How UAE teachers get ready for the new school year

Dubai: As schools across the UAE prepare to welcome students for the new academic year, teachers are spending the final days of the summer break doing more than arranging desks and printing lesson plans.

For educators, the week before students return is a time for reflection, preparation, and anticipation. Classrooms are being organised, technology checked, resources prepared, and routines mapped out, but an equally important task is getting mentally ready to meet a new group of learners.

For many teachers, the first days of school set the tone for the entire year. The aim is to ensure students feel welcomed, understood, and confident enough to participate, ask questions, and make mistakes as they learn.

Start with self

For Leslie Dizon, a humanities teacher, preparation begins with herself. She sets aside a full week to get physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ready for the new academic year. 

“I make sure my body clock is fine tuned to give me full rest, my mind is all set and locked in to my vision for the year, and I pray earnestly to be blessed with emotions necessary for me to deliver efficiently what my students need,” Dizon told Gulf News.

She has noted that a teacher’s attitude can influence students, especially during the transition back to school.

Her approach is to lead by example because if students see an educator who is calm, prepared, and enthusiastic, they are more likely to adopt the same mindset.

Beyond academic preparation, she has placed safety at the centre of the classroom. 

“Safety is not just about the facilities. It is mostly about having adults they can trust and ready to be with them through their academic journey.”

Set the culture

For social studies and moral education teacher Najwa Al Zarouni, the days before school begins are an opportunity to assess what happened during the previous academic year.

She reviews the curriculum, learning outcomes, and assessment requirements while considering which approaches have worked and which need to be improved.

“Students should return feeling that they are entering a classroom where they are respected, supported, and challenged to achieve their potential,” described Al Zarouni.

She has stressed the importance of establishing a classroom culture early. Clear expectations around behaviour, participation, communication, and responsibility help students understand how the classroom will operate.

But rules alone do not create a successful learning environment. Building a sense of belonging is also crucial, particularly in the UAE’s diverse classrooms, where students come from different cultural backgrounds and have varied experiences and abilities.

“Ultimately, I believe a successful school year begins with three things: strong relationships, clear expectations, and a genuine belief in every student’s potential.”

Win day one

According to geography teacher Zainab Nadeem Farooqui, her preparation involves a question on how can the first days make students feel comfortable and interested in learning.

She spends time reviewing the curriculum, preparing activities, and reflecting on the previous year, but has emphasised on creating opportunities for students to talk and participate.

“The first few days are really about building a relationship and setting the tone for the rest of the year,” shared Farooqui.

She wants students to feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and making mistakes, while also understanding the importance of respect and responsibility.

Moreover, she has seen curiosity as an important part of learning. Rather than encouraging students to focus only on finding the correct answer, she wants them to develop an interest in exploring ideas.

“Students come from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and that diversity can become a real strength in the classroom.”

Make routines stick

On the other hand, STEM teacher Kenneth Garcia has bared that getting ready for the new year is an opportunity to rethink how lessons can become more engaging.

With eight years of teaching experience in the UAE, Garcia makes use of the pre-school period preparing lesson plans, hands-on materials, and interactive displays.

His classroom boards have been designed to support collaborative projects students will work on during the year.

Additionally, he prepares activities and games that allow students to get to know their teacher and classmates, while making sure classroom routines are established from the start. These include learning routines, behaviour expectations, and responsible digital citizenship.

“As schools welcome students back, there may be new students, as well as students who have moved from another section, so it is important to get to know them and ensure that the classroom feels safe, welcoming, and supportive,” explained Garcia.

Understanding students’ interests, strengths, and individual learning needs from the outset can help teachers personalise lessons and provide appropriate support.

Teach every learner

For his part, mathematics teacher Arnel Alo has taken a detailed approach to establishing classroom routines. He puts up procedures for everything, from entering the classroom and starting tasks to moving between activities, using resources, and working collaboratively. 

“Building seamless routines requires consistent modelling, daily reinforcement, and regular follow-up,” stated Alo.

The purpose of effective routines is not to make classrooms rigid. Instead, they should become second nature, allowing students to spend less energy figuring out what to do and more time concentrating on learning.

He also plans for different levels of ability from the beginning, using early formative assessments to identify learning gaps and misconceptions while also finding opportunities to stretch students who are ready for greater challenges.

Communication has been another part of his approach, including working with colleagues and keeping parents appropriately informed about students’ progress and needs.

Preparing for AI

Meanwhile, computing and ICT teacher Ambreen Ejaz, has mentioned that her preparation for the new academic year begins before teachers return from the summer break.

Advance planning helps reduce the administrative pressure at the start of term and gives teachers more time to focus on students and creative learning.

She uses the preparation period to explore new technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and teaching approaches that can make lessons more relevant.

“With AI transforming education and the workplace, developing critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, digital responsibility, and resilience is more important than ever,” said Ejaz.

Her ambition is for students to leave her classroom feeling capable of creating, solving problems, and innovating.

Students first

Although teachers approach preparation differently, their priorities have converged on one point, academic success begins with students feeling secured, valued, and connected.

As the start of the new academic year nears, UAE teachers have been preparing to welcome students with a combination of structure and flexibility, clear expectations along with an openness to questions, mistakes, and new ideas.

For students, the first day may mark the end of the summer holidays. For their teachers, it represents the beginning of a year spent building relationships, encouraging curiosity, and helping each learner discover what they can achieve.