Building Communities of Practice With Coaches and Teachers in Lebanon

By Sara Kassab and Abbass Maanna, Project Leads with Childhood Education International

What happens when teachers are given the space, not just the training, to lead their own learning? In Lebanon, Childhood Education International (CE International) is finding out, one community of practice at a time.

Our work in Lebanon began years ago through the Quality Holistic Professional Learning project, led by CE International.  Over the years, we partnered with teachers across private, public, and non-formal sectors, offering professional development in asset-based teaching, social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and differentiated instruction — all aimed at strengthening teacher wellbeing, leadership, learning, and innovation. Working in a context marked by displacement and ongoing conflict, we saw something powerful emerge: teachers wanted more than workshops. They wanted spaces to lead each other, reflect together, and work through the challenges of their classrooms side by side.

That insight shaped our current pilot, developed in collaboration with World Learning: a cascaded model connecting CE International consultants with 15 coaches, who in turn lead communities of practice with 60 teachers across North of Lebanon.

The pilot opened with a workshop designed to build psychological safety, shared identity, and a clear understanding of what a community of practice truly is; distinct from a network, a team, or a one-off training. Coaches explored the realities and tensions within their own coaching contexts, and left with a shared vision and a personal commitment statement to guide their work.

From there, coaches began a five-module online course, Leading and Sustaining Communities of Practice in Education in Displacement and Emergency Settings, paired with biweekly coaching sessions where they apply what they learn directly with their teachers. Progress is tracked through rubrics measuring mindset shift, shared purpose, and collaboration, alongside pre- and post-assessments, surveys, and focus group discussions.

Coaches are already noticing the difference. “These spaces are free,” one coach reflected, “and they give us — and the teachers — an open and reflective space to plan, apply, and come back together to exchange knowledge.” An education specialist echoed the same need: “Time is a real challenge, and we don’t always have the opportunity to meet with teachers. These spaces come naturally.” Others described the workshop itself as revealing “the whole image” — how teachers, parents, community members, policymakers, and curriculum all connect — insight that daily routines rarely make visible. As one coach put it, “we look forward to more learning in this community of practice journey.” Another added that, more than solutions, what teachers need most is to feel “that they are not alone.”

As coaches begin leading their own communities of practice with teachers, CE International remains alongside them — coaching the coaches, listening, and adjusting as the work unfolds. Our hope is simple but ambitious: that teachers across Lebanon find in each other the support, trust, and shared purpose to navigate their classrooms, even amid displacement and crisis — and that these communities of practice grow into sustainable, teacher-owned spaces that outlast the pilot itself.

About the Authors

Sara Kassab
Sara Kassab is a Senior Project Consultant at Childhood Education International and E-Learning Specialist at the American University of Beirut. She holds a Master’s degree in Science Education and specializes in instructional design, digital learning, and the development of educational and capacity-strengthening programs.

Abbass Maanna
Abbass Maanna is a Project Lead at Childhood Education International, specializing in teacher professional development and leadership, and Communities of Practice. He holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Management and brings over 10 years of experience as a teacher, trainer, consultant, and education manager in Lebanon.