Free Articles

This page contains many articles I've written over the years in pursuit of learning, reflection, and personal development.

Themes include productivity, wellbeing, teaching, defusing bullying, culture, heritage, facilitation & more.

You will find that some of these posts are originally published on LinkedIn.

Blog: Text

Sumbella

Apr 1, 20241 min read

Memorable Moments from Bahrain

[#appreciation, #training + teachers of #Bahrain] I got back from Bahrain the day before. It was the second time I’ve been there (did you...

Sumbella

Mar 28, 20241 min read

Embracing the Spirit of Eid al-Adha

[#wellbeing + #breaks + #eid #aladha] Happy eid :) The UAE is an Islamic country, and one of the perks of working there - whether you’re...

Sumbella

Mar 28, 20242 min read

Motivational Cheers Across Languages

[#teachers + #languages + #motivation] We all need a little motivation - especially at the end of any kind of project or phase. You know,...

Sumbella

Mar 28, 20242 min read

Indicators of a Good Online Workshop

[#facilitation] ‘So what does a good online workshop look like for you?’ - I was asked this question the weekend before by Alex Gray for...

Sumbella

Mar 28, 20241 min read

“A change is as good as a rest.”

[#quoteoftheday + #update] “A change is as good as a rest”. Apparently, this is a quote originating from the Victorian era. Hello from...

Sumbella

Mar 28, 20242 min read

Maximising Productivity Amidst Year-End

[#productivity + #timeoff] What’s a great way to make sure you get lots done in a short time frame? Book time off at the most awkward...

The Power of Language in Teaching and Learning

Sumbella

Mar 25, 20242 min read

The Power of Language in Teaching and Learning

[#teaching + #language] Well, #teachers, I’m here thinking about the power of language today. Today I talked with teachers about the...

Tech Success: Enhancing Training Sessions with Teams

Sumbella

Mar 25, 20242 min read

Tech Success: Enhancing Training Sessions with Teams

[#facilitation + #tech] Hello fellow #teachers in #MENA who are working today (Sunday) too! I just finished delivering two training...

Sumbella

Mar 25, 20242 min read

Highlights from the KSA Trip and Teacher Awards

[#CambridgeMENA + #celebration💃🏻🕺🏽✨] Many of you followed along with the recent #KSA trip where my colleague Ahmed Shalabi...

Sumbella

Mar 25, 20241 min read

Insights from Horses for Educators

[#teaching & #energy] I’ve heard that #horses can hear your heartbeat from a foot or so away. And that when they’re in a herd, their...

Sumbella

Mar 24, 20241 min read

Prioritising Wellbeing in Everyday Life

[#wellbeing + #downtime] Simple things that help me work and feel better when I get some downtime: 🌿Really good sleep. 🌿Hearty...

Sumbella

Mar 24, 20242 min read

Facilitation Reflections

[#facilitation + #learningoutloud] One of my first non-teaching roles was with Oxford University Press, and the first country I was...

Magic in the Classroom: The Power of Teaching

Sumbella

Mar 24, 20241 min read

Magic in the Classroom: The Power of Teaching

[#teaching + #facilitation] I think when you’ve crafted a great learning experience, you’re being a magical teacher. Why magical?...

Sumbella

Mar 24, 20241 min read

Learning from Mums

[#learning from #mums] In the UAE it feels like every other week for a while is Mother’s Day. It happens every year. I start to hear the...

Sumbella

Mar 23, 20242 min read

Learning about Race & Identity (Part 3)

[#learning about #race and #identity] (Part 3) Meet my friend Claire. When I first saw Claire, I wasn’t sure where she may be from… then...

Cultural Awareness in Virtual Facilitation

Sumbella

Mar 23, 20242 min read

Cultural Awareness in Virtual Facilitation

[#facilitation + #culturalawareness / #inclusion✨] When you look at this photo, what do you see behind me? A computer screen? When I look...

Sumbella

Mar 23, 20241 min read

May's Journey: Reboot and Rise

[#positivity + #productivity] Sometimes you don’t need to start something new, you just need to reboot something you loved but left...

Mic Mischief: Finding Humour in Facilitation

Sumbella

Mar 18, 20242 min read

Mic Mischief: Finding Humour in Facilitation

[#facilitation + #humour] At one of our Network & Learn events in #SaudiArabia last week, the ICT Manager was helping us set up the...

Sumbella

Jan 22, 20242 min read

The Citizens Foundation's Annual Dinner

[#wellbeing] Such joy to take some #extracurricular time out to join The Citizens Foundation annual dinner in #Dubai last night....

Sumbella

Apr 17, 20232 min read

#DefuseBullying - Part 4: Speaking Up

Yesterday I joined an #antiracism Session as part of our new Global strategy for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. My favourite...

Blog: Blog2