Omar Abusalim
Founder and CEO, String
“I grew up in a house of teachers.” I spent a year designing the STEM program for one of the largest school groups in Saudi Arabia, have written curriculum by hand, trained robotics coaches and sold software into schools, then left that job to build String in Amman.
Posts by Omar Abusalim
How a school can spot absence patterns early
Three absence patterns to catch early — the same weekday, a slow climb, a cluster in one class or bus route — each with an action and owner, and a 20-minute review.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Active learning in a maths lesson: five strategies with steps and timings
Five active learning strategies, each run on a real Grade 6 maths lesson, with the minutes, what the teacher says and the trap that ruins it. A free one-page printable.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Family rules for AI and homework: a printable agreement
A one-page family agreement on AI and homework: what is allowed, what needs asking first, what is off limits, and what to say when a rule is broken. Printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Lesson prep with AI: what to hand over and what to check yourself
What to hand to an AI tool when you prepare a lesson and what to keep, six ready prompts with blanks to fill, and a free printable review checklist (PDF).
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A lesson presentation with AI: from idea to slides in ten minutes
Four rules that make a slide deck teach, a ready prompt with blanks to fill, a full 12-slide outline for one lesson, and a free printable review checklist (PDF).
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Assignments that show real understanding in the age of AI
Six homework tasks redesigned to show what a student understands, not what a tool wrote: before and after, what each asks the student to show, and a free printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A 30-minute staff session on AI
A 30-minute agenda for introducing teachers to AI: the student-data rule, a hands-on task with the exact prompt, and the policy page to hand out. Free printable agenda.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Twenty Arabic prompts for lesson prep, each with blanks to fill
Twenty fill-in-the-blank AI prompts for lesson prep, in Arabic and English, in six groups from planning to parent messages, each with the one check to run on the answer.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
World Arabic Language Day: seven classroom activities for every subject
Seven activities for World Arabic Language Day on 18 December that fit maths, science and English lessons, with minutes and materials. Free printable cards.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
The bar model: how Grade 6 students solve word problems
Five kinds of word problem drawn as bars, each with a worked example and the question that gets students drawing, plus a three-lesson plan. With blank templates to print.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
What to say to your child before an exam
Sentences to say the night before an exam, on the morning and on results day, and the ones to avoid, each with its source, plus when to ask for help. Printable card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
What to ask an app or school about your child's data: six questions
Six questions to ask any app or school about your child's data, what a good answer sounds like, the warning sign for each, a ready message to send, and a printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A one-page AI policy for your classroom
A one-page AI policy students read: allowed, ask first or not allowed for each kind of task, in two age versions, with a disclosure line and a 20-minute lesson.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Six routines that make classroom management easier mid-term
Six classroom routines to rebuild mid-term, from entering to the last two minutes, each with its script and a one-week plan. Free printable card for your desk.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
The diagnostic test before a unit: build it in twenty minutes and read it
Eight diagnostic questions before a Grade 6 fractions unit, each catching one misconception, plus a grid that turns answers into first-week groups. Free printable PDF.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Differentiation without tripling your prep: one fractions worksheet at three levels
A Grade 6 worksheet on adding fractions at three levels for one goal — support, core and stretch — and a way to group students in two minutes from exit tickets. Free PDF.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Depth of Knowledge: questions at every level from one lesson
Webb's four Depth of Knowledge levels, with 16 questions from one lesson on the area of a rectangle, the common labelling mistake, and printable question stems.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
What to ask before the free first year of any platform ends
19 questions to put to any platform before its free year ends: data export, the price after, notice, your data if you leave, contract length and support. Free PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Two review lessons before the end-of-term exam: a ready plan
Two 45-minute review lessons: a retrieval quiz and a round on your class's mistakes, then mixed practice, a game and a self-check. Grade 6 maths example, printable.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
A school exam calendar that prevents pile-ups
A one-page grid showing each class's graded assessments week by week, a daily limit your school decides, a form to collect dates, and how to publish it to families.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Before you print the exam: twelve checks
Twelve checks to run on an exam paper before you print it, with an annotated test page and a one-line reason for each check. A free one-page printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Exit ticket template to print, with questions across subjects
A free printable exit ticket template as a PDF, with exit slip questions you can copy for different subjects and a way to sort the answers before tomorrow's lesson.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 10 min read
A family screen-time agreement you can print
A screen-time agreement your family writes with your child, built on WHO and American Academy of Pediatrics guidance, with what changes by age and a free printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Feedback on student work: short phrases that still sound like you
