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Attending the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in New Jersey, Intisar Ali and Susanna Mascarenhas spent a week participating in an intensive professional development programme designed to help teachers develop and implement innovative math and science teaching skills that are hands-on, student-centred, and inquiry-based.
Ali and Mascarenhas, math and science specialists with QU’s National Centre for Educator Development will use this experience to further contribute to their role as faculty of the Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, a programme jointly run by Qatar University and ExxonMobil for primary math and science teachers in Qatar.
The Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is modeled after the successful Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, which has trained more than 3,600 teachers across the United States since 2006.
“The Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is a significant initiative for the State of Qatar as we look to raise the bar in math and science education,” said Dr Abdullah Abu-Tineh, director of the National Centre for Educator Development at Qatar University.
“By participating in the original Academy, which has been successfully running since 2006, and observing best practices, we will be better able to share more effective math and science teaching methods with Qatar’s teachers through future years of the Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy.”
“It was an honour to host representatives of Qatar University at the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in New Jersey this summer,” said Saleh al-Mana, vice president and director of Government and Public Affairs at ExxonMobil Qatar.
“The leadership positions Intisar and Susanna are assuming as faculty of the Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy are critical to its continued success and necessary to ensuring the programme’s relevance to Qatar’s teachers. We thank them for their participation in the US Academy and for their dedication to enhancing education in Qatar.”
To ensure the success of the Academy’s international expansion, ExxonMobil enlisted Dr Joe Sciulli to direct the programme in Qatar. An assistant professor in the School of Education at University of North Carolina–Pembroke, Dr Sciulli has worked more than 40 years in education and helped develop the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in the United States beginning in 2006.
As programme director of the Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, Dr Sciulli oversees the faculty, which includes Ali and Mascarenhas as well as four US educators – Joe Gaston, Nicole Martin, Orven Williams, and Tony Zini.
Gaston, a fifth grade teacher in Mobile, Alabama, focuses on math, science, and technology within primary schools. He is currently serving on the Math Leadership Team for the Mobile County School System in Alabama and is President of the South Alabama Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Martin, a research scientist at the University of Alabama Huntsville, has more than 14 years of teaching experience. She also serves as a primary school science specialist with the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative, a state-wide programme to improve math and science teaching.
Williams, a primary school science specialist in Little Rock, Arkansas, has extensive experience teaching “gifted and talented” students. He has run science, math and gifted labs for early primary school children.
Zini, with more than a decade of teaching experience, supports the development of teachers, students and staff in Huntington Beach, California.
He coaches new teachers, serves as a technology specialist for his district, and has developed and implemented after-school science programmes for students.
More than 40 primary school teachers from Qatar’s independent school system took part in the 2012 Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy held in Doha in June.
The educators, who teach grades 3, 4 and 5, were selected by Qatar University based on their qualifications, dedication to inspiring students, proficiency in English and overall commitment to enhancing the education experience for both teachers and students.
ExxonMobil developed the programme to support the vital role teachers play in ensuring students are ready to compete in today’s global environment.
This objective is especially relevant in Qatar as the academy equips teachers with the necessary tools and strategies to create enthusiasm about math and science and helps develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators.
Fostering development, advancement, and innovation are at the heart of Qatar’s national vision.
The Qatar University ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is part of a long-term commitment to education by ExxonMobil. The company supports initiatives that encourage students to take an active interest in careers in math and science, further the professional development of highly qualified teachers, and promote the involvement of women.
Qatar University and ExxonMobil enjoy a long-lasting partnership through a variety of projects and programmes.