Foundations Newsletter

Name: Azzam Premji

Campus: ADWC City Campus

Teaching Levels: 2 and 3

Years at HCT: 9 years

What’s your hometown? I come from Vancouver, BC, Canada, which is located just north of Seattle, USA. Vancouver is quite a picturesque city with the sea in the forefront and the mountains in the back ground. It is a cosmopolitan city representing nations from around the world. Although it is quite urban, most Vancouverites are actively involved in taking parts in the outdoors. Located in the rainforest, it rains cats and dogs in Vancouver.

What food do you miss from your hometown? I really miss the food available in the summer in Vancouver. Specifically, this entails wild salmon, fresh corn and blueberries. In the beginning of summer, we compete with the bears for the berries. Towards the end of the summer, wild salmon return to the rivers to spawn, and the fisherman have a field day catching them as they make their run upriver.

What was your first job? My first job was a paperboy when I was 12 years old. I recall waking my sleepy eyes at 4:30 am and delivering newspapers to houses around the neighborhood. Back then, I found it quite challenging, and now I realize how useful it was to learn to work hard as well as earn some pocket money.

What was your favorite teacher like? I vividly recall my favourite high school teacher – Mr Rowley was a chemistry teacher who exuded  enthusiasm. Although I never became a chemist myself, I still recall the passion for the subject and learning in general. It was in his class that I realized the importance of doing something well. Perhaps he is the reason that I got into education – the need to inspire others.

What’s your favorite sport/team/ athlete? My favourite sport to watch is the cycling race Tour de France. This year, two of the early favourites were eliminated early to due to injuries – Chris Froome and Alberto Conta Nevertheless, Vicent Nibali deservedly won the tour. Unfortunately, the Tour De France had been marred with doping scandals in the past, resulting in Lance Armstrong being stripped of his 7 tour wins. Since then, the tour organisers have been vigilant with enforcing the doping bans.

Azzam’s work was featured in the February 2015 Foundations Newsletter for lessons he created for the Freya theater event. He created a mini LBD which compared and contrasted Bedouin cultures to ancient Nordic culture. The link to those documents and sample work is here: https://app.box.com/s/5e6u5ba8otsw8t1mqvlf3i824kt261d2