Mohammed Alsaqaf (2025)

26/07/2025

🧠 Teachers: What Standards Are You Quietly Accepting?

Every day, we walk into classrooms full of potential—our students, our lessons, and yes, ourselves. But sometimes we walk past things we shouldn’t…
➡️ Unfair treatment
➡️ Low expectations
➡️ Outdated methods
➡️ Disrespect in the workplace

As this quote reminds us:
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”

Working at معهد تايدي للتدريب والتأهيل, I’ve come to see how important it is to hold the line—to raise the bar not just for our students, but for how we as educators are treated and supported.

Because when we accept low standards, we teach others to do the same—and our students deserve better. So do we.

💬 What’s one standard you refuse to walk past anymore?
Let’s open up and learn from each other in the comments.

25/07/2025

🌱 Dear Teachers, What’s Holding You Back?

There comes a moment in every teacher’s journey when staying in the comfort zone feels heavier than taking a risk. You keep showing up, giving your all—but deep down, you know you’re meant for more.

I’ve been there.

At معهد تايدي للتدريب والتأهيل, we believe that every educator deserves to blossom. We’re not just teaching English—we’re shaping lives, starting with our own. This quote on the image spoke to me deeply:

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

It reminded me that growth is uncomfortable—but it’s far more rewarding than staying stuck.

So, to my fellow teachers:
What was the moment that made you take the leap?
What pushed you to grow—even when it scared you?

👇 Comment below with your experience. Let’s inspire each other. Your story might be the spark someone else needs today.

28/05/2025

🧠 Why does one activity spark magic in one classroom and fall flat in another?

You’ve prepared for hours.
The handouts are ready.
The instructions are clear.
You walk into class excited to launch a new group activity…

But ten minutes in — one group is thriving, another is lost, and a third looks completely bored.

It’s not you.
It’s not them.
It’s that one-size-fits-all instruction doesn’t fit the reality of our classrooms.

⸻

In Chapter 7 of The Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson doesn’t just tell us why differentiation matters — she shows us how it can be done.

She introduces us to four practical, proven strategies that bring differentiation to life:

🔁 Stations – where students rotate through tasks based on readiness, interest, or learning profile.

📋 Agendas – personalized task lists that empower students to work at their own pace and level.

🔍 Orbital Studies – student-led mini-research projects orbiting around a core idea, fueling engagement through autonomy.

🤝 Complex Instruction – collaborative work designed to value every student’s strength, especially in mixed-ability classrooms.

These strategies aren’t just about variety — they are about equity and dignity.
They let each learner see themselves reflected in the learning process.

⸻

I used to believe that if an activity didn’t work, I had done something wrong.
But this chapter reminded me of something deeper:

It’s not about fixing the students or the lesson. It’s about reshaping the environment to let learning find its way to every student.

Let’s stop judging our lessons by how well they land for some.
Let’s start measuring them by how many learners they truly reach.

💡 Which of these four strategies have you used before? Which one are you curious to try?

👇 Let’s share ideas and build stronger, more inclusive classrooms together.

26/05/2025

🔥 Why do some classrooms feel alive while others feel stuck in routine?

“Differentiation is not a strategy. It’s a way of thinking about teaching and learning.” — Carol Ann Tomlinson

I still remember standing at the front of my classroom, exhausted—not physically, but emotionally.

I had worked so hard. Planned every activity. Designed every worksheet. Yet something felt wrong.

Some students were flying ahead, others were silently confused, and a few just sat there—disconnected.

I asked myself:

“Am I teaching the content… or am I teaching the students?”

📘 Then I read Chapter 6 of The Differentiated Classroom. It didn’t just speak to me—it described my own classroom.

This chapter brought real examples from real teachers—not perfect teachers, but reflective ones.

They weren’t superheroes.
They were listeners.
They were designers of learning experiences.
They responded. They observed. They adjusted.

