Hanan Al- Hroub, from occupied Palestine has been conferred the Best Global Teacher award for the year 2016. It carries one million US dollars. Hanan was born in a Palestinian refugee camp and works among the Palestinian children and teaches there. She has expertise in de-addiction and counsels such youth. The Award is instituted by Varkey Foundation of United Kingdom and was presented in Dubai. The announcement was made by Pope Francis.
With so many troubled children in the region, Palestinian classrooms can be tense environments. Hanan embraces the slogan, ‘No to Violence’ and uses a specialist approach she developed herself, detailed in her book, ‘We Play and Learn’. She focuses on developing trusting, respectful, honest and affectionate relationships with her students and emphasises the importance of literacy. She encourages her students to work together, pays close attention to individual needs and rewards positive behaviour. Her approach has led to a decline in violent behaviour in schools where this is usually a frequent occurrence; she has inspired her colleagues to review the way they teach, their classroom management strategies and the sanctions they use.
Hanan has shared her perspective at conferences, meetings and teacher training seminars. She hopes that, with education, her people can reclaim their homeland.
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