Arabic Teacher at Volta Elementary School Enriches Instruction through Travel

Ms. Alice Saba has been teaching at Volta Elementary School for 17 years. One of the reasons she keeps coming back year after year is that Volta is a place where all members of the school community are encouraged to be proud of who they are and where they came from. She explains that Volta could be known as a “mini Model UN” because of its diversity, and also notes that its welcoming environment makes it feel like home. 

As an Arabic teacher, part of her instruction involves exposing students to the cultures of various Arab countries around the world. The World Affairs Council of Dallas partners with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Washington, DC, to allow educators to travel to and explore the UAE. They can then take these incredible cultural experiences back to their classrooms to enrich all of the teaching and learning that takes place in them every day. Ms. Saba was so thrilled to be accepted!

We connected with her to learn more about how this amazing experience has helped contribute to a successful school year. Learn more below.

How did this opportunity come to be? 

A colleague who works in Texas reached out to me and encouraged me to apply. It sounded like a great opportunity because I was not very familiar with the UAE. I only knew about it from researching it and watching some TV shows. They offered it to 12 educators: six from Texas and six from other parts of the country. I was the only one from Illinois. It was a great experience to be part of the study group and visit UAE because I got to be immersed in the culture. We went to so many places that I could talk on and on about. 

Was the experience what you expected, or was it more unexpected? 

It was unexpected in many ways. I was raised in Jordan and am originally from Palestine. I’ve been to other Arab countries as well, and the majority of Arab countries have mostly people from Arabic origin living there. It was interesting to discover that only 12 percent of people living in the UAE are Emiratis. Because of the country’s economic and urban growth, it attracts workers from different parts of the world. I also learned that one major focus of the country is promoting cultural and religious tolerance.

What parts of this experience will you always remember? 

There are so many. We visited many religious and cultural organizations during the trip. We went to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which was so beautiful. We stood on the largest hand-woven carpet in the world. We also went to the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi. It is the largest Hindu temple outside of India. It is a symbol of interfaith harmony and we saw that through the linguistic and religious diversity of those who were involved in its construction.  Another place we toured was the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex that promotes religious coexistence and dialogue, which had a mosque, church, and temple in the same vicinity. This is another example of their religious tolerance. 

Abu Dhabi is recognized for its focus on promoting appreciation to the arts and culture. It has a branch of the Louvre, so I felt lucky that I got to tour the Louvre museum without having to go to Paris. We also viewed a private art collection in Bassam Freiha Art Foundation and got to have lunch with Emirati Artist Nour Al Suwaidi. One place that stood out to me as an Arabic teacher was the Museum of the Future. I was fascinated by its ability to merge traditional Arabic calligraphy with modern architecture. There were so many wonderful sights to see overall.

What have you brought back with you from this experience, and how does it connect with your larger goals for your classroom? 

My goal is to transport my students from their classroom to the world. I want them to see different places and teach them that they are not living in isolation or in a bubble. This experience was a great way for me to expand my knowledge about an Arab country that I did not know very well before and show my students how we are connected to it in so many ways.