I wholeheartedly recommend Samar and her approach to teaching. She is patient but ensures that her students are always challenged. Her lessons are structured but adapted to address key needs and concerns. And while she takes her work seriously, studying with her is also a lot of fun.
The books and teaching aids Samar uses are excellent. Over the last year, we've been using the books from the "Lebanese Arabic From Scratch" series. Samar wrote these books herself, since no other books or program met her high standards. They include all kinds of useful drills, listening exercises, and even insider tips on culture and etiquette. In addition to using these books, Samar developed lesson plans tailored to my needs, focused on everything from sieges in Syria to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As a result of this unique and individualized program, I've made huge progress, and I'm finally on track to bridge the gap between Modern Standard Arabic and Lebanese conversational Arabic.
There is no question that learning Arabic is an uphill battle, but with Samar there, helping you along, it somehow seems like a hill that you might be able to climb. I've never met a teacher who more strongly believes in her students.