“A phenomenal guy.”
That’s how Tes Schools Awards judges described Abed Ahmed when they presented him with this year’s New Teacher of the Year award.
On Twitter he is known as @stammer_teacher. And it is his impressive determination and work in helping both himself and others to prevent the difficulty from holding them back that has made the maths teacher such an inspirational figure.
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Ahmed’s own stammer once led to him being told that he could never become a teacher. But in 2019 he has continued to go from strength to strength - not only achieving good results at Washwood Heath Academy in Birmingham - but also running stammer support groups in local schools where he helps pupils become confident and to accept their stammer and be happy.
A friend said: “He helps them to become happy. He acts as a role model to these young people and does many fun confidence building activities. For example, they do role play, interview techniques and he gives them a chance to get anything off their chest.”
Ahmed also runs support groups for adults who stammer, and gives basic training to school staff about how to support pupils who stammer. And his work has been recognised nationally, including by politicians. He is also a trustee for the British Stammering Association.
Battling against adversity
But Tes judges learned that life hasn’t be plain-sailing for Ahmed after reading a testimony from the friend who said he almost didn’t make it as a teacher because of his stammer.
“I know that he has struggled to get to where he is,” added the friend. “He was rejected for many of his ITT [initial teacher training] applications but persevered and went back to train as a teacher at the school he attended.”
“He is going strength to strength and is flourishing in his new role as teaching and learning lead within his own maths department.
Ahmed, who hopes to become a headteacher one day, says teaching is not always about results, but about making a child grow into good person.