30 short feedback stems for student work, grouped by situation, in a three-part pattern, plus a way to mark 35 books in one sitting. Free printable card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Why students add the denominators, and the three-minute fix
Why students write 1/2 + 1/3 = 2/5, one diagnostic question that shows the cause, a three-minute fix with fraction strips, and a say-this-not-that table. Printable card.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Eight rules before you print a worksheet
Eight checks to run on a worksheet before you print it, with the same Grade 6 fractions worksheet shown before and after. Free printable checklist, no sign-up.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A Grade 6 fractions worksheet ready to print, and how it is built from one goal
A one-page Grade 6 worksheet on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators: warm-up, five rising items, two word problems, a mistake to explain. Free PDF.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 5 min read
A Grade 6 maths short quiz for the first term, ready to print
An 8-question, 10-minute Grade 6 maths quiz, with one objective per question, what each wrong answer tells you, and a table for reading the results. Free PDF, no sign-up.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
The classroom assessment guide: from exit tickets to unit tests
Which assessment tool to use, when, and how long it takes, from the diagnostic test to results analysis: a table, 14 detailed posts and a printable sheet.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
The hinge question: one mid-lesson question that decides what comes next
A hinge question is a multiple-choice question where every wrong option reveals one misconception. How to write one, 12 examples in four subjects, and a planner to print.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
A home reading plan: 15 minutes a day by age
A weekly home reading chart for ages 4 to 12: who reads, three questions to ask after, how to pick a book at the right level, and Arabic and English in one week.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
How much should you help with homework? A four-rung ladder
A four-rung ladder for helping your child with homework without doing it for them: what to say at each rung, when to stop, and what to tell the teacher. Fridge card PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
How to know your child's level at school without waiting for an exam
A calm week of short checks at home that shows where your child stands at school, with a printable weekly note and questions to take to the teacher.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
A crowded class: checking what every student understood in five minutes
Four ways to see what every student understood in a class of 40 or more: A/B/C/D cards, mini whiteboards, a hinge question and an exit ticket. Printable cards (PDF).
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Measurable learning objectives: how to write them, with verbs for each level
How to write measurable learning objectives: a verb table in English and Arabic for Bloom's six levels, 12 before-and-after rewrites, and a printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Lesson plan template on the official plan-book fields, with examples
A free one-page lesson plan template on the fields of the official lesson-planning book, with filled-in lessons from maths, science and Arabic.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 13 min read
Helping with maths without contradicting the teacher's method
Three methods schools teach, each with a drawing and a worked example, five questions to ask instead of giving the answer, and a two-line note for the teacher. Printable.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
How to measure the teacher time a tool really saves
A two-week method for measuring the time a new tool saves teachers: a before-and-after log of three tasks, minutes per item, and what not to conclude. Printable log.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
One platform or many tools: how a school decides
A seven-criteria table comparing one platform with many tools for a school, the honest case for each, five questions that settle it, and a third way. Free printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Why Arab teachers deserve tools that start in Arabic
String's founder argues that tools for Arab teachers should be written in Arabic from the start, in their curriculum's terms and right to left, not translated at the end.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
A teacher's time is not free
A teacher's hours after class go on marking, planning and paperwork, and they cost the teacher an evening. The founder's argument, with dated data and a first step.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A weekly parent-communication rhythm your school can keep
A one-page calendar of what your school sends parents, when, from whom, how long, and on which channel. With two ready examples and a free printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Messages to parents: ready templates for six common situations
Six ready, formal and kind messages to parents — falling behind, behaviour, absence, thanks, a meeting invite, a homework change — with the rule behind each. Free PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 10 min read
Questions for the parent-teacher meeting: a one-page card
A card of questions for the parent-teacher meeting, grouped by goal: how your child is doing and the evidence, the next step, helping at home, following up. PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
A six-week pilot plan before your school adopts any platform
A week-by-week pilot plan before your school adopts a new platform: who takes part, which classes, what to measure, how to run the decision meeting. Free printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Print less: worksheets that work on a screen or one shared copy
Five ways to use a worksheet with one copy or a screen, each with its set-up and minutes, and when a printed sheet still wins. Free printable PDF table, no sign-up.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Private lessons: when you need them and when you don't
A decision checklist for parents: when private tutoring helps, what to try first, what to ask a tutor, and how to judge it after four weeks. Free printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Reading in Arabic and English at once: finding the balance
