Many of us can still name a teacher from our school years. We remember a voice, a word of encouragement or the moment something finally made sense. Years later, these memories remind us how deeply a teacher can influence a life.
For families of children of determination, that influence may be remembered through a moment when their child found a way to communicate or learnt to do something independently. Behind that moment is a teacher who understood the child and found a way to help them learn.
When parents place their child in a teacher’s care, they entrust that teacher with the person most precious to them. They may be meeting for the first time, yet trust begins with the teacher’s role and the responsibility it carries. For families of people of determination, this trust comes with the hope that their child will be understood, respected and given the support they need.
In my work in administration, I know the effort involved in building systems and procedures that serve everyone. When I observe special education teachers, I see another responsibility: finding, within those systems, a way to reach each individual student.
The quality of an education system becomes clear in its ability to help each student learn. Teachers make that possible through decisions about how to explain an idea, encourage participation and recognise understanding.
For a special education teacher, the working day involves setting learning goals and deciding how to help each student achieve them. A goal might involve recognising a word, following a sequence or expressing a choice. The teacher breaks it into manageable steps and considers the support the student needs.
Reaching that goal takes preparation and creativity. An approach that helps one child may need to change for another. Teachers may use drawing, movement, interactive activities or familiar objects to make information accessible. Often, they create the resources themselves: picture cards, a simple game or an everyday item adapted to connect an idea with an experience.
A resource that looks simple may carry hours of thought. Its colours, size or arrangement may reflect what the teacher has learnt about the student. Once it is used, the student’s response guides what happens next. The teacher may simplify an instruction, allow more time or try another activity while keeping the learning goal in view.
This requires professional judgment. A student may understand more than they can express through speech. Another may demonstrate understanding through an action or a choice. Recognising these responses allows a teacher to build on the student’s abilities and offer opportunities to attempt more.
Families contribute to this understanding. Knowing what a child enjoys or what helps them feel comfortable can guide a teacher towards a more effective approach. Sharing progress also helps families support developing skills at home and gives teachers a fuller picture of the child’s daily life.
A report may record an achievement in a single line. The family knows how much it means. They know the attempts that came before it, the possibilities it opens and the hope it brings for their child’s future. For the teacher, it also offers direction for the next lesson and the next goal.
On World Teachers’ Day, every teacher deserves our respect and appreciation. I offer my heartfelt thanks to the teachers at Zayed Authority for People of Determination and to special education teachers everywhere.
Their commitment deserves practical support: time to prepare, suitable resources and opportunities to develop their professional knowledge. These help teachers turn their understanding of a student into an effective learning experience.
I join families in thanking those who explain again, create a new tool and give students the time and encouragement they need. The teacher whose name a family remembers years later may be the person who first helped them see what their child could achieve.
May God bless their work and reward the care and commitment they bring to this responsibility.
