Teacher Profile: Fathimath Fareeda
Years/Subjects Taught • Year 8, 9 & 10 – Chemistry (GCE O Level classes in Maldives). • Year 7 & 8 – Mathematics at International Modern Arabic School. • Year 10 & 11 – Chemistry at International Modern Arabic School. • Year 12 – Chemistry (syllabus equivalent to A’ level) at International Modern Arabic School. • Year 7- Biology at REAL international school. • Year 7, 8, 9 – Mathematics and Chemistry at R.E.A.L international school.
How long have you been teaching? 11 years.
What do you do in your free time? Enjoy time with the family.
Why did you become a teacher? Why did you choose teaching as a profession? While I was tutoring a student, after I finished my schooling, I managed to help the student with a particularly difficult math concept that he was having trouble understanding. When I was able to show him a different way to approach the problem, and he ‘got it’, from that day onwards I believed that I could be a great teacher.
Tell us about your own education journey. I did my Bachelor of Education in Secondary Science at the Flinders University of South Australia. My major field of study is Chemistry and minor field is Mathematics. I had some teaching experience in Australia as I did my teaching practicum in one of the schools in South Australia. During that time I also taught Chemistry at IB level and science at MYP level at Glenunga International High School located in South Australia.
After completing my B.Ed I worked in my country (Maldives) as a Chemistry teacher and also as the Head of Chemistry Department. The school I worked in Maldives is a boys’ secondary school. The medium of instruction is in English. The syllabus we follow is Cambridge GCE O Level. I worked in this school for 4 years and went on to become a Curriculum Developer for the Ministry of Education (Maldives). After two years of working as a Curriculum Developer, I decided to further my studies and went to do Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction. I completed my Masters of Education in IIUM, Malaysia.
What is the most memorable moment in your teaching career so far? Every day is memorable because a new challenge awaits.
What do you like most about teaching? Being able to help the weakest improve in their studies as well as their attitude towards learning.
What is the best thing about teaching at your school? Friendly at the same time a serious environment. Very challenging to be teaching students of different nationalities. I like the Character First programme which is implemented in the R.E.A.L school though there are things that we can still improve on. I have learned a lot more being in R.E.A.L international school like participating in extracurricular activities apart from just teaching.
Who or what inspires you? I am a self-motivated person.