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EDUCATION, CITIZENSHIP, INTERCULTURALITY

The challenges of teaching abroad: The experience of a Lebanese teacher
August 2024


Introduction

Teaching is an art that transcends borders, a way of imparting knowledge, values, and a worldview to future generations. However, when a Lebanese teacher is working with kids from another culture, the task becomes far more complex than it seems. Despite a genuine belief in global citizenship, the universality of education has its limits, especially when it involves shaping young minds within a specific cultural framework.

The shared history of the Lebanese: A unique heritage

Lebanon, a country of contradictions and resilience, carries within it a heritage deeply marked by centuries of history, conflicts, and reconciliation. The Lebanese share a collective memory shaped by common trials, whether it be the civil war, regional conflicts, or the constant struggle to maintain a national identity in a context of religious and cultural diversity. This shared history creates a common foundation on which teachers can rely to impart values, reflections, and a sense of belonging.

As a Lebanese teacher, it is natural to draw on this rich history to guide young minds. We transmit not only academic knowledge but also life lessons rooted in our own collective experience. The Lebanese identity, forged in adversity and complexity, thus becomes a unique and deeply rooted educational model.

The difficulty of transmitting an identity abroad

When I decided to teach in the United Arab Emirates, in a school following the American system, I firmly believed in the idea that education could be universal. However, this experience quickly revealed the inherent challenges of teaching in a foreign cultural context. The cultural diversity of the Emirates, with populations from all over the world, creates an environment where identities mix but do not always integrate homogeneously.

In this educational system, students were accustomed to a more relaxed and primarily oral approach, very different from the Lebanese and French systems in which I had evolved. These students, often spoiled, sometimes behaved as if they were the "bosses" of their teachers, which sharply contrasted with the respect and discipline that are pillars of Lebanese and French education. Teaching in this context proved more difficult than expected.

I quickly realized that the values and cultural references I was trying to impart did not resonate in the same way with my students as they did in Lebanon or within the structured framework of the French system. The young people in front of me had a different reality, different expectations, and an identity in the making that did not correspond to the Lebanese and French model that I carried within me.

The limits of universality

Despite my efforts to adapt, to understand and integrate cultural differences, the experience was ultimately a failure. I realized that in seeking to instill Lebanese and French values, I risked missing the essential: understanding and respecting the cultural realities of my students. The Lebanese educational model, while valuable and relevant in its context, could not simply be transposed into another cultural environment.

This experience taught me that teaching is deeply tied to the cultural identity of both the teacher and the students. A Lebanese teacher, despite their goodwill, inevitably shapes their students according to the Lebanese model, a model forged by the history and shared trials of our people. Similarly, the rigorous framework of the French system, to which I also belong, did not always find its place in this context. This does not mean that teaching cannot be universal, but that it is difficult, if not impossible, to teach authentically outside of one's own cultural framework.

Conclusion

Education is a deeply human act, rooted in shared history, culture, and values. For a Lebanese teacher, teaching abroad represents a significant challenge, as it is not only about transmitting knowledge but also about shaping minds according to a specific cultural framework. My experience in the United Arab Emirates, in an American educational system, demonstrated the limits of this endeavor and confirmed to me the idea that, to truly reach and educate young people, it is essential to remain faithful to one's own cultural heritage. Ultimately, teaching cannot be separated from identity, and it is in this truth that the strength, but also the limitation, of our educational mission lies.

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