‘Not Done Yet’: Bangladeshi Teacher has Big Dreams for All Students
| by Hannah Sparling
Mahbuba Shirin did not grow up wanting to be a teacher. She thought she might like to be a journalist or something similarly challenging. Her father, a professor, wanted Shirin and her sister to go into education like him. He advised Shirin to do her bachelor’s degree in English, and then they would figure it out from there.
She earned her bachelor’s and then her master’s in English literature. By that point, she was married and considering an MBA, but her husband was worried it would be difficult to manage two corporate careers while growing a family.
“So I said, ‘OK, family first,’” Shirin said. “And that is when I decided: Teaching is my line.”
From Reluctance to Passion
Despite her initial hesitations, Shirin quickly fell in love with teaching. She loves connecting with her students and feels like they’re an extension of her family. She treasures how kind and caring the children are, with each other and with her. And especially once she had children herself, teaching turned out to be the perfect job.
“What I like is the change I see in my students,” she said. “At the beginning of the year, they come in at one stage, and I see them growing throughout the year. That is the best part of my life, you know?”
At first, Shirin had no trouble getting a teaching job. She started as a lecturer for 11th and 12th grade students, teaching English language and literature. When her husband’s job sent him to another country, and then to others after that, Shirin was able to follow and get a teaching job in each location. They went to the UAE, Iran, Pakistan, Japan, back to Bangladesh, and then over to Australia.
In 2021, the family was back in Japan, and Shirin was job hunting during COVID. This time, though, she wasn’t getting any calls. She couldn’t figure it out: She had her bachelor’s, a master’s, and now years of experience. What was the problem?
Eventually, she got an offer to join a school as a substitute. She took it but also went to her vice principal and asked him directly: Why a sub job? Why didn’t you call me for a permanent position?
He looked over her resume and told her it all looked great except for one thing: She wasn’t certified.
It was that same vice principal who told Shirin about Moreland University, that she could earn her U.S. teaching certification fully online in just 9 months. She enrolled in 2022 and completed the TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program. Later, she did Moreland’s 3-month M.Ed. Add-On, earning her M.Ed. in educational technology.
“With Moreland, I think the best thing is you can choose the time, and you can do the courses from anywhere in the world,” she said.
Early in her career, Shirin was in a very teacher-centered environment. But the school in Japan is more student-centered, and that was a big shift for her. Plus, when she got a permanent job at that same school, it was teaching first grade, another new experience.
“Moreland worked as a guide to me: How classroom management should be, how I should approach the younger learners, classroom safety — those things came to me as I was doing the Moreland course,” she said. “Before, I was used to completing the syllabus. I was used to giving a lecture. But when I did the course with Moreland, my teaching became more student centered, and that helped me a lot.”
‘Not Done Yet’
Shirin is currently in her third year as a 5th grade teacher. She loves spending time with her students and watching them learn and grow. She’s one of the first teachers to arrive at her school in the morning and one of the last to leave at the end of the day. In fact, she likes her job so much that at lunch, instead of taking a break, she prefers to eat with her students so they can talk and get to know each other better.
A few years ago, Shirin was diagnosed with breast cancer. She kept teaching during her treatment, and even though she hid her diagnosis from her students, they could still tell when she was down and were a steady source of encouragement. They’d tell her, “Ms. Shirin, don’t be upset, we are there for you.”
“They used to observe every single bit of change in me, and they supported me so much,” she said. “This job kept me alive. I really enjoy every day of teaching and being with my kids.”
Mahbuba Shirin has traveled and taught in many different countries.
Long term, one of Shirin’s dreams is to get a job teaching at a university. Another is to use what she’s learned, especially with technology, to help underprivileged students in Bangladesh get a solid education. That’s why she did her M.Ed. with Moreland in educational technology.
At first, becoming a teacher was a decision she made for her family.
Now, it has become one of the biggest blessings in her life.
“I think this is the job I’m made for,” she said. “And I’m not done yet.”
Earn your U.S. teaching certificate in as little as 9 months with Moreland University. From there, you have the option to add on a master’s degree in just 3 additional months.
Our programs are fully online, with rolling admissions and monthly start dates.
