After observing a magician’s act, one might attempt to replicate his tricks; but without understanding the underlying principles, true mastery remains elusive. This analogy mirrors my experience with the educational system, in which the true ‘magic’ lies not merely in the content delivered, but also in the pedagogy—the methods through which knowledge is conveyed and understanding is fostered.

As a trainer of chemistry teachers, I believe my role is to unveil these pedagogical ‘secrets,’ equipping educators with the strategies and techniques necessary to transform their classrooms into spaces where curiosity thrives and critical thinking is cultivated. When this happens, a deep, enduring passion for learning is ignited.

My career choice was driven by a desire to enhance chemistry teaching. My goal was, and remains, to elevate chemistry education on a global scale.

In October 2023, my commitment was recognized when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Education nominated me as a highly recommended trainer for specialized training of chemistry teachers across the country. The training is held at the end of each academic year and organized by the Ministry of Education.

Despite this being my opportunity to enhance chemistry education through its messengers, which might seem straightforward, I think it carries a double responsibility. Since the way I convey knowledge to the teachers will ultimately influence how their students understand it, I feel that I am accountable not only for the teachers but also for their students. My goal is to create an environment where chemistry educators, feel acknowledged, respected, and empowered.

As a chemistry teacher trainer, I work with educators who have 5 to 12 years of experience, each of whom has their own deeply-held teaching philosophies. I have a responsibility to ensure that the knowledge I provide is impactful and relevant to their established practices. Moreover, given their experience, I think it is important that I am especially mindful of my approach, methods, and teaching style.

Readiness

My readiness to lead these training sessions was not just about preparing content; it was about preparing myself to lead a room full of experienced professionals. I needed to cultivate a level of emotional intelligence, adaptability, and leadership that went beyond traditional teaching skills. My focus was on creating an environment where these educators feel respected, supported, and open to exploring new approaches, despite our differences in age and background.

As I prepared for my first training, I was deeply absorbed in reading The Toyota Way¹, a book that explores the reasons behind Toyota’s leadership in manufacturing and management. The book introduces 14 distinctive principles that can significantly impact one’s life, including long-term thinking, respect for people, continuous improvement, and effective leadership. Among the various management principles discussed in the book, Kanban in particular resonated with me, and motivated me to explore others. I frequently relied on Kanban in stressful situations to manage my time effectively. Figure 2 shows an example of how I used a Kanban board to prepare myself to lead the training sessions.

The Kanban system² is a straightforward way to keep multiple priorities on track as they move from the planning stage to completion, and to make adjustments and improvements along the way. When I use Kanban to organize my activities, I begin by listing all the tasks I need to do in the To Do column, on color-coded PostIt notes. Once I accomplish a task, I move its note into the In Progress column. Later, when a task is complete, I move it into the Completed column.

Each day, I review my Kanban board to see what tasks remain to be done. This ensures that I haven’t forgotten anything, and also gives me a reminder to think about any additional improvements I could make. By regularly updating and reviewing the Kanban board, I stay organized, maintain focus and motivation, and reduce my stress. I also get reminders to celebrate successes, while making adjustments based on feedback and observations to improve the process next time.

As I worked with the educators whom I’m training, I’m guided by several core strategies:

• Engage with Teachers’ Experiences and Practices
I listened carefully to understand the diverse experiences, philosophical teaching approaches, and challenges participants identify. This helped me tailor the training to address their specific challenges and enhance their teaching methodologies.

• Facilitate Scholarly Dialogue
I strove to foster an environment of scholarly dialogue, where educators were encouraged to talk about their successes, challenges, and teaching philosophies. I tried to use the same kind of collaborative learning model that many educators want to implement in their own classrooms.

• Promote the Sharing of Best Practices and Philosophies
I provided a place where educators could learn from one another by sharing their own best practices and pedagogical philosophies.

• Ensure Practical Application and Theoretical Relevance
The goal was for each participant to leave with actionable insights grounded in educational theory that they could implement immediately to enhance their teaching practice.

Application

During the training, I relied on several Japanese management methodologies as I learned from The Toyota Way, in an effort to ensure that each session was effective, engaging, met the participants’ needs, and achieved the training objectives:

Step 1: Nemawashi (Building Consensus): At the beginning of the session, I talked with participants to understand their expectations, teaching philosophies, and specific challenges. This initial dialogue helped me align the training objectives and foster a collaborative atmosphere. It also served as a useful icebreaker, helping to build rapport within the group.

Step 2: Gemba (Go to the Source): To contextualize the training, I incorporated real-world examples and case studies that were directly relevant to the participants’ teaching environments. I encouraged them to share their own classroom experiences, which allowed us to focus on practical solutions they could immediately apply.

