random conversations i had today

(is my use of the word random annoying anyone yet? because that is my intention he he)

1st lesson
ME: there are some terms on the board, and some explanations on your desk. match them up while we wait for everyone else to come in.
random student: why has your voice gone all high and squeaky? is it because the inspectors might come in? don’t worry we’ll be good (can i take all of my students and put them in my pocket and take them home?)

later on in the lesson..
same student: stop looking at the door. if they come in, they come in. you’re doing fine anyway (sometimes i think my students are more mature then me. this worries me slightly)

cocky student i have a love/hate relationship with: if the inspectors come in, i’m going to tell them you threatened to kill me.
ME: what, when did i do that?
cocky student: last week when you were teaching the passive voice.
ME: oh yes.. well at least you remembered it.
(i killed jack/ jack was killed (by me) )

my boss: oh, you’ve put on your self assessment sheet that computer skills is a weakness.
ME: yes.. it’s something i need to work on
my boss: oh but you’re good with computers. you’re always on there in your plan and prep time
(?? so does that mean i have permission to abuse my p&p time on the blogosphere??)

another random student: i like the colour of your hood thing(purple)
ME: thank you. it’s called a hijaab.
random student: oh, do you have one in every colour?
ME: almost..
random student:what colour is your hair?
ME:erm..black
RS: (surprised) really?
(????)

super sweeet colleauge: i see you’re not wearing a brooch today.
ME: i had one on, but it must have fallen off:(
SSC:oh dear, have you checked lost property?
ME: the one in the other buidling. can’t be bothered now, i might do later.

later on in the day..
SSC: here’s your brooch.
ME: aww, did you go down especially to get this?
SSC yes, i thought i may as well.
(don’t things like that just make you smile )

final lesson:
ME: so the advent of new teachnology has brought about the need for new words. such as blog, for example.
blank looks
does nobody know what a blog is?
blank looks
(hhmm)

random.. handwriting!

ok, i was forced to do this by someone who threatened me with ninjabi moves. well, ok not quite but the potential is always there 🙂
i think i read somewhere once that your handwriting can tell you something about your personality. i think mine might show a split personality! any budding psychologists may also want to try analysing this, this, this and this.

now, the question is, which one of you is going to try it next..

i have finally managed to figure out how to add my own teaching resources and will be updating it soon(see this navigation bar on the left) it’s only just occur ed to me that i should proabbly have had two separate blogs, so that people who are interested just in my teaching stuff don’t have to listen to me going on. i may do that eventually if this page has too much stuff on soon. anyway, if you benefit from the teaching stuff, you have imuslim to thank, for showing me how to add links through google documents. and if you’re muslim and benefit, you can make du for her

also, courtesy of imuslim’s site, i thought this may amuse any of maniacmuslim fans out there. i almost wish i wanted a t-shirt because of the effort that s/he we?? has put into it, but i’m not quite sure what i’d do with a t-shirt at the moment (wear it to bed??). laughter seriosuly isn’t haram, but perhaps in moderation, so read one page a day or something 🙂

i wish i was beautiful…*confession 1*

but not the kind of beautiful that society seems obsessed with.

like the shilpa shetty kinda pretty, although those eyebrows, sigh. *confession 2*i miss my stick thin eyebrows sometimes. what i mean to say is thank you saabirah for convincing me not to do them like that. now if everyone else around me wasn’t plucking theirs, mine wouldn’t look so bad. hint hint for purely selfish reasons of course :0)

and i dont mean the emma bunton kind of beauty either, but i’ll leave that there as people are getting a bit worried abiout my obsession with that and the best said about my *confession 3* blonde obsession in general the better. don’t worry gry i’m over it now (almost)

anyway, so beauty then.

we live with a society obsessed with the beauty of women. i walked into my form room a little early once, and the guys in my group were just talking about girls in such a scary way. i though it may have been celebrities or something, but it was girls in the college and without gatting too graphic, let’s just say it had to to do with measurements:( i was so appalled, but i don’t know, maybe i overreacted (by walking out of the lesson and refusing to teach them until they apologised) as it was just guys being guys and maybe that’s just what guys talk about when they’re alone?? (apparently i only have guys in my tutor group now, not quite sure what happened to the girls!) maybe they’re just avoiding the room because that’s how the guys talk about them, mutter mutter

but i wonder, are our men any different? because i’ve found when it comes to marriage that seems to be the first thing that they are interested in. which is fine, i can understand that attraction is important, but just don’t use hadiths to justify it. (again with the muttering) and just for the record, that dream girl you have in your head isn’t always going to look like that, and she most definitely doesn’t look like that in the morning 🙂

anyway, back to what i was intending to write. have you ever met someone and they are so beautiful because of their deeds and the way they speak and act? that’s the kind of beauty we should be looking for in our friends and spouses right. right? for it’s the beauty that Allah Almighty sees.

