Tribe of The Global Teacher Prize
“…we started the prize to shine a spotlight on teachers…” words of Sunny Varkey, the founder of Global Teacher Prize (GTP), Varkey Foundation and GEMS Education. Why shine a spotlight on teachers? In his congratulatory remarks to the 2018 GTP winner (Andria Zafirakou from the UK), Sunny Varkey said that the Varkey Foundation had conducted a survey on the status of teachers and it was discovered that “respect for teachers was declining, which is a very bad thing for CIVILIZATION…” He continues to say that the media is not placing education and teaching on top of the agenda!
In her opening remarks during the 2018 Global Teacher Prize announcement, the Director General of Expo 2020 and chairperson of Dubai Cares, Reem Al Hashimy, said, “There is no quality education without quality teachers.” This demonstrates how critical the role of the teacher is in the transformation of a society. There has been resounding agreement from different speakers over the years incuding Pope Francis, Bill Clinton and Sunny Varkey himself.
The Global Teacher Prize is a USD 1 million award that was started in 2014 by the Varkey Foundation to recognize and appreciate a teacher who has made priceless contribution in the teaching field. Some people refer to it as the Nobel Prize for teachers. The success of the initiative is evident from the immense support it has received from high profile citizens of the world including statesmen, educationists and business people. Since the inception, the prize has been awarded as follows:
| Year | Name of Winner | Nationality | Area of Instruction |
| 2015 | Nancie Atwell | American | English |
| 2016 | Hanan Al Hroub | Palestinian | English |
| 2017 | Maggie McDonnell | Canadian | Acoustics |
| 2018 | Andria Zafirakou | British | Art and Textiles |
| 2019 | Peter Tabichi | Kenyan | Math and Physics |
Lessons from the Winners
Peter Tabichi, Science Teacher, Rural Kenya
The 36 year old member of the Order of Franciscans of the Catholic Church teaches at Keriko Mixed Secondary School, a day school in the remote village of Pwani in Nakuru. His subjects are Physics and Mathematics. In his fourth year at the school, he has made tremendous progress as a science teacher.
With a myriad of challenges, ranging from inadequate laboratory facilities, shortage of teachers to collaborate with, inaccessibility of the school, poor student family backgrounds, negative attitude towards education among community members, Mr. Tabichi has managed to nurture a school community that appreciates STEM subjects even to the level of participating in Science Fair at the international level.
So, how does he do it? Firstly, he makes a lot of sacrifice, donating 80% of his earnings through his church congregation towards supporting the school. Secondly, he says, “I visit the homes of my students during the weekend…” Getting to know his students’ background has been key in forming a bond with them and understanding their needs. This, he says, helps him understand them better even when he is teaching.
He has made a lot of sacrifice in getting learning materials, even by using his own resources. In addition, he is very creative in finding alternative ways of assisting the students get by, for instance, introducing kitchen gardening as a way of supplementing food. Collaboration with his colleague teachers has also helped him achieve most of his objectives. This, coupled with a supportive administration, has made his life easier.
His parting shot is that his recognition is recognition of Africa. Even from the humblest of backgrounds, with willpower, everyone can make it in life. The most important thing is to focus on your objectives. He seems to say, just like Saint Josemaria Escriva, doing the ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Andria Zafirakou, Art and Textiles teacher, United Kingdom
“You are not a teacher, you’re a sunshine…” Rory Bremnah observed in a Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF). This, about Andria Zafirakou. The winner of 2018 GTP is a teacher at Alperton Community School in Brent. A striking similarity between the community in which she teaches and Mr. Tabichi’s is that it is a hardship area: insecurity, overcrowding, inadequate housing facilities and dysfunctional families. Despite all these challenges, Andria has been able to create an enviable community of diverse ethnic backgrounds (35 different languges!).
She does not do it by magic. Hard work, dedication, passion and a lot of sacrifice, she says, are the cardinal qualities that guide her. She has created cordial relationships with the students’ families and the school even offers basic needs that the families cannot provide! She regularly visits their homes to build links and better understand her students. She knows all of them by name. She has learnt basic phrases in all the 35 languages spoken by the students.
She has some advice for teachers: establish connection with your students, offer your time for extra lessons and think outside the box to manage with limited resources available. Her passion for teaching and making a difference in peoples’ lives keeps her moving. She is a proponent for the Art subjects and believes in the power they have to unearth the talent hidden in learners. She believes in safe learning spaces and says that schools should be ‘safe havens’ for learners.
Just like Mr. Tabichi, she works very closely with her colleagues. She did this and managed to redesign a whole curriculum to make it fit for their students! She also promised to work with the other nominees in making teaching better. This underscores the importance of teamwork in the profession.
Maggie McDonnell, Life skills teacher, Canada
“I think as a teacher in a small Arctic community, your day never ends,” Maggie McDonnell. This is the experience of most teachers, especially in disadvantaged locations. Just like the winners of the prize in 2018 and 2019, she works in an attention starved area. The village of Salluit is located in remote Canadian arctic, with very low temperatures. Maggie dedicates most of her time in school, which is great sacrifice. She faces similar challenges like the other winners but the passion to improve the lives of the learners gives her the spirit to go on.
With meager resources, she has been able to establish life skills programs in the school, especially for girls. She motivates her students to come up with solutions to their challenges, which, she says, is the greatest quality of a teacher. She also believes in teamwork, sacrifice and passion for what one does.
These three winners have several things in common and the overriding principle is passion and dedication, with a lot of creativity to conquer the challenges teachers face in their day to day noble duty of nurturing young minds.