How to split the reading week between Arabic and English without Arabic slipping: a sample week, what each language needs, how to choose books, and a printable chart.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
When your child refuses to study: five calm steps
Five calm steps for when your child refuses to study: find the reason, a ten-minute start, a fixed ritual, what to say, and when to see the teacher or a doctor.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Remedial and enrichment plans built from diagnostic results
A one-page remedial and enrichment plan per group, built from diagnostic results: two weeks of ten-minute activities, a check that ends it, a Grade 6 example. Free PDF.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Report-card comments: honest, kind phrases for every level
40 report-card comment stems for three levels and four areas, five vague comments rewritten, and the words to avoid. 24 of the stems on one printable PDF page.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
How to read your child's report card and what to ask the teacher
A sample report card read line by line: marks against last term and the class average, the teacher's comment, absences, five questions for the teacher, and a printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Analysing test results with a simple table: question difficulty and class gaps
A worked analysis of a 10-question quiz for 30 students, on sample data: percent correct per question, what to reteach, who to group, Excel formulas and a blank grid.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Seven exam review games that need no equipment
Seven review games for a class of 40 that need only the board and notebooks: rules in three lines, the set-up, what each fits, its trap and minutes. Printable cards.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Rubrics students can read: how to write one, with four ready to use
Four ready rubrics — maths problem solving, oral presentation, project and paragraph writing — each with numbered and described levels, plus a blank printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
School AI policy template to edit and adopt, with examples
A school AI policy template to edit and adopt as your own, with rules for each stage, examples by subject, a letter for parents and a one-page printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 11 min read
Questions every school should ask a platform before sharing student data
A one-page question sheet any school can send a platform before sharing student data, with what a good answer sounds like and the warning sign for each. Free PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
The school development plan: a few pages, followed all year
Write a school development plan on three priorities, each with a measurable goal, actions, an owner, a date and evidence, plus a monthly monitoring table. Free PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Ten questions to ask before enrolling your child in a school
Ten questions to ask a school before you enrol your child, in five groups, each with a good answer and a warning sign, plus what to look for on the visit.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
School management system, LMS and school OS: what each one does
What a school management system does, what an LMS does and what a school OS adds: a layer diagram, a comparison table and the questions that show what you need.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Sleep before an exam: why the all-nighter does not work
How much sleep your child needs by age, what sleep does for memory, and why staying up the night before an exam backfires, with an exam-week routine and a printable card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
What not to paste into AI tools: student data in seven rules
Seven rules for keeping student data out of AI tools, each with a before-and-after prompt, eight questions for a tool's privacy terms, and a printable card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 5 min read
The first 30 days: helping teachers adopt a new platform
A four-week plan for bringing a new platform into your school: a champion in each department, one task a week, one number to watch, one old task dropped. Free printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Where does your time go? A one-week log that shows the paperwork hours
A printable one-week log with five categories of teacher time, a worked example, and how to read it at the end of the week to cut, batch or hand off three tasks.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
What your school should tell parents about its use of AI
A ready letter from your school to parents about AI: what you use it for, what students may do, how their data is protected, and answers to five parent questions.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Think, pair, share: the strategy step by step with ready questions
Think-pair-share step by step: the minutes, what the teacher says, sentence starters for students, pairing 40 students in a minute, and 12 ready questions. Free PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
The unit test: a table of specifications, marks and a marking scheme
A filled table of specifications for a 30-mark unit test, weights worked out from teaching time, turning it into a paper, and how a marking scheme is built. Blank PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
A weekly 20-minute school check-in with your child: a ready card
A card for a weekly 20-minute talk with your child about school: five questions in order with follow-ups, a one-line weekly note, and how to adapt it by age. PDF card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
The weekly plan: a one-page template that gives you your weekend back
A one-page weekly lesson plan template for each class, with a full Grade 6 maths week filled in and a 40-minute planning routine. A free printable PDF, no sign-up.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
A weekly study timetable your child will keep (free printable)
A printable weekly study timetable: short blocks, closed-book review spread over the week, a weekly quiz, times by age, and how to make it with your child.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
The mid-year break: calm learning ideas without pressure
Twelve ideas for the mid-year break by age, from 4 to 13 and up: play, not homework, each with what it practises and its time. Plus a printable idea card for the fridge.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read