By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.
Al Ishraq School, located in Bent Jbeil in Southern Lebanon, fosters a close-knit community feel while offering ample opportunities for student interaction and engagement.
One of the distinguishing features of Al Ishraq School is its multilingual approach, with English, Arabic, and French being the primary languages of instruction. This linguistic diversity reflects the school's commitment to providing a well-rounded education that prepares students for global citizenship and multicultural understanding. In response to the challenges posed by the circumstances, Al Ishraq School transitioned to online learning for the academic year 2023-2024. This adaptation demonstrates the school's commitment to ensuring continuity in education while prioritizing the safety and well-being of its students and staff.
Overall, Al Ishraq School prides itself on its inclusive and forward-thinking approach to education, providing a supportive and stimulating learning environment that empowers students to excel academically and thrive as responsible global citizens.
Overall impact
For teachers the model lessons provided an opportunity to empower teachers across all grades and to explore the experience from different sources. This created a motivating atmosphere for them to experiment and apply new skills, to the extent that some teachers requested to try out new skills. For our students the impact has been the development of awareness of skills and shedding light on their importance. They have benefitted from engaging and motivating educational sessions that have reduced boredom. Students have developed critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills.
Keep it simple
We held a training session for academic and non academic teachers to introduce them to essential skills and the Universal Framework. In addition we also trained teachers in the 8 skills and the 16 steps for each skill to ensure the language is being used correctly. We placed visual posters in all the classrooms and translated teaching resources into Arabic to give students many opportunities to learn essential skills. Teachers praise students who show progress in their skill development to reinforce the importance of building these skills.
An exhibition showcasing models to introduce the project was also organised, with students requested to present each skill. Parents were invited to attend this exhibition. Welcome Back Activities also included introducing the basic skills for students
Start early, keep going
Our plan includes all students within our school which will deepen the impact for our whole school community.
Measure it
Our class teachers can choose to use Skills Builder Hub or offline group level assessments to create 8 baseline assessments for each class. This is then used to inform which skill step level each class requires. Our students can then build their skills at the correct step level.
Our calendar of Activities include different indoor and outdoor activities related to skills builder program Our Online Activities have been implemented to integrate the skills-building project across all grades (remotely) as an experiment this year. These activities include pre-assessment, skill reminders, and post-assessment.
Focus tightly
We timetabled for the 1st period to explicitly introduce the 8 skills and teach each skill at the step level that has been identified by the baseline assessment. Teachers then translate resources from the Hub or use the offline resources that we have provided them.
Keep practising
We completed a review of our current curriculum and then mapped each skill to relevant activities in subject lessons. Teachers use existing rubrics to track a student's progress in the identified skill. This allows students to practice their skills in many different subjects and all teachers can see the progress of their students.
Bring it to life
We had to convert to online home learning due to an ongoing conflict and adapt our plans to include activities for students to practice their essential skills from home.
What's next
We hope to progress with the teaching of essential skills once the school returns and develop our teaching plans further.
