Meet some “NEW” people: English Teacher Shereen Gharseldin
Shereen Gharseldin is one of the English teachers at Newcomer Women’s Services.
BY REMA AL NADER
Shereen Gharseldin knows what it feels like to be the “sore thumb that sticks out.” When she was six, her family moved to Canada from Egypt. Suddenly everything that was at once familiar—food, friends and culture—was turned upside down. It imbued in her a profound understanding and empathy for newcomers. She brings that sensitivity and awareness to her work with the English students attending classes at Newcomer Women’s Services.
“When we came to Canada, we lived in a primarily white neighbourhood with one culture and religious affiliation,” Shereen explains. “We were the only family who were different from everyone else, and we weren’t able to speak English. It’s not an experience you easily forget.” Shereen credits her third-grade teacher with helping her adapt to her new life. “I was an introvert, and she exposed me to challenging situations and to people she knew I would flourish with. She recognized my insecurities and understood that this was the best way for me to learn and grow.
"With my students at NEW, I try to be that helping hand that guides them through the obstacles they may be facing.”
Shereen Gharseldin
Shereen says her greatest joy is when students come to her and say they can do something on their own without assistance or a translator. Knowing that she’s taught them how to rely on themselves and to trust their instincts, is immensely rewarding. It’s those kinds of outcomes that keep Shereen motivated to take her two-hour commute from Pickering to work every day. “There are schools in my neighbourhood, but this is the work I love to do,” she says. “I’m here because these women are amazing!”
Shereen credits her students for also having a significant influence on her life. “One student who came from Russia didn’t speak one word of English,” she recalls. “She brought her little girl to class; she would stay late to ask questions and do extra work. She went from the beginners’ class to the advanced class where she later graduated and is now attending a college program. Another student—who was from Syria and who moved to Canada with her three kids against her family’s wishes—took my beginners’ class, moved to the intermediate class and is now in my advanced class and is ready to graduate.”
Shereen Gharseldin with her siblings when they arrived in Canada from Egypt.
Shereen also credits her years studying urban planning at the University of Windsor with helping her become the outspoken, confident and empowered woman she is today. It was during this transitional period in her life that she gained a new understanding of her faith, which included her decision to wear the hijab.
“I have always been a spiritual person but when I was about to graduate and enter a new phase in my life, I decided then that I would take this step. I showed up to class one day with it on and nobody knew who I was. My family was in shock as both my mother and sisters didn’t wear it—but I was proud of my decision and didn’t allow others to influence my decision. It shaped me; it was like beginning a new chapter in life. I was achieving my goals as a visible minority.”
After she graduated, Shereen worked as an environmental planner in the public and private sector. In 2014 she decided she wanted to be more involved with her local community so she began volunteering for a school that taught Embodied English (EE). (This is a program that offers ESL students training on how to adopt a native speaker’s accent and to use non-verbal expressions.)
While she was at the EE school, she met Elizabeth Wickwire, who also teaches at NEW and who told her about a job opening at the agency.
“She’s become a treasured mentor,” says Shereen. “Elizabeth fights for equality, no matter what. She’s always striving to do more and find new ways to improve her teaching. It’s very inspiring. When I met her, I had only taught at high schools or private schools—I had never been in an environment that was so grassroots and community-driven, it made me want to be a part of it.”
She had two other pivotal experiences in her early 20s—she fell in love and became a mother. “I went from being a part of university student clubs, doing a million things at once, to suddenly having to be home all the time and caring for my son, being a wife and mother; it was a complete transition.”
This shift in her life required patience and a belief in herself. These are lessons she imparts with her students who are struggling to adjust to their new lives in Canada.
"I tell them it gets easier and that things get better when you give yourself a chance. A fulfilling life is rooted in connection and community. I want to bring people together and help create a world that is more accepting and more compassionate."
Shereen Gharseldin
Shereen says that she sees this transformation happen with her students—who arrive in the country as strangers and go on to develop meaningful connections that transcend their differences. “There have been times when I’ve been shocked by certain discriminatory beliefs and ideas some students hold. Many of these students don’t arrive from multicultural and accepting countries; therefore, their exposure to people who are different from them is limited. I try to use education to remedy these situations when they arise, and emphasize acceptance within my classroom.”
Shereen hopes it’s a perspective that helps them through their settlement journey in Canada and beyond.
Shereen with her students in the women-only English program at Newcomer Women’s Services.
