Qatar Foundation (QF) has stressed the importance and crucial role of teachers in moulding the next generation as the new academic year begins. 
It is also noted that teaching is more of an inner call than just a profession as QF highlights the personal experiences of two of its teachers who took to teaching, leaving some very attractive professions.  
Othman al-Omar and Donna Fernandez - both QF teachers - have taken up teaching, as their career of choice while engaged in their original professions . 
In 1988, having completed a diploma in mechanical engineering from Prince Faisal Technical College in Jordan, al-Omar joined the Air Force, where he quickly rose to the rank of crew chief. The role required an unusual level of precision and discipline; al-Omar had to finalise and give the ‘all-clear’ for the pre-flight inspections of fighter planes. 
By the end of his fourth year, al-Omar had begun questioning his career choice. He was a poet at heart; penned his own poems; loved literature; wanted to study further and loved to teach. But his work as an aircraft technician barely left him with the time, or energy, to pursue any of these interests.
Al-Omar poured out his emotions into a poem titled ‘Crew Chief’ – the same poem that, years later, he would read out to his class at Qatar Academy Doha (QA Doha). He often re-read the poem, and, seeing his emotions set out on paper resolved his confusion – it was time for a change. 
Al-Omar completed a four-year bachelor’s degree in Arabic Literature from Yarmouk University in three years. After working at some local schools, he secured a placement as an Arabic teacher at Amman International School. While there, a delegation from QA Doha visited the school, was impressed with Othman’s skills, and made him an offer which he could not refuse. 
Now, 15 years later, he says,  “My years as an aircraft technician drove home the need for discipline and punctuality in every sphere of one’s life. I teach the same to my students at school. As a mechanical engineer, I also have an understanding of advanced math and physics, and this allows me to reach out to more students than a teacher who has learnt only a single subject.”
His previous career also taught the importance of staying fit and healthy and had developed  sport activities that had been a part of his daily routine in the air force. When he joined QA Doha, the staff were delighted to learn that he was a first-rate volleyball player as well.
“I wouldn’t be able to coach the QA Doha volleyball team for international tournaments were it not for my sport training in the military,” says Othman. “When people like me join teaching, we bring additional skills that enhance our teaching capabilities.”
Al-Omar, moved to Qatar with the intention of leaving after three years, and says the reason he has stayed for 15 years is entirely due to the support he has received from the school’s leadership. 
Fernandez, a Grade 2 lead teacher at QA Doha was a successful litigator in the US, six years ago. She who was on her way to becoming a partner in a reputable law firm, when she decided to give up her law career and take up a profession that she felt was challenging, but far more satisfying – teaching.
Fernandez completed a master’s degree in education from the US, and then worked as a teacher in Chicago and Singapore, before deciding to relocate to Doha. 
“When you’re working as a litigator in a law firm, you must give attention to the smallest of details, you need to plan, prepare and deliver briefs that are sharp and succinct, and you develop excellent time management skills,” she says. “Now as a teacher, I find that I’m able to organise, fine-tune and teach lessons that convey information in a concise yet interesting manner.”
The former lawyer also feels that the years she spent handling medical-legal cases not only honed her ability to thoroughly research a topic, but also taught her to expect the unexpected – two traits which she says are indispensable to teaching. 
“All you need is the enthusiasm - Qatar Foundation provides you with the opportunity,” she explains. “I’ve attended a whole range of courses, from specialised courses conducted by the International Baccalaureate organisation, to workshops held by the Education Development Institute, under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation Pre-University Education.”
Both al-Omar and Fernandez feel that it is the trust that QA Doha has placed in them, and the belief in their commitment and expertise, that has helped them settle down and succeed.