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We talk with Neal Oates, Principal of Star International School in Mirdif, Dubai, about leading with kindness while still holding the line on standards.

We explore how resilient school teams are built long before a crisis, and why human connection matters more than any tool.

• Neal’s route into education from industry and why fulfilment matters
• Growing into leadership in the UAE through visibility, impact and persistence
• Kindness as a non-negotiable leadership value
• Trust as the foundation for high-performing teams
• Accountability with kindness and why clear expectations reduce conflict
• Staff resilience during uncertainty and what support actually helps
• Cohesion in leadership teams and aligning around shared direction
• Returning to school after disruption with wellbeing and emotional regulation
• Pushback on overhyped edtech and concerns about data and motives
• Protecting face-to-face learning and community as the core of schooling
Visit our website, teachmiddleeast.com, and follow us on social media. The links are in the show notes.

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Teach Middle East Magazine is the premier platform for educators and the entire education sector in the Middle East and beyond. Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools they need to function optimally in and out of the classroom. We provide a space for educators to connect and find inspiration, resources, and forums to enhance their teaching techniques, methodologies, and personal development. We connect education suppliers and service providers to the people who make the buying decisions in schools.

Visit our website https://linktr.ee/teachmiddleeast.

Tweet us: https://twitter.com/teachmiddleeast

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachmiddleeast/.

Hosted by Leisa Grace Wilson

Connect with Leisa Grace:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leisagrace

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/

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We talk with Yasser Naveed about the growing AI divide between students and the adults meant to guide them, and why the real danger is not AI but ungoverned use. We share clear guardrails for home and school, so children gain the benefits of AI without losing trust, judgment, or independence.

• AI as a “Ferrari with no brakes” when there is no governance
• hallucinations, false confidence and the need to verify outputs
• data privacy risks, scams and deepfakes hitting families
• the new divide between teachers and students, plus parents and kids
• “control without controlling” through co-learning and daily check-ins
• classroom benefits like faster quizzes, differentiated materials and support with marking
• avoiding brain shortcut dependence by keeping routines and principles
• Why relationships matter when kids seek comfort from chatbots
• the age question after Covid and why exposure is unavoidable

Connect with Yasir Naveed Riaz on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasirnaveed/

Support the show

Teach Middle East Magazine is the premier platform for educators and the entire education sector in the Middle East and beyond. Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools they need to function optimally in and out of the classroom. We provide a space for educators to connect and find inspiration, resources, and forums to enhance their teaching techniques, methodologies, and personal development. We connect education suppliers and service providers to the people who make the buying decisions in schools.

Visit our website https://linktr.ee/teachmiddleeast.

Tweet us: https://twitter.com/teachmiddleeast

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachmiddleeast/.

Hosted by Leisa Grace Wilson

Connect with Leisa Grace:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leisagrace

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/

Send us Fan Mail

We trace Mike Gilmour’s journey from Cape Town to Dubai, unpack how apartheid shaped his lens on inclusion, and dig into the daily mechanics of building a healthy school culture. We also explore AI’s pressure on old models and the human work that must endure.

• early life in South Africa and university lessons on diversity
• path from nonprofit sport to teaching and leadership
• international moves, Singapore to Dubai, and why each mattered
• What makes Dubai American Academy distinctive
• leadership strengths: communication, organisation, presence
• practical culture builders and boundary setting
• autonomy, fewer meetings, no after-hours email norm
• wellbeing habits, family life, and modelling balance
• AI’s coming shock to education and the human edge that remains

Support the show

Teach Middle East Magazine is the premier platform for educators and the entire education sector in the Middle East and beyond. Our vision is to equip educators with the materials and tools they need to function optimally in and out of the classroom. We provide a space for educators to connect and find inspiration, resources, and forums to enhance their teaching techniques, methodologies, and personal development. We connect education suppliers and service providers to the people who make the buying decisions in schools.

Visit our website https://linktr.ee/teachmiddleeast.

Tweet us: https://twitter.com/teachmiddleeast

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachmiddleeast/.

Hosted by Leisa Grace Wilson

Connect with Leisa Grace:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leisagrace

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisagrace/