Well the first bit of good news is that the We Are The World Blogfest #WATWB is back again for another month and has been running for years. As life changes for some of us it can be a slog, at times, to keep up the momentum. There are months where we struggle to find enough co-hosts. If you have been with us a while, and may be able to help, contact one of our co-hosts.
Speaking of co-hosts, this month our valiant leaders are:
Eric Lahti – https://ericlahti.wordpress.com
Susan Scott – http://www.gardenofedenblog.com/
Inderpreet Kaur Uppal – http://inderpreetuppal.com/
Shilpa Garg – https://shilpaagarg.com/
Peter Nena – https://drkillpatient01.wordpress.com/
Please hop on over to their pages and others on the #WATWB.
Now for a late edition of some other good news.
Dr Murad Jehangir Yusuf Tayebjee. Image from ABC Life, accessed 2 August 2020.
As the coronavirus aka COVID-19 hit, many schools, universities and other educational centres rapidly moved to a more online presence in all manner of operations. This can be very socially isolating for students and staff so…
Dr Murad Jehangir Yusuf Tayebjee wrote letters to his students. We pick up the report from ABC News Australia in its ‘Life’ team.
Dear students,
As I submit your final grades for this term, I wanted to take a moment to write you a note.
Maybe you made it to university after studying hard in year 12. Maybe this is part of a career change for you, or a return to study after having kids.
Whatever your story — and there are as many stories as there are of you — you certainly didn’t expect to undertake your 2020 undergraduate year in the middle of a global pandemic.
We didn’t expect it either.
He moved on to outline some of the things they may be doing, like getting their hands dirty and building small-scale solar powered cars.
Tayebjee even told them that they inspired him by staying with the course. What an encouraging teacher from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia). You can read more of the story yourselves.
Lock-downs have been really tough for people. This fellow, who admitted that he too, “had to adapt fast”, adapted well. He not only engineered his courses, but innovated the communication needed in order to reach his students.
Those who follow this blog know that I love poetry and also try to share a poem with the story.
Poet, Michael Ryan, writes of letters in an institution. Just like lecturers use their imagination to reach students, so too do poets, like Ryan, explore the world of the imagination. An excerpt is below. Full text at Poetry Foundation.
Letters from an Institution
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Thanks Simon – mentors are brilliant … and this teacher must be so motivating to his students and I bet he’ll be around for them as the year and uncertainty progresses … so much change – in such difficult circumstances. I’ve noticed lots of people helping with the engineering and scientific skills to provide new projects or just add to the needs of the moment. Thanks – good to see you … and Ryan’s poem … good to read. All the best Hilary
Thanks Hilary. I suspect you’re right. Dr Murad will probably follow up with these students. A good mentor indeed.
Some teachers inspire their students. It is nice to see that this teacher not only inspires but is also inspired by his students. Thanks for sharing his story and the excerpt of the poem. As always thank you for being a huge part of #WATWB.
Yes, Ashlynn. I liked that as well. He was/is inspired by his students. A great act of humble service for his students learning, not only in skills, but in humanness.
I agree with Ashlynn re his ability to inspire his students and for him to be inspired by them. Lovely and affirming Simon thank you.I hear some parts of Australia have had to implement further lockdowns? Take care and keep safe ..
Isn’t it just the best, Susan? We are OK here in Canberra. But Melbourne, the capital of Victoria is in a sorry state. We are very mindful of them. I used to live there and still know people in that area.
Thanks for sharing, Simon. This is what teachers are all about.
It is certainly what the memorable ones are about, Damyanti. They are the ones who believed in us and others. Thank you… in so many ways.
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