Come, join a
Workshop
…or an event, or a gathering!
This is the page to find out what’s on at Well Teachers and how to get involved..
The Well Teachers
Calendar
Browse the ‘greyed’ days on the calendar to view events on those days.
Or scroll down to see all the details for individual events.
View the
Details
It’s so hard to know whether an event is worth the time if you can’t know the details of what to expect beforehand. Below, events have a session plan and flow outlined in varying detail so that you can suss out whether it’s going to be something you’d enjoy.
We hope to welcome you on some of these - all educators are welcome, any curriculum, any location (as long as the time zone works for you!).
If you have any questions, send a note to: hello@wellteachers.org.
Member Only PD Workshop: Inclusion & SEND - How to help each learner 'own' their IEP (Individual Education Plan)
In this workshop, Margi Kulsoom Orchard, Governer for Inclusion at Salam Schools, UAE, will be guiding us through why and how each child should ‘own’ their IEP targets.
Participants will gain a clear perspective on involving children in setting their own IEP Targets, a sense of the Rationale and the ‘How’ of going about doing this in your classes.
The session is for members only and will have opportunities for us to discuss individual cases and your questions in depth.
[Member Only] Month End Wrapper - December Edition
This wrapper will be a little longer than usual to allow more time for decluttering and deeper reflection of the year as a whole at the end of 2024.
It will follow a similar layout of: decluttering, reflecting/planning & meditation.
See you then!
Abu Dhabi - Coffee/Chai Connect
There is a possibility for meetups in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 21st December. Reach out to Sumbella on LinkedIn or by email @ sumbella@wellteachers.org to book something in!
Well Teachers' Open Event: Pot Luck for Teachers & Families
Join this open, free, meet up to meet other teachers from around the UAE who are part of the Well Teachers open network.
This is a community gathering that will be held at Al Madam 2 Stables, a peaceful open outdoor setting near Mirdif / Al Khawaneej.
We will meet up after the Friday prayers, and teachers are encouraged to bring their families along.
There is space at this stables for children to run around, play cricket, see the horses. We will also have an area for teachers & spouses to meet, eat and talk.
There is no cost for joining this event but being a Pot Luck gathering, we ask that each family bring along a dish or sweet treat!
To be part of this event, join the free network access at wellteachers.mn.co and RSVP to the event within.
If you have any questions, contact Sumbella @ sumbella@wellteachers.org.
[#wellbeing series] The Month-end Wrapper - Nov '24 edition
The 'Wrappers': An Overview
Join this session to feel supported with each other's presence while we organise ourselves individually and get ready for the month to come.
'The key is to gather the past and invest it into the future' - Jim Rohn
In many ways, being a teacher - and being an adult - is about handling lots of mundane matters.
That's why good company matters so much.
There is something so pleasant and motivating about doing something as simple as decluttering that email inbox or pile of papers that you've been meaning to for ages - as long as you're with good company. It's all about what Ali Abdaal talks about in his book 'Feel Good Productivity' as 'Relational energy'.
After years of doing these sessions, I have come to understand it is not so much in the planning itself that you get peace of mind - life happens and may throw your month off course. Yet it is in the consideration of the details of your life where the magic really works in helping you feel more resilient when faced with inevitable trials and challenges.
Session flow:
Intro: Meet and greet (approx. 5-10 mins)
Part 1: Declutter (approx. 20 minutes)
We set a timer, set a goal, and go off to collectively declutter while I play some music
Regroup (approx. 5-10 minutes)
Part 2: Reflect & Plan (approx. 20 mins)
Select from any of the templates in this space to help you reflect on the month that has passed and to prepare for the new one to come. We do this solo and then regroup to discuss and reflect.
Regroup (approx. 5-10 minutes)
Part 3: Live guided meditation (approx. 20 mins)
We'll do a guided visualisation if the group
Regroup (approx. 5-10 minutes)
I allow two hours for this session as a group, but it may not always take the full two. In between each part we usually touch base and have a chat about things as we work through them.
No pressure to join - these are to be a regular fixture at Well Teachers and if you can't make one, you should always be able to find another.
Hope to see you there! ✨
-Sumbella
P.S. This is a member only event. To learn more about how to join #TheWell, visit this page: wellteachers.org/thewell
[#member meetup] Traditional Chinese Hotpot Lunch @ Nine Squares, Dubai
This is a member only, in person meetup. Hotpot is a community meal, and we will order for everyone and split the bill accordingly based on who joins. A typical meal at this restaurant when shared usually comes to around 50-100AED per person.
The nature of Hotpot is such that we can accommodate various taste and dietary requests. If you plan to join I will communicate with you in advance about this so we can prepare with the restaurant.
It is loosely connected to our Mandarin hobby sessions that we've been holding over the past few weeks.
But all members are invited to join if they wish!
If you have never had hotpot before, this is a whole cultural experience not to be missed!
Contact Sumbella directly for any queries.
Channeling peer pressure into peer power
PD Series [Member Only]: Channeling peer pressure into peer power: making the most of all the brains in the room to refine, improve and deepen learning experiences.
Title:
Channeling peer pressure into peer power: making the most of all the brains in the room to refine, improve and deepen learning experiences.
Brief
This is a creative workshop, in which you'll even learn to illustrate a little cartoon, keeping in theme of friendship and fun this month. The idea is to pick up some ideas on how to equip learners with tools to self correct and peer correct in a constructive way.
In under 20 minutes you’ll go on a guided learning journey to drawing a cartoon, trying out some basic illustrative skills. And as participants admire their finished drawings, what follows will be a reflective learning experience to analyse the how of what we achieve.
The session will have an opportunity for individual and group reflection, which will be centred around the practical ways that a teacher can channel the power of peer pressure to maximise learning outcomes and create deep learning experiences for everyone in the class - including the teacher themselves.
Facilitator
Sumbella, Community Lead & Facilitator @ Well Teachers, will be facilitating this session
Mandarin Hobby Course for Teachers #5 [Member Only Session]
We've been holding several hobby courses in Mandarin these past few weeks for members only.
In an exploratory collaboration included as part of the membership, these lessons are turning out to be so much fun that we've added two more in November, including this one on Friday 22nd.
Even if you haven't joined the last ones, just hopping on to join in where you can and observe the learning might be fun for curious teachers. Access to the recordings of past lessons are shared with all interested members.
More info is included inside #TheWell, the private members only area of the portal.
To learn about becoming a member, explore more here:
[#TheWell] Wellbeing Series: (Members Only) The Monthly Wrapper - Planning for November
Join this session to feel supported with each other's presence while we organise ourselves individually and get ready for the month to come.
[Short Hobby Course!] Learn Mandarin from Scratch with Sumbella (Members only special course)
Learning a language in a cohort virtually will help you make friends (they say if you do hard things with a buddy you deepen the bond), put you in the learner seat, and help you learn to master writing and reading your first Chinese characters!
[#TheWell] Professional Development Series (Members only) - How to use language effectively to get your students to take action (even if they don't want to)
How to use language effectively to get your students to do things (even if they don't want to)
How can you use deliberate language to instil a sense of identity, effect positive change and inspire action (even in the most reluctant students)?
In this interactive learning experience we will be exploring the answer to this question. We will draw from the work of Dr Michael Berger, and participants will learn the three key components of leveraging language to inspire a strong sense of identity within learners - and within yourself, too. We’ll do some activities that help us explore the power of language in terms of identity, reason and the intentional use of specific words to inspire action in even the most reluctant students.
[Member Only Event] Month-End Wrapper October Edition
The month-end 'Wrappers':
An Overview
Join this session to feel supported with each other's presence while we organise ourselves individually and get ready for the month to come.
'The key is to gather the past and invest it into the future' - Jim Rohn
In many ways, being a teacher - and being an adult - is about handling lots of mundane matters.
That's why good company matters so much.
There is something so pleasant and motivating about doing something as simple as decluttering that email inbox or pile of papers that you've been meaning to for ages - as long as you're with good company. It's all about what Ali Abdaal talks about in his book 'Feel Good Productivity' as 'Relational energy'.
After years of doing these sessions, I have come to understand it is not so much in the planning itself that you get peace of mind - life happens and may throw your month off course. Yet it is in the consideration of the details of your life where the magic really works in helping you feel more resilient when faced with inevitable trials and challenges.
Session flow:
Intro: Meet and greet (approx. 5-10 mins)
Part 1: Declutter (approx. 20 minutes)
We set a timer, set a goal, and go off to collectively declutter while I play some music
Regroup (approx. 5-10 minutes)
Part 2: Reflect & Plan (approx. 20 mins)
Select from any of the templates in this space to help you reflect on the month that has passed and to prepare for the new one to come. We do this solo and then regroup to discuss and reflect.
Regroup (approx. 5-10 minutes)
Part 3: Live guided meditation (approx. 20 mins)
We'll do a guided visualisation if the group
Regroup (approx. 5-10 minutes)
I allow two hours for this session as a group, but it may not always take the full two. In between each part we usually touch base and have a chat about things as we work through them.
No pressure to join - these are to be a regular fixture at Well Teachers and if you can't make one, you should always be able to find another.
Hope to see you there! ✨
[Member Only Event] Cook-Along: Pick a dish and cook with company!
Join in and become a member:
[Member Only Event] Chai & Chat Session ☕️ #TheWell
September's Chai & Chat / Gupshup / Dardasha session is here!
Let's create some space for us to slow down and have a virtual coffee chit-chat. This is a relaxed, open door session for us to hang out and have an agenda free chit-chat or a chuckle at the end of the week.
If in doubt about what to talk about, bring something that made you laugh or something you're glad happened this past week. This is an informal get-together for anyone who wants to chat in real time! These little chats and chai moments matter. :)
I'd love to catch up.
[Free event] How to motivate and inspire students (even if the learning is hard!) [A learn-Chinese special]
Workshop Brief:
In part 1 of this session, I'll be taking you through an individual and group learning journey that will end with you being able to confidently read a dialogue in Chinese!
You’ll learn to read, recognise and speak 5 Chinese characters - completely independently: no supporting English, no supporting pinyin, and no teacher cheerleading or miming in the background!
In addition to this key outcome, in the second part of this 1 hour workshop involves a guided reflective discussion that take place after this language learning journey, where we break down some ingredients involved in motivating, inspiring and uplifting learners as you help them on their own learning journeys.
Facilitator Info:
Sumbella is a facilitator and Community Lead at Well Teachers, an initiative to provide support for teachers with both personal and professional development. She has worked in international education for over a decade, after reading for an MSc in Education – Comparative & International at Kellogg College, Oxford.
During that degree she researched the impacts of language policy on trilingual Uyghur students in Xinjiang. She also studied Mandarin Chinese for her BA degree at SOAS, University of London, which she teaches to adult learners. She began her teaching career in 2007, when she qualified for her CELTA, and began to teach students English as a Second Language across China, England and the UAE. Sumbella believes empowered, happy teachers are a foundational part of a healthy society.
To connect with Sumbella, join her on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/sumbella.
You can also find out more about her at: www.sumbella.com.
Or, hop over to the free network area of Well Teachers: wellteachers.mn.co and start a chat with her there.
Session Details:
You don't need to join by video or even audio if this is not comfortable for you. Even a smart phone would do, but a laptop is best as I will ask to type into the chat box for some answers and I think it is probably easier on a computer.