Sahar Fayyad

Sahar was an introverted student at school but was inspired by her own teacher to reach out and do her best in education. Sahar followed in her footsteps and studied Arabic. Following some teaching experience, she decided that she would get her degree in teaching, and has since completed post-graduate studies. Through using technology to connect with her students, Sahar’s teaching has flourished, and she received the Queen Rania Award for Outstanding Teacher in 2009. She has pioneered a number of initiatives such as her “Little Researcher” project to enhance students’ skills in research of reliable sources, with the results sent in via WhatsApp.

As the Syrian conflict has flared, Jordan has received many refugees, and the number of students in the classroom has gone from 25 to 60. This has presented many challenges with varying levels of ability and language. Sahar created a learning model for the integration of refugees, providing psychological support and a friendly atmosphere. She then shared this method with other teachers, who subsequently changed their approach. The Queen Rania Academy has made videos of her teaching to enhance literacy skills with a wider range of students, and she has also produced a training manual for other teachers.

If awarded the prize she will establish a non-profit organization concerned with affairs of refugee children, and also establish a specialized educational centre that targets Syrian refugees inside the camps in order to provide the necessary psychological treatment and help qualify children for life.