Since its conception, LEVEL 5 has been a creative space, a place to innovate, and a place for authentic learning experiences. The LEVEL 5 mission and RVIS’s vision to “Lead the Future of Learning” share the common goal of activating the educational community in Bahrain, the MENA region, and beyond. This has been done through weekend workshops, community events exploring creativity, and TeachMeets (gatherings for teachers from around Bahrain and Saudi Arabia).

In these challenging times, events have been postponed and much of the professional development has been canceled. However, on Tuesday of this week, LEVEL 5 decided to trial the first Virtual TeachMeet to provide similar professional learning to educators in the comfort and safety of their own home. What happened turned out to be truly impactful. Educational Speakers from across the MENA region and as far away as Sweden shared a wide range of topics with an overall theme of improving virtual schooling.

During face to face TeachMeets, participants usually attend from Bahrain and across the causeway in Saudi Arabia. The going digital allowed for the learning to reach a global audience. Over 100 educators from North and South America, Europe, East Asia, and all the way to Australia attended the event to learn, collaborate and grow.

We were proud to have three members of the RVIS staff present. Beth Terry shared some innovative ways to support students with synchronous learning, Sharmeen Moosa explained how she is building an engaging digital environment for her students, and Tara Waudby discussed how building a strong community comes first in times of challenge. The success of this event has led to the launch of a second Virtual TeachMeet in May! Thank you to all the educators who participated in the event. Our children benefit from the care and dedication you put in each and every day.