Interrupted Bonds: A Teacher's Reflection on Missing Students Amidst Gaza's Unrelenting War
Interrupted Bonds: A Teacher's Reflection on Missing Students Amidst Gaza's Unrelenting War
| Heartwarming Feedback: Students Express Love for Science and Appreciation for Miss Ruwaida |
As the school year commenced, Ruwaida Amer eagerly anticipated the special bond she forms with her students, a connection extending beyond academics. However, the ongoing conflict in Gaza abruptly halted this connection, leaving her longing for the students she did not get to know.
For more than two months, Ruwaida has been unable to familiarize herself with her new fifth-graders, missing out on the crucial initial phase of building trust and understanding. The 2023-2024 school year was suspended on November 6 due to Israel's unyielding offensive, leaving 625,000 schoolchildren in Gaza displaced, with over 4,400 children among the 11,000 casualties.
Reflecting on her teaching experience, Ruwaida expresses the challenge of getting to know all 90 students in the four fifth-grade classrooms within a brief six-week period. Despite the time constraint, she emphasizes the love she holds for each student, even if she hasn't learned all their names.
The teacher-student relationship, usually fostered through personal interactions, is now disrupted by the harsh realities of war. Ruwaida wonders if she was able to reach their hearts, expressing the students' unique ability to make her laugh, even in moments of frustration.
As a science teacher facing a demanding curriculum, Ruwaida describes her efforts to simplify lessons through extra activities, finding this batch of fifth-graders exceptionally precocious and mature for their age. She shares the warmth of student notes, collected just before the war began, praising her teaching style and expressing their enjoyment of the subject.
Despite the challenges, Ruwaida misses the morning sleepiness, the naughtiness, and the energetic greetings of her students. She longs for the war to end so she can resume the essential task of getting to know her students and fostering the bonds that make the school year special. The article reflects the impact of conflict on education and the personal connections that make teaching a profoundly human experience.
