From Invisible to Invincible: A Tribute to the Teachers Who Rewrote My Destiny by Fozia Temam
Happy International Women’s Day
to my fellow English language teachers! 🌸
Today, I want to share a story I
rarely tell in professional circles, but it is the reason I am here today as an
English language teacher and a PhD candidate. Many years ago, I was a broken
child. I survived a childhood of trauma, abuse, and a forced marriage at
fifteen. In my own home, I was told I was nothing; I was insulted, beaten, and
made to feel invisible.
But then, I went to school. In my
English classes, I wasn't the girl with the trauma. I was a student with
potential. My teachers did something my own family wouldn't: they believed in
me. They saw the value in me when I couldn't see it in myself. They gave me the
hope I needed to keep breathing, and the English language gave me a voice I had
never been allowed to have.
Because of those teachers, I
never gave up. I fought my way through university, earning my Bachelor of
Education with distinction, followed by my Master's degree with a very great
distinction honor. Now, I am completing my PhD, publishing my research in
reputable journals such as PLOS ONE and Social Sciences and Humanities Open,
and I serve as a university lecturer.
To my fellow teachers on this
page, you are not just teaching grammar and vocabulary. You are building
sanctuaries. For the invisible girl or the struggling boy in your classroom,
you are the bridge to their survival.
On this March 8, I celebrate the
teachers who saw me when I was invisible. You are the reason I am now a mother
raising two empowered daughters and a scholar serving my community. Never
underestimate your power to change a life.
To all my colleagues: You may have a student in your class today who feels invisible. Look at them. Believe in them. You are not just teaching a subject; you are rewriting a destiny.
Happy International Women's Day to the life-changers in the classroom! ✊📚
Fozia Temam
English Language Teacher, Researcher and Proud Mother
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Your words resonate so deeply. As teachers, we rarely get to see the full impact of our work, but your story lays it bare in the most beautiful way. The 'invisible girl' you were is now a voice being heard in reputable journals and university lecture halls. That is the power of seeing someone, truly seeing them. Thank you for this reminder that our classrooms must be safe havens. You are a beacon of hope, and your daughters are so lucky to have you as their role model. Happy International Women's Day, Fozia. Keep shining.
ReplyDeleteDearest FOZI what Can I say? Iam wordless to describe you. The only appericiation is excellent &keep up it.
ReplyDeleteYou're such a passionate, dedicated, hardworking & visionary person, teacher & woman, dear Fozia! You're a role model & source of inspiration for many many teachers & women in Ethiopia & beyond! I'm proud of you & what you've been able to accomplish so far & I'm absolutely confident that you can & will achieve even more! Once again, happy International Women's Day to you & all the hardworking women out there! 👏
ReplyDeleteYour words of what you went through are truly inspirational to us.
ReplyDelete