"From a young age, I always loved to teach. Whether it was my toys arranged neatly before me, or teaching the children of neighbourhood servants gathered around me - nothing made me happier than pretending we were in a classroom.
I was supposed to do a masters in International Relations, but fate pulled me in a different direction, and i enrolled in a series of Montessori courses. I started out my career with just a few young children in the basement of my home in 1996, and today, I am running one of Karachi's most highly-ranked Montessori with two buildings in Defence.
My traveling the world and my experience working in schools abroad showed me that education had to be enjoyed. Teaching should not be boring - it had to be fun and engaging. Coming from a traditional school system, I knew that I had to make a change to the way we taught our future generations.
For instance, growing up I never enjoyed the way Urdu was taught. A beautiful language felt reduced to a compulsory subject taught just for a board exam. Which is why I made sure that Urdu was taught in a way that was interesting and engaging for the children. Now, my students perform dialogues, poetry and prose, and debates, entirely in formal Urdu adab.
Somehow, I had always felt a sense of confidence that i would succeed and accomplish my dream of starting my own school. This faith in myself ensured that I had no failures, just hurdles that i quickly overcame. My goal was not only to educate but to provide avenues for children to grow. Which is why at Asma’s Montessori, we encourage individuality, critical analysis and out-of-the-box thinking. We nurture creativity and innovation, allowing students to express themselves with colors, techniques and mediums.
Everything requires effort, and we definitely have to persevere in the face of challenges. Some days, it seems really hard to keep going. But the looks on my children’s faces, the excitement and hope of future in their eyes, urges me on. Even when i want to give up, I keep going, for them. And I don’t think I’ll ever stop."
- Asma Omar - Founder & Head of Creative Academics At Asma's Montessori
www.asmasmontessori.pk