They started with clear goals… but flexible paths.
They grouped students by interest, by readiness, by learning profiles—and regrouped them again.
They gave students voice. Choice.
They assessed—not just with grades, but by watching how students moved, asked, hesitated, or lit up.

These weren’t classrooms with fancy tech.
They were spaces built on empathy, intention, and trust.

That’s when I realized something simple but powerful:

Differentiation isn’t about making a thousand lesson plans.
It’s about learning to really see our students—then adjusting the path without changing the destination.

Since then, my classroom has changed.
It’s messier. Louder. More alive.
And I wouldn’t go back for anything.

If you’re a teacher who’s ever felt like your hard work didn’t land…
If you’ve ever wished your classroom felt more like a community than a conveyor belt…

Please, read Chapter 6.
It might be the mirror you need.

23/05/2025

Why are your students engaged… but not really learning? 🤔

I used to feel proud when my students were busy, active, and even laughing during lessons. It felt like learning was happening.

But then I read Chapter 5 of The Differentiated Classroom — and everything changed.

Carol Ann Tomlinson introduced me to the danger of “hazy instruction”: activities that keep students occupied but lack a clear purpose. They look engaged… but don’t understand. That hit hard.

In this chapter, I discovered the difference between:

🔹 Engagement — when students are interested and focused
🔹 Understanding — when they can make meaning, transfer ideas, and apply them

Both are essential, but one without the other? It’s like decorating a cake that’s still raw inside.

⸻

I also learned about the Levels of Learning — from basic knowledge to deep transfer — and how every lesson must guide students up the ladder of understanding. That’s where differentiation gets real.

But here’s the most powerful takeaway:

“Instruction in a differentiated classroom is focused, inviting, and purposeful.”

Now, I ask myself every time I plan a lesson:
• Is this task just fun, or is it moving them toward real understanding?
• How does this activity connect to the content, process, and product of my curriculum?
• What learning goal is this fulfilling?

The difference is night and day — not just in my planning, but in my students’ thinking.

⸻

Teachers, we work too hard to settle for “busy.”
Let’s teach for meaning. Let’s teach for depth. Let’s teach for understanding.

📘 The Differentiated Classroom continues to reshape how I see learning.

21/05/2025

“There is a clear expectation that everyone deals with everyone else with respect and kindness. In these places, you hear laughter. Humor and creativity are close kin.”
– Carol Ann Tomlinson, Chapter 4

👀 I paused when I read that.

Because I’ve been in classrooms where there’s too much silence. Where stress weighs heavier than inspiration. Where teachers carry everything — and students are simply expected to follow.

But Chapter 4 of The Differentiated Classroom reminded me of a deeper truth:
A classroom isn’t just a space for lessons — it’s a living environment built on relationships, trust, and joy.

🟨 I learned about the Triangle of Teaching — a powerful reminder that real learning happens when three things work in harmony:
The Teacher. The Students. The Content.
When one corner is disconnected, everything wobbles.

🧑‍🏫 And then it hit me.
To create a supportive, differentiated classroom, I’m not just here to plan grammar exercises or lead discussions.
I’m here to build a space where my students feel safe to grow, where they know they’re heard, and where their differences are seen as strengths, not obstacles.

💬 What stood out most was the idea that:
• Teachers should collaborate with students.
• Students should be able to say, “This task is too hard,” or “This activity really helped me.”
• We must design with students, not just for them.

This chapter didn’t give me strategies. It gave me a vision — of a classroom filled with curiosity, collaboration, and yes, laughter.

To every educator reading this:
👉 When was the last time your classroom sounded like laughter and felt like growth?
👉 What can we do tomorrow to bring our triangle into balance?

20/05/2025

🧠 “We can’t let outdated systems define the limits of our students’ growth.”
— Carol Ann Tomlinson, The Differentiated Classroom

⸻

👩‍🏫 Have you ever wondered why, despite all our training, some students still seem “left behind”?

