Student Teaching --Islam
Assalamualiakum wa rahmatullah,So for the past.....8 years or so I have been going into my old High scchool and student teaching the Global History classes about Islam. I basically tell them the fundamental beliefs and what its like to be a Muslim. A lot of times I get some really funny questions, but generally the kids are fascinated and ask a lot of questions out of a sincere intention. Thats why i love kids, its not like those weirdos that approach you on the street, fire 50 questions at you, and then leave before you even have a chance to smile at them...
SubhanAllah.
I recently decided that i do want to go into teaching...secondary education in social studies to be exact, so inshaAllah i hopeeee this will be right up my alley.
Anywho I have been asked to student teach at a school here in Manhattan for one day. I have never gone to this school so I don't really know what to expect. Here is the email that the Student teacher wrote to me:
Hi Maheen,
We're still on for this Friday, but I just wanted to keep you updated as
to what my kids are doing...
we started the "Growth of Islam" Unit today, and I began by asking them
to write down things they "knew about Muslims." Here is the compiled
list of what each class gave me:
Period 4: mostly polytheistic, Allah = supreme god, very spiritual,
don't eat pork, females must cover top to bottom, pray five times a day,
wear clothes different from us (no jeans), own or attend mosques, sounds
like they sing when they talk, believe pork is damned, Friday nights are
holy, they don't go to the dentist, some men have several wives, they
wash their feet before bed, they fast, they say "Allah-u-akbar" and
"Selaam-a-Lakum."
Period 5: they have their own type of religion, women are different
from men, women cover themselves--depending on their husband, pray 5
times a day, women wear scarves, dont' eat pork, fast for one month,
meditate, they love peace, they believe in one god (Allah), their men
are strong, they believe in life after death, have strong cultural beliefs.
I wrote down everything anyone volunteered, regardless of accuracy...I
told them they'd learn some of their ideas were wrong today, which they
did as we discussed Muhammad, Allah, and the Five Pillars of Islam, and
then some I'm hoping you can address on Friday.
Tomorrow we're reviewing the Five Pillars, and then getting into more
history with the Umayyid dynasty and the Abbasid Empire; I'll also have
them come up with questions they'd like to ask you. I'll send you
another email tomorrow evening to let you know how it goes.
-------
So some of these preconceived notions I have heard before, however some of them are new :)
I was wondering what kind of things I could talk to them about, since he left it pretty much open to me. So i would appreciate lots and lots of comments on ideas of what i can do. As for 'props' I usually bring in a Quran, a janemaaz..and thats about it. I usually do a short intro and encourage the kids to ask me questions. I also noticed a lot of questions about dress, and the funniest thing is almost every time i go into teach at my old highschool i show up in 100 percent black...haha...this year i remembered that every year the kids ask me if i *have* to wear black, so i made an effort to wear some color, and the kids didn't ask the black question :) So i willll make an effort to NOT wear black...maybe a nice shade of pink ;) hah..jk. I was thinking something that doesn't look too 'foreign' since that was also one of the things mentioned above....so we shall seeeeeee.
anyway its 2 in the am and im sitting and drinking OJ..so i should most probably sleeb.
pleeeeeease keep me in your duas,
as all of you (or most of you that I know that are reading this) are in mine :)
And ofcourse....Allah subhana wa ta ala knows best...always :)
wassalamualaikum wa rahmatullah.
ps --random side not that should probably be a post on its own...but have you noticed how DIFFERENT guys' blogs are...girls subhanAllah talk about all these feelings and what they go through on a daily basis, and guys, for the most part post on random other things..
weird..
posted by Iqra Bismi Rabbika @ 1:57 AM
Comments: 8
