable time of celebration for Arab Americans, with many counties and states recognizing National Arab American Heritage Month. Through this recognition, Arab Americans felt seen amidst the changing backdrop of the United States. As this month gains attention, National Teacher Appreciation Week allows us to recognize the woman who started it all. Representation matters. This is a concept Dr. Amal David understood all too well when she chose to become a teacher.
Once a teacher in Palestine, then a teacher in the United States, Dr. Amal David used her Arab American identity to educate her students. As a teacher in the 80s, Dr. Amal noticed a lack of knowledge of other worldly cultures among her students. She sprang into action, teaching her students about her ethnic origins and broadening their worldview.
The Duty of a Teacher
Dr. Amal knew she had a duty to inspire her students to learn about other cultures and peoples. To expand their horizons, she would begin by educating them about her origins. By bringing cultural foods to class, showing geographic maps, and playing Palestinian music, Dr. Amal began to create a community dedicated to expanding cultural knowledge. This also included communal activities, such as making Hummus as a class. As this community grew, so did the need to continue educating.
Thus, came the idea for an Arab American Heritage Month. As a teacher, Dr. Amal would host an Arab Heritage School Night, asking members of the community to dress up and perform. She would personally ask the principal to announce Arab words or facts over the school intercom. She even appealed to the superintendent to proclaim April as Arab American Heritage Month, which was passed by the school.
Why Arab American Heritage Month?
When Dr. Amal became an administrator for her school’s bilingual program, she was unsettled by the discovery that she was misunderstood as an Arab. As an Arab, she was facing discrimination, yet there was little understanding of who she was. The solution was clear: she had to educate and inform people of other cultures, more specifically, her origins as an Arab. National Arab American Heritage Month was the stepping stone of this movement.
During this month, Arab American educators have an opportunity to educate their students on their ethnic origins. This month encourages teachers to create lesson plans dedicated to learning about Arab culture. One of the critical first steps, checking the library’s accessible books on the Arab world. By encouraging accessibility to educational material, teachers create environments of learning and safety.
By advocating for greater representation of other cultures, Dr. Amal became a teacher advocating for social change by educating others. National Arab American Heritage Month was started by a teacher and became a movement, turning the voice of one teacher into a movement for change.
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