it is narrated in Muslim that Alah’s messenger, upon whom be peace said, “Allah looks not at your figures, nor at your outward appearance but He looks at your hearts and deeds”

and good behaviour and morals really do make a person beautiful. so that’s what im aspiring for. a beautiful heart. and *confession 4* it’s hard. as it can’t be sorted out (or covered up) with makeup and ghds:) but it’s a journey, right caged bird?

Acquiring the love of Allah

seven types of people will will be under the shelter of Allah’s mercy on the Day when there will be no shade other than that of Allah’s mercy.1) a just imam. 2) a young person who kept busy in Allah’s worship. 3)a person whose heart is attached to the masjid.4)two people who loved each other for Allah’s sake, gathered for His sake and parted, remembering Him. 5)a man who was invited by a beautiful and charming woman but declined her offer, saying “i fear Allah”. 6)a person who gave charity so secretly that their left hand did not know what was given by the right hand. 7) a person who remembered Allah privately, so that their eyes brimmed with tears”.(Bukhari,Muslim)

may Allah grant us the Tawfeeq to do everything for His sake only.

just a random question

what colour is betrayal?

my poetry attempt

i’ve got nothing to say
but feel like posting anyway
at least this rhymes though
and i generally hate that, you know
and no i will not apologise for this post
in fact, i think it is something of which i will boast
i hope i will still have some friends left though
and they don’t suddenly decide they no longer want to know
i’m starting a section on random stuff
but please don’t get in a huff
i’ll be back soon with something useful to say
so, don’t go away
and until then spread greetings of peace
and make sure your good deeds never cease

(this counts as a poem right? i wasn’t about to spill my guts on this thing!)

education islam

following on from my rant about teachers not understanding muslim students, i came accross something positive that can be done about the situation below. it’s not just for teachers, but any professionals who work with muslims, so please let non muslim colleagues and managers know about it.

my work are encouraging as many people as possible to attend, which just reconfirms why i love it there so much. it’s one of the only places i’ve worked which mean it when they say they celebrate diversity. they even have a member of staff wearing niqaab amidst all the recent controversy.

i think i will stay there forever. although it is supposed to be detrimental to your career to stay in one place too long. oh well i never claimed to be a high flying career gal anyway. for one thing, the only real way to progress in teaching is to take on a management position or extra responsiblilites, which just seems silly. why would you want to go into teaching and then take on less teaching hours? anyway i’d better stop waffling now (that’s what my other blog is supposed to be for!) and let you read the part below.

p.s my poetry effort is coming soon i promise. i have done it but this post seemed more important, and i’ve been told that if keep posting at the rate i do, no one is going to bother reading anymore! oh wellifnooneisgoingtoreadimightaswelljustwritereallyfastlikethis.

pps forgive my hyperactivity i think i might be going crazy doing overtime under ofsted pressure. i now understand why i don’t suffer from stress like other teachers seem to. it’s because i don’t do half the stuff i’m supposed to! i mean come on, detailed lesson plans for every lesson ?? and apparently under the new ofsted regime, they are going to check all the paperwork and might not even observe any lessons. what’s the point in that? sigh

Dear Colleague

RE: Introduction to Islam & the Muslim Culture Course including Mosque visit

Following the immense success of our courses throughout the past few years (over 6000 people have now attended in the UK), we are pleased to announce further course dates for 2007.

Please visit our website www.educationislam.org for venue and date information in your area.

Attached is course information for your perusal along with a booking form should you wish to take up this great opportunity! It would also be very much appreciated if you could circulate this information amongst your staff and colleagues.

About the course
The course is specifically designed for Non-Muslim public sector professionals who work with Muslims from diverse communities.

