Teachers: Role Models Who Change Lives

“The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. If he is indeed wise, he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.”

-Kahlil Gibran

When we think of our teachers, we don’t always remember the ones who taught us math and science, but rather those who taught us life’s lessons. We recall the ones who changed us, the ones that left a fingerprint on our lives, and the ones who we owe our transformed and meaningful lives to!

Here at BethBC, we are so grateful for the exceptional and qualified faculty we have, as they take on a large role in shaping and creating the lives of our students, who are to become future leaders in churches and communities.

I want to specifically mention a teacher who underwent a sizeable transition in his position since he started working at BethBC. This professor, a well-educated and dedicated young man with a big vision is Mr. Haytham Deik the Tour Guide Program Coordinator.

Haytham is a walking encyclopedia. You can ask him anything related to history, geography, and any historical eras, and he will be ready to give you an insightful answer!

What better way to know about a teacher than to ask his students! I met with some of Haytham’s students and asked them some questions about him as a teacher and a person:

“Mr. Haytham is a very encouraging teacher. He is so close to us, inspires us all the time, and he has an amazing way in teaching and in passing on information.”

Another student added: “He has an interesting way in narrating the historical stories. He creates a healthy and beautiful atmosphere in the class, allowing each one of us to share anything we think,  and he respects that. He is also constantly looking into new research and studies. Everyone that meets Haytham and learns from him becomes more in love with their homeland, its history, and geography.” 

One of the students agreed: “Mr. Haytham’s information about anything related to tour guiding is always updated. He is on the lookout for every new historical research, and that helps us a lot as students. He makes us love the field of tour guiding more and more every day.”

Another student said: “Mr. Haytham encourages us to continue despite all the difficulties we face, mainly because most of us work and study at the same time. He keeps pushing us to continue and to believe in ourselves, and that has made all the difference.”

About teaching and his role as a teacher, Haytham commented:

“The teacher can change a student’s life; he is a role model. He teaches ethics and life lessons more than curriculum. I always say that the important thing is, ‘what will the students remember about their teacher after they graduate?’”

Haytham added: “Teaching is a tough career. You have to give the information to your students with honesty and dedication, and at the same time, you have to influence the students’ lives and see them change in front of you. It is indeed a hard career. You have to put all your energy in it, to love the students and respect them, and at the same time you have to be strict in order to raise a strong student for their field of work.” 

He continued: “The field of tour guiding is not easy; it has a lot of history! I try my best to make it entertaining by using pictures and telling historical stories in an interesting way in order to break the ice in class. The courses are taught in the afternoon, and I know that the students are very tired, so my work is double because I have to energize and teach them at the same time.”

“I try to teach them to be humble, no matter where they end up in life. A humble tour guide is a very important thing. Be humble, and always remember who helped you in the first place. Remember who you are serving.” 

Much of what the students learn from their greatest teachers is not related to a program or a book. Teachers who helped us grow as healthy people, and helped us fulfill our callings are the ones we appreciate, love and have in our hearts years after we graduate!

On this World Teacher’s Day, we thank God for all the teachers out there, especially BethBC’s faculty members who are helping to fulfill the mission and vision of the
College!