Step 3: Kanban (Visual Management): I arranged the day’s agenda with a Kanban board (see Figure 3), which detailed the topics to be addressed and monitored our progress throughout the session. This visual tool kept participants focused and provided a clear overview of the training structure, and they responded positively to this approach.

Step 4: PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act): Throughout the session, I followed the PDCA cycle in order to align the training with the participants’ needs. I began by presenting the training objectives (Plan), engaged participants in activities and discussions (Do), gathered feedback through quick surveys and discussions (Check), and made real-time adjustments based on their input (Act).

Step 5: Hansei (Self-Reflection): I incorporated multiple moments for self-reflection throughout the session. After each major topic or activity, I paused to let participants consider what they had learned and how it could be applied to their teaching. These reflections reinforced the content and fostered a deeper comprehension.

Step 6: Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): I encouraged participants to think about how they could make small, incremental improvements in their teaching practices based on what they had learned. At the end of the session, I invited them to share one small change they planned to implement, and how they would evaluate its effectiveness.

Step 7: Genchi Genbutsu: Finally, I treated the session as a craft, ensuring that every interaction, explanation, and activity was executed with care and precision. I closed the session by encouraging participants to adopt this mindset in their teaching, viewing their roles as educators as a craft that requires dedication and continuous refinement.

Challenges and solutions

As this was my first time leading a training session, I encountered some challenges. While I had anticipated and planned for some of these issues during the Kanban planning process, others were unforeseen, adding to the pressure of the situation.

Challenge #1: Addressing Complex Inquiries — While I expected to face challenging questions, I couldn’t predict their exact nature. For example, during the discussions, the teachers did not always share the same viewpoints; some disagreed with each other’s methods, and with me. In my view, this is the most significant challenge a trainer might encounter. The session focused on teaching organic chemistry, and one teacher asked me, “How do you handle situations where students struggle to grasp abstract concepts, like stereochemistry or molecular interactions, without resorting to rote memorization?”

To effectively respond to complex questions such as these, I applied the principle of Genchi Genbutsu, Go and See for Yourself. This involved redirecting the question back to the teachers, as some had already considered and implemented solutions. Then, I turned to the teacher who initially asked the question to hear her thoughts on the shared ideas and suggestions. This approach encouraged her to gradually reflect on a solution tailored to her students’ thinking and learning styles. By connecting my response to real-world examples from their experiences, I demonstrated how the proposed strategies could be effectively applied in participants’ diverse classroom environments, making my answers more practical and persuasive.

Additionally, I incorporated the principle of Respect for People by responding to critiques with openness and respect. By acknowledging participants’ perspectives and engaging in constructive dialogue, I addressed concerns collaboratively, built trust, and ensured that participants felt valued in the training process. Occasionally, some teachers disagreed with or expressed doubts about others’ suggestions. In these cases, I acknowledged their concern and respectfully showed the benefit of each suggestion and how we can improve them.

Challenge #2: Resistance to New Teaching Strategies — I’ve observed that some newer teachers are highly motivated and eager to adopt innovative training strategies, technologies, and approaches. However, some more experienced teachers seemed deeply committed to their established methods and less open to change. I believe that respecting experienced teachers is crucial, as the Kaizen principle emphasizes.

One way I do so is by pairing experienced teachers with newer teachers. This collaboration allows the experienced teachers to share their wealth of knowledge, while the newer teachers often contribute fresh, creative ideas. The experienced teachers can evaluate these ideas through their seasoned perspective, and provide advice about their practical application. This approach not only made the experienced teachers feel appreciated and recognized for their expertise, but also cultivated a sense of respect among all participants. By working collaboratively in groups, they ultimately developed innovative and creative ideas rooted in both experience and new perspectives.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, my first experience leading a training session for teachers taught me that appreciation is a cornerstone of success. You cannot truly feel successful in a place where your efforts go unnoticed, or where you feel you’re not having a meaningful impact. Success becomes fulfilling only when it is shared and acknowledged by others. Moreover, the success of any training session is not a personal achievement; rather, it hinges on the growth and accomplishments of the participants.

Later, when I received the participants’ feedback, their reactions and comments spoke volumes. A common thread in their responses was the respectful and positive atmosphere of the training. This was the most valuable lesson I took away from the experience, and it’s a principle I am committed to emphasizing in every future session.

References

¹Liker, J. K. The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer, 1st Edition; McGraw Hill: New York, 2004.

²Adapted from Kanban University website. https://kanban.university/kanban-guide/#kanban-method (accessed Feb 24, 2025).