I used to think the problem was in my planning. Or my time management. Or even the students’ motivation. But then, while reading Chapter 3 of The Differentiated Classroom, I had a wake-up call that hit me hard.

We’re teaching in a world that’s changing faster than ever…
🛰️ Technology is advancing.
🔬 Research is expanding.
📱 Our students’ lives are evolving.

But schools? Teaching? Assessment?
They’ve stayed static.

This chapter made me pause and ask myself:
👉 “Is my classroom designed to help students grow — or to sort them?”

The answer was uncomfortable.
But it also pushed me to change.

⸻

This chapter reminded me: I don’t just teach English. I teach people.
People with different stories, speeds, struggles, and strengths.

And that means I need to:
✅ Rethink my goals for each student
✅ Design lessons that offer more than “one way” to learn
✅ Collaborate with students in the learning and assessment process
✅ Make space for student voices — especially when they say: “This is too hard” or “This doesn’t help me”

One sentence from the book stuck with me:
“It is not standardization that makes a classroom work. It is a deep respect for the identity of the individual.”

This isn’t just theory. It’s a belief.
And I’m slowly reshaping my classroom to live by it.

If you’re an educator, maybe it’s time we all stopped asking,
❌ “Did I finish ther book?”
and started asking,
✅ “Did my students grow?”

⸻

19/05/2025

🎯 “It’s not standardization that makes a classroom work. It’s a deep respect for the identity of the individual.” – Carol Ann Tomlinson

Some days, teaching feels like trying to fit 20 puzzle pieces into one single mold — all at once.
And I used to think that was just part of the job.

We were trained to believe in time management, sticking to our plan, and giving every student exactly 3 minutes for Task A. But I always had that quiet question in my head:

👉 What if some students need more time?
What if others finish too quickly?
What if the task doesn’t work for all of them?

Welcome to Chapter 2 of The Differentiated Classroom.

This chapter didn’t just speak to me — it spoke for me. It clarified so much of what I’ve experienced as an English teacher, especially in language centers where student ages, backgrounds, learning styles, and motivation levels vary wildly.

What I learned:
🔹 Curriculum isn’t just “what to teach.” It has 3 parts:
— Content (what students learn)
— Process (how they make sense of it)
— Product (how they show what they’ve learned)

🔹 Students differ in 3 important ways:
— Readiness (how prepared they are)
— Interests (what excites them)
— Learning profiles (how they learn best)

🔹 Teachers are not the only architects of learning.
Students should help shape the journey too.
They can say:
📣 “This task is too hard.”
📣 “This activity didn’t help me.”
📣 “Can we try a different way?”

And that’s not poor classroom management.
That’s differentiation.

This book is about all classrooms — schools, universities, training centers — and it helped me rethink the way I teach, plan, and listen to my learners.

Because at the heart of great teaching isn’t control.
It’s collaboration.
And it’s not about finishing a lesson.
It’s about growing a learner.

📘 If you’ve ever felt the same, maybe this book is what you’ve been searching for too.

18/05/2025

The Day I Realized Why ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Teaching Was Failing My Classroom

“Teach all students the same way.”
That was the silent rule I followed for years.
Even though my students were nothing alike.

Some are 18. Others 30.
Some went to school. Some never did.
Some fly through activities. Others need more time.
But in TEFL and TESOL, we’re told: stick to the plan, stick to the time. (Time management)
“This task? Two minutes.”
“This section? Ten.”

And I always thought: How can one timeline fit so many different learners?

Then, I stumbled upon a book:
“The Differentiated Classroom” by Carol Ann Tomlinson
I didn’t read it immediately — but I saved it.
And today, I finally opened Chapter 1. It shook me.

This isn’t a book about teaching English.
It’s about teaching humans — in schools, universities, anywhere.
But as an English teacher in an institute, where backgrounds, ages, readiness, and learning profiles constantly vary, it felt like it was written for me.

