Our Mission
If you are wondering how to learn Farsi online, the answer is Ferdowsi Farsi School. The school is a Farsi school dedicated to making learning the Farsi language accessible, fun, and engaging for each and every child. With a combined 23 years of experience in teaching the Farsi language to non-native speakers from Farsi speaking families, we have evolved our methods and advanced our curriculums to adhere to the ever-changing and advancing field of education. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our ability to teach in the regular classroom setting, we decided to explore the world of online education on our own. What started as a combination of prerecorded and live videos for our local students, lead to our virtual classes reaching different cities and countries around the world. It was this experience that motivated us to create a platform in which kids can become a part of a community of learners, and will not only be able to, but be excited to learn the beautiful Farsi language.
We have now also added in-person classes in Toledo, Ohio for the coming 2023-24 school year!
Our Teaching Philosophy
Our teaching philosophy has been developed over years of experience teaching Farsi speakers outside of Iran, as well as research in the educational field. Over time, we have learned that students who don't speak Farsi as their first language, learn very differently than students who do. Therefore, the same techniques cannot be used to teach them. Often times, we try to teach with the same style and materials as kids who are learning how to read and write their first language every day in school. This approach, creates an unbalanced system where kids are given either too much homework to compensate for the time that they are (or rather not) in school, or they are given too much information at once in a style that is not beneficial to them. As a result, kids' interest in learning Farsi inevitably dwindles and they are forced to continue learning by their parents. Even if a child was to complete their education in this way, they would not be interested in furthering their Farsi skills and education in their life. Our main goal is to spark a genuine interest in learning in these kids.
Over the years, we have learned that the better model for teaching second-language learners is guided by the following.
We do not need to complete one year of formal Iranian education in a (weekend) school year. Instead, we developed a curriculum that covers everything, but combines lessons and resources in a way that eases kids through their Farsi-learning journey.
As an example, our model allows kids to learn the alphabet in two years, in order to create a strong foundation, which is crucial to their ability to read and write.
Another tool that we use is the "Flipped Classroom" method highlighted famously by Khan Academy, in which lessons are recorded for kids to listen to on their own time and at their own pace, and live sessions (either virtual or in person) are used to reinforce the materials learned and to solve any problems.
The world and methodology of education is constantly changing, and therefore we are too. We are constantly revising our curriculums and are always open to suggestion on how we can improve.
About Our Teachers
Dr. Fatemeh Karbaschi
Dr. Fatemeh Karbaschi (خاله فاطمه ) has been teaching Farsi since 2000 in Philadelphia, Blacksburg, and Dearborn. Traveling to Dearborn, MI every Saturday has been a day trip from her home in Ohio that she has taken with joy for the past 16+ years! She is a licensed pharmacist in Ohio and Michigan. Her main passion, however, is teaching kids. Her first two students were her two daughters Hadyeh and Hoda who both now are teaching the Farsi language.
Hoda Elahinia
Hoda Elahinia is a college student and a proud Farsi school alumna. For the last 5 years, she has been teaching the alphabet to first graders at her Farsi school alma mater. She has great memories from all her Farsi classes, and has been working to pass on those same fond memories to her students in her classroom for the past 5+ years, through lively and hands-on activities. Although she graduated from her Farsi school, she still continues to learn Farsi calligraphy and poetry.
Maryam Ghannadi
Maryam Ghannadi recieved her masters in Farsi literature in Iran. In Michigan, she taught Farsi classes for children as well as Farsi literature classes for adults for eight years. Today, she lives in Australia and teaches Masnavi, Boostan, Golestan, and more poetry to children of various ages. She hopes to make Farsi Literature accessible and fun for children.
Zeinab Mashayekhi
Zeinab Mashayekhi is a graphic designer and certified visual art educator in the state of Michigan. She has been teaching art for over 10 years to kids of all different age groups and levels. She is very excited to be part of the Ferdowsi Farsi School staff as an art teacher.