An Interview with Sultan Naser Eldeen

How long have you been teaching?

My teaching career began in 1987 at Greenfield College in Beirut when I was 20 years old. This school provided me with the right atmosphere to develop my skills.

What is your educational background?

I majored in Arabic language and literature in the Faculty of Literature and Humanities at the Lebanese University in Beirut, and received, with honors, my Master’s degree in teaching the Arabic language in 1994. In 2008, I received my Master’s degree in Education from the Modern University of Business & Sciences in Beirut with high honors.

I am currently working on my doctorate in Arabic language and Civic Education. I have received numerous certificates in training. Since 1996 I have been training teachers in various education-related topics, especially about transforming the process of teaching and learning into a fun experience.

I have good grasp of the sciences and management. I’m an avid reader and enjoy having access to all things novel. I have a library that contains more than 40,000 books. This educational background was perceived in many of my lectures as well as in my scholastic, literary and academic writings. My scholastic writings include “Loughati Farhati” (My Language, My Joy) for kindergarten students, and “Nousoos Masmouaa” (Narrated Texts) activities for listening and verbal expression (11 parts/levels). My Creative writings include “Aalimini Ya Hayat” (“Life, Teach Me”) and my academic writings include “Fann Al Isghaa” (The Art of Listening).

Have you ever cheated on an exam in your childhood?

Since my childhood I have always been a very hard worker. I used to and still am characterized by my seriousness, that is why I don’t remember ever cheating during my childhood. I remember taking part, contrary to my habits, in lighting firecrackers at night when I was in boarding school in 1982.

What is your favorite book and movie?

I perceive books as minerals and vitamins. Every type of book gratifies some kind of mental and emotional need. That is why I love reading different types of books, whether literature, social, psychology, human resources, administrative, discoveries, and especially ones related to human beings.

As for film and television, I am not an enemy, but nor am I a good friend. My weekly television viewing does not exceed seven hours, and I invest those hours in watching documentaries, educational and social programs and, less frequently, political programs.

Why did you choose the teaching profession?

When I was in secondary school, my priority was to major in agriculture because I love gardening and the soil. But due to a financial crisis that struck my family, I was unable to go to agricultural school so I moved to my second choice, which was the Arabic language and literature. From the first year of university, I started teaching and found that I was very creative, I don’t like to imitate, I am active and I despise laziness and callousness.

Do you have a favorite student?

I used to and still do treat all students I teach equally, but occasionally some of the students make an impression on me intellectually, by their performance and their creativity. I could never forget Zaher, or Manal, or Fayez, or Jawad or Layla.

Have you seen a change in generations of children you have taught? Like what?

Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb has said: “Raise your children with customs other than your customs, for they are born for a time other than your time.”

When I started teaching in 1987 students had better chances of learning at home. But today children can no longer be taught at home …

the learning process now takes place at school under the supervision of teachers through different modes and means.

Is it true that teachers love all students?

Love for me means teaching with dedication. That is why I love all my students; I give everyone their dues equally but try to take their individual circumstances into consideration.

Do you remember your own favorite or worst teacher? Why? How different are you from them?

My favorite teacher was my elementary Arabic teacher who nurtured in us – my friends and me – the skills for listening, speaking, analyzing and expressing. I remember quite well that under his supervision we used to compete in giving speeches, having dialogues, reciting popular poetry and written expression and so on.

My worst teacher was my intermediate French teacher. He only used to teach us the rules and regulations without letting us practice on the language skills. And I also remember that he never used to leave his chair from the beginning until the end of the session, he rarely, almost never, used to write on the board. With the former teacher different skills grew in us while with the latter, the time we spent in class was wasted.

Is being a teacher your passion? Why or why not?

From the beginning I found myself in teaching. From the first year as a teacher I started to become creative and felt there were hidden depths and abilities within me that needed to be come out into the light of day.

If you were to be a minister of education, what would you be remembered for?

If I ever become the minister of education, first of all I would present a plan that puts requirements for teachers. The first of these requirements would be specialization, then getting a teaching diploma and lastly, getting certification for teacher training. A teacher should always continue training to continue with my plan, and therefore I suggest that a teacher’s salary should be the highest in the country, and I also suggest opening doors for creativity by giving teachers moral and financial incentives.

How do you see the future of education?

I am always an optimist and practice the saying: “To light a candle of welfare is to curse the darkness.” I can see that we are in an educational crisis, thus we notice that the budget of the Ministry of Education is quite a mediocre one. In spite of this, some kind of effort is being done for the advancement of education.

Do you use technology in your classroom? If yes, like what?

I adore the use of and the invention of technology. Before the computer revolution, I used to use slides and films. I used to prepare them myself.

With the computer revolution, I use a lot of its programs, create films, use the computer laboratory, use games. The means of education improve the level of performance, cut down on time and generate motivation in students. In all honesty, I can see that the backbone of education is technology, on the condition that it is used wisely and with awareness.

What were your highs and lows in your experiences as a teacher?

Until today I still haven’t been able to convince kindergarten authors and teachers that teaching the Arabic language is not limited only to spelling; most teachers insist on teaching children to write the letters, and short and long sounds at the expense of enjoying the process of acquiring the language by listening and speaking. But I haven’t given up yet and still continue working on this case. I can see some positive signs. Real success is being able to integrate listening and speaking skills into the process of teaching and learning the Arabic language in kindergarten, elementary intermediate and secondary stages, even if it is in special and rare cases.

Have you ever identified yourself with a student? If yes, did you treat them differently?

Every time I go into the classroom I go in as a teacher and a learner. I teach students how to develop skills and learn from them how they implement the instructions. I owe students because my entire educational research was with them.

In an ideal world, how do you see the realm of education?

I dream that one day world leaders would graduate from education departments, have peace in their hearts and stand against injustice and spread peace on Earth.