The Iraqi education system, while very rigorous, lacks a fundamental pillar, which is effective teaching. Teachers are under appreciated and under compensated, creating a market for privatized teaching. This creates a situation where only those with the money can get a proper education, and since more than half of Iraq’s population lives under poverty, this creates a big problem. Those living in poverty lack access to proper education. Limited education ensures the continuation of the cycle of poverty, violence, and overall poor living situation.
The program aims to tackle two issues at once. On the one hand, providing free education to those in need, helping out entire communities, and ensuring that the children do not get sucked into violence. On the other hand, the program trains individuals to create a generation of passionate and affective teachers, trained by professors and top-rated teachers.
Over the 8 weeks of the internship, I learned more then I taught, which I thought would be the opposite for interning as a teacher. I learned a lot about the effort and work that a teacher puts in to produce content that is understandable for the wide variation present in a class. I learned how to digest and reproduce information in a fashion that is understandable to others, and how to quantify the advancement of students without having tests. While all that happened, I managed to help and support students who were unable to enroll with private schooling to advance their situations. I helped my community and was taught to teach at the same time.
It was a very fun and rewarding experience. Given that I enjoyed teaching, and reflecting at the most challenging parts, I do consider teaching in the future, potentially for a higher age group.
For the students, the program was a success as well. By the end of the program, students were more engaged, more present, and more interested in learning. The school became a fun place, and not a punishment camp.