Fresh off of his graduation from Yale University with a major in mechanical engineering, new math teacher Mr. Anwar Akkari is eager to step into his new role and hopefully learn as much from the students as they will learn from him.
Growing up in Tunisia, Mr. Akkari tested into and attended a prestigious boarding high school where he first gained experience in teaching. He tutored his fellow students in a variety of subjects including math, physics, chemistry, and language. Once at Yale, his urge to help more students learn stuck with him, as he worked as a teaching assistant for those learning Arabic. Additionally, he served as a peer tutor in math, meaning he helped fellow students in his classes learn and prepare for class. At Haverford, Mr. Akkari will teach pre-calculus and geometry.
“Even though I’m still a new teacher, I’ve fallen in love with the environment and the culture.”
Mr. Anwar Akkari
“One of the biggest things I’m excited about is the experience of becoming a professional and teaching my own class. Based on my early meetings and orientation, I feel like the environment is very supportive and welcoming. It’s a great group of people where everybody is trying to help, everybody is reaching out and that’s something I love. Even though I’m still a new teacher, I’ve fallen in love with the environment and the culture, and I feel like it’s going to be a great year,” Mr. Akkari said.
He is not afraid to learn and adjust to his student’s needs.
“I’m working around teachers who are more experienced in preparing material for their classrooms, so I’m learning from them and creating modules for my students,” Mr. Akkari said. “We’ll see how it works out and then based on student feedback I will be able to work on the rest.”
Yale physics professor Dr. Adriane Steinacker serves as an inspiration for how Mr. Akkari wants to conduct himself.
“She would stay late in office hours,” Mr. Akkari said. “Time and time again she would talk to every student, connecting with her students and helping them finish their homework or prepare for a midterm.”
Teaching at an all-boys school is something that does not worry Mr. Akkari, as he says he has an understanding of what goes on, relying on his experience at the boarding school, where all the dorms were separated by boys and girls.
Having just moved to Philadelphia this summer, Mr. Akkari is still getting acquainted with his surroundings but is eager and excited to help students learn during a unique and unprecedented year.
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