I finally had words for what I’ve always felt:
🔹 Fast learners = Advanced learners
🔹 Struggling students = Struggling learners
And trying to teach them the same way? It doesn’t work.

Differentiated instruction isn’t about creating 20 lesson plans.
It’s about planning lessons that respect student differences.
It’s about flexibility. Humanity. Growth.

Carol said something that stayed with me:

“Build a career. Plan to be better tomorrow than today. But don’t plan to be finished.”

So here I am. Not finished — just better than yesterday.
And I’ll be sharing what I learn, chapter by chapter.

If you’ve ever felt your classroom doesn’t fit the mold… maybe it’s time to change the mold.

11/05/2025

When Will Our Voices Matter?

It starts with a decision.

A new policy.
A new strategy.
A new campaign that looks good on paper.

But no one asked the people who live in the classroom.
No one asked the teachers.

We find out last.
We’re told how to teach, what to focus on, even how our classrooms should look.
And when we raise a hand—not to challenge, but to contribute—it’s often ignored.

It’s not that we want control.
We want collaboration.
We want respect.
We want the years we’ve spent in the classroom to count for something.

We’re not just ticking boxes.
We’re learning every day what helps students grow, and what shuts them down.
Our insights aren’t based on theory—they’re based on faces, voices, and real moments.

So why do our opinions come as an afterthought?

Imagine what could change if decisions weren’t made for teachers, but with them.

We’re not asking for a seat at the table.
We’ve already earned it.

09/05/2025

“Native Speakers Only”? That’s Cute.

I was casually scrolling through LinkedIn when I saw it again:
A job post for an English teaching position—with one condition:
“Native speakers only.”

And honestly?
I laughed.

Not because it’s funny.
But because I’ve seen it too many times—especially from institutions in the Arab world.

And I couldn’t help but ask myself:
Do they really believe that a native speaker is automatically a better teacher?
That students will suddenly speak perfect English just because their teacher is from the UK, the US, or Australia?

Here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:
Most native speakers have never learned English.
They were born into it.
They’ve never had to decode grammar, translate idioms, or survive awkward classroom silences trying to get a sentence right.

But I have.
So have thousands of Arab English teachers.
We didn’t inherit the language—we earned it.

We know where Arab students struggle.
We’ve made the same mistakes.
We can explain things in a way no native speaker ever could—because we’ve been there.

If you’re still hiring based on accent instead of ability, you’re missing out on something powerful:
Teachers who understand your students from the inside out.

And if you’ve ever been dismissed because of your passport, your accent, or your name—
You’re not alone.
Your story matters.

Maybe it’s time more people heard it.

08/05/2025

“So… When Are We Getting a Real English Teacher?”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard that question.

Not because I’m unqualified.
Not because my lessons aren’t effective.
But because—I’m not a native English speaker.

Here in Yemen, especially before the war, some institutes were lucky enough to host native English teachers.
And ever since, a quiet myth has grown among students:

“If my teacher is a native speaker, I’ll speak perfect English.”
“Native = better.”
“Non-native = not enough.”

At first, it used to bother me.
After all, I’ve studied this language for years. I teach it full-time. I live it every day.
I earned my English—not by birth, but through relentless work, trial and error, and a passion to master it.

But then I realized something powerful:

Native speakers may have the language.
But non-native teachers like us—we’ve climbed the language.
We’ve tripped over irregular verbs.
We’ve studied grammar with notebooks full of crossed-out mistakes.
We’ve translated idioms in our heads before using them out loud.
And because of all that… we know how to guide our students through it.

We don’t just teach English.
We understand what it’s like to struggle with it.
And that, to me, is not a weakness—it’s our strength.

So if you’re a student wondering whether your teacher should be a native speaker…
Ask yourself:
Do you want someone who was born into the language?
Or someone who fought for it—and knows how to help you fight for it too?

Mohammed Alsaqaf

26/07/2025

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