Bringing Together Experience, Creativity and New Perspectives on Learning
In an atmosphere filled with enthusiasm, collaboration and meaningful interaction, The Sultan’s School hosted its Early Years Teachers’ Forum, welcoming the Director of Early Childhood Education, a number of Ministry of Education supervisors, and a distinguished group of educators and teachers committed to advancing early childhood education.
The forum was organised as part of the school’s ongoing commitment to strengthening professional connections among educators, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and providing opportunities to explore innovative educational practices that contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning during the early years.
It offered a valuable platform for sharing successful educational experiences, discussing emerging approaches to early childhood learning, and exploring creative ways to design engaging learning environments that respond to children’s individual needs, interests and stages of development. It also highlighted the importance of nurturing curiosity, encouraging exploration and providing meaningful opportunities for children to learn through discovery.
The programme featured three specialised workshops, each offering practical insights and innovative approaches to enriching early years education:
- Dr Najia Al Kaabiya – “Guiding Children’s Behaviour”
This workshop explored effective approaches to understanding and guiding children’s behaviour, highlighting the importance of responding to different situations with awareness, patience and flexibility. It also emphasised positive guidance strategies that help build trusting relationships, encourage positive behaviours and create a supportive environment in which children feel valued, respected and confident. - Mai Al Taimimi – “The Learning Corners Innovation Lab: From Wonder to Discovery”
This session focused on the creative design and development of learning corners that inspire children to explore, experiment and discover through play. It highlighted how thoughtfully organised learning spaces and carefully selected resources can transform everyday classroom experiences into meaningful learning opportunities, encouraging curiosity, independence, critical thinking and creativity. - Salsabeel – “A Variety of Resources in a Dynamic Learning Environment”
This workshop explored the use of diverse educational resources and materials to create engaging and stimulating learning experiences. It highlighted the importance of introducing varied teaching tools and creative approaches that encourage active participation, support different learning preferences and make the classroom environment more interactive, inclusive and inspiring.
Throughout the workshops, participants took part in a variety of hands-on activities, practical experiments, playful exploration and interactive challenges. These experiences encouraged teachers to actively exchange ideas, share their professional experiences and discover fresh approaches that can be adapted to their own classroom settings.
The practical nature of the sessions also provided opportunities for reflection and experimentation, allowing participants to explore how innovative teaching strategies can make learning more engaging, meaningful and relevant to young children. By combining creativity with purposeful educational experiences, teachers were encouraged to look beyond traditional approaches and consider new ways of supporting children’s development.
The forum also highlighted the importance of continuous professional development in strengthening teaching practices and enhancing the quality of early childhood education. Teachers play a vital role not only in introducing knowledge, but also in creating safe, supportive and stimulating environments where children feel encouraged to ask questions, express their ideas, develop confidence and build essential social, emotional and cognitive skills.
In the early years, learning begins with curiosity, grows through exploration and flourishes through creativity. Providing children with rich and flexible learning environments allows them to discover their abilities, develop independence and build a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Every interaction, activity and discovery contributes to shaping their understanding of the world around them.
The Sultan’s School extends its sincere appreciation to all attendees, contributors and facilitators whose participation and dedication helped make this forum a valuable and enriching educational gathering. Special thanks are extended to the workshop presenters for sharing their knowledge, expertise and inspiring ideas, which contributed to meaningful discussions and new perspectives on early years teaching and learning.
Through initiatives such as this forum, The Sultan’s School reaffirms its commitment to lifelong professional learning, educational collaboration and the continuous development of teaching practices. The school recognises that investing in educators is an investment in the future of every child, and that inspiring learning experiences begin with knowledgeable, creative and passionate teachers who make a lasting difference in the lives of young learners.