It incorporates a visit to a local mosque and aims to provide participants with:
• A better understanding of basic beliefs & practices
• Information regarding the background to Muslims in Britain &
• Public Sector Development issues for Muslim Communities.

Sessions run throughout Yorkshire, London, Scotland, Midlands, Wales and the South East plus a range of other areas have all been an outstanding success.

Our client base includes a variety of departments and services, including:
• Local Authorities
• Primary Care Trusts
• NHS Acute Trusts
• Police & Fire Services
• Chaplaincy Services
• Sure Start
• Voluntary & Charity sectors …plus many more

Further information about the course and feedback from past delegates is available on our website: http://www.educationislam.org but please do not hesitate to contact our office should you have any questions or queries.

Our office number is 01924 466117

(We use our e-mail system to help reduce time and costs, so I would appreciate it if you could also forward this information onto those colleagues and departments who you feel may be interested or may benefit from attending such a course).

Please also feel free to display the attached information on your staff notice boards to benefit those who may not have direct access to an e-mail system.

an msn conversation

Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
hi
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
wud u like to b honered in listening to one of my poems
hema says:
always , go ahead
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
its wayyy better than your sisters(i say with modesty)

Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:

Forgive me my sins today and tomorrow
Help build a better world away form sorrow
Help the orphan child all alone
Guide us to the path that you have shown
Help make the ummah whole again
Help take away the poverty and pain

Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:

if u laugh, laugh silently

hema says:
again doesn’t ryhme with pain
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
it does if u say it like this…againe
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
instd of agen
hema says:
oh.. but when does anyone around here say it like that
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
wen they read my poem!
hema says:
oh.. but how will they know they have to read it like that
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
u lil tramp,
quit bashing it
its a first attempt
hema says:
ok, im sorry but just one more thing,.. have you been listening to any nasheeds lately
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
not really why?
Hema:
because that sounds suspiciously like one

EDITED FOR REASONS OF SHARAM:)
hema
ok, fine your poem shall go on my blog
Death is around the corner,if only but u realised says:
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

(obviously i got her to agree eventually, and told her i would put up one of my effors tomorrow to laugh at..)

marking exam papers……..

is an excellent way of gaining extra tips and resources for your department, as well improving your own marking skills. the money is ok, but not brilliant actually, and i do it mainly to get an insight into what examiners want. i’m lucky as i stop teaching in june(because of study leave) and don’t start marking until july. i can imagine it would be harder for people working in schools..

what i hate most is the admin, sending papers off at the right time to the right place, but this year i’m marking online so i’ll see how that goes…

Edexcel don’t require you to have a pgce (but do require you to have completed a degree in the relevant subject) so it could also give you an edge on interviews etc if you have that extra experience. and it may also be an option for people on maternity leave as the work is done at home.

i’m not being paid to say this honest, i just want someone to complain with! i’m marking edexcel GCE module 6 (the synoptic paper this year) and i know they are still short of examiners for this paper.

here is the website where you can apply if you are interested.

home schooling

i’ve got a student this year who was home schooled (until now obviously) i have to admit i was a bit sceptical about how he would fit in with the rest of the class, but now i actually think he is a genius, i’m not kidding. his most recent homework is 15,000 words (are doctoral thesis even that long?) he casually handed it in with the words “i’ve got some bedtime reading for you” hhhmmm.

his level of maturity, social skills and general attitude far exceeds anyone else i teach.

what does this say about our education system?

I was talking to his parents yesterday, and they said the main reasons they had decided to home school him was because people don’t understand their religion and can’t accommodate it. they are jewish. (oops i was thinking back to when i interviewed him and tried to show him how to fill in the ethnicity part “correctly”)

so what about our kids then, having to grow up in a society where there is so much ignorance and hatred for anything islamic?

i know there are plenty of people trying to understand, and plenty who do not believe everything they hear on the news. and i’m glad there are so many muslims working in state schools now. but despite that,i have seen too much that worries me during my time in state schools.

for all of the talk about integration, there is too much ignorance shown by staff, who don’t seem willing to understand the difference between religion and culture, for example. or don’t seem to understand that even though children might complain about the lack of freedom they have, they are not going to turn their back on their way of life, when it comes down to it. and there is too much that children are exposed to, which is condoned and even encouraged by teachers, their so called role models, that is against everything they believe in.

which is why my kids (inshAllah) are not stepping foot inside a state school.