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The most difficult thing for any sinlge person in his life is to educate himself. Education is always transitory and never ending. Aristotle knew this fact and he was the inspiration of the most powerful emporer who ruled from West to East, Alexander. Alexander the great was a profound student even as he plunged in the pool of blood in fearful wars.

Today as education evolves itself to edufun I poder several times that why didn't the masters of the past, the greatest educators and learners of history never thought of it. Though Aristotle has once said "Early education should be fun", it has never been meant to divert educators to adopt the playway method which it is called today.

The playway method has been introduced in western countries to market the toys that fill pockets of the rich and education being made a commercial entity which yields high pofit margins to investors.

I ask and ask, does the playway method make any difference in building the scholistic minds of students. Although it builds and devolops the creative mind but what about the logical brain that gets dimmer as a result. Thinking and memorizing are the only ways to devolop the analytical mind. The bitter wine of education and harsh dicipline that the military still uses must be added to the educational system to build such brains as Einstein and Socrates.

My kid asks "Why" for each and every thing that I tell him. Reason is inborn in the human soul and playway method of education does not point to reason. Rather as far as I know and think is intuites the mind to accept things as is and if not possible change it to match our passion and taste. Kids do need light dozes of education but do they really need to be turned away from the bitter stress of memorizing and the bitter pain of holding the pen for writing?

Many people out there are more experianced and learned then myself and the fact is that I learn from them and try to understand their tactics to teaching and adopt it. They would better more shed light on the debate I intend to raise. I am merely a student of the philosophy that "great teachers inspire".

Someone came upto me and said that the students are always right, the customer is always right. From which day did the philosophy of education change. In todays commercial world teaching has become a curse for some who fear their students for the sake of saving their own bread. The playway method has made education a game and the school a playground.

Aristotle once said, "Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well."

The aquisition of Knowledge requires lots of patience and humbleness. We have often heard that the water flows from the high rised terrain to the lower lands as an example of ilm flowing from those of lofty means to the lower men like us. We have often heard that a fruit bearind branch is lowered in humbleness and these are anologies that well explain the behavior and the compasion of both the teacher and student.

We have always seen kids and even elders throw stone at the fruit bearing tree while it hangs its branches down and lowers itself in humbleness to part with its fruit. My teacher marhoom Shk Yusuf bhai Moayyadi (May Allah bless him with his rehmat and shafa'at of Daiz Zaman always used to portray a very natural example saying the the sky bends down on the earth with all its love and kindness and showers its bounty on it while the earth stands proundly and in its own ego centric way, its chest pulled high up, in ignorance.

It is very neccesary to keep not a silent mouth and tongue but a silent mind clear of astray thoughts to listen to the bliss of knowledge. That is why I think that both 'listen' and 'silent' have the same alphabets.

It is a season of Imtehan in Jamea and I have spent years listening at all classes in Jamea before I even learnt to speak a word. Maybe thats why I havent learnt to speak or have been thought numb. The library was my favourite spot of silence and that silence has filled me with the thrust and energy which keeps me going.

Those days are always remembered as of bounty and bliss, the happiness of picturizing the world with a different perspective everyday. The life and its blessings counted and accounted for each time a new point of knowledge popped up. I am so much in love with learning but have forgotten the art of silence as I speak. Or is it lost in the hush and fuss of life.

We all need to review on this side of life where we need to keep silence as we listen to our inner selves.

Tips to help both new and experienced teachers build rapport, motivate students, use teaching aids effectively, and more.

1) Be Prepared
Before you set foot in the classroom, make sure you have a plan for the course and class. Share your plans with your class - distribute a syllabus on the first day and post the objectives for the day on the board at the beginning of each and every class.

2) Use a Variety of Approaches
Plan a variety of approaches and activities for each session. In a single class, you could have a teacher lecture, a small group discussion, and a written reflection assignment. Varying teaching strategies appeals to learning style differences and keeps participants attentive and engaged. Aim to get participants out of their chairs and interacting at least once per class.

3) Encourage Interaction
Have students work in pairs or small groups whenever possible: to check homework questions, to prepare presentations, etc. Not only does interaction acknowledge and draw upon the tremendous experience and knowledge adults bring to the classroom, but students gain confidence as they check and confirm answers with their peers. Having a network of friends can enhance a student's academic success.

4) Address Students by Name
Addressing students by name helps build rapport. While taking attendance, record students' names (and possibly identifying qualities) on a seating plan. Don't call upon students in a predictable pattern, and mark the plan each time you ask a student a question. This way, you'll routinely call upon everyone more or less equally. At some institutions, you can request a class list which includes photos from student cards. Otherwise, take Polaroids or digital images and cram before the next class.

5) Use the Board Effectively
Bring your own whiteboard markers and/or chalk and an eraser to every class. Record lesson objectives in a margin of the board at the beginning of class. Be sure to note key points, homework, etc. on the board. Monitor the size, pressure and legibility of your writing. Use a variety of colors for emphasis and clarity. Baby wipes are great for cleaning your hands at the end of class (They work well for cleaning overhead transparencies, too)!

6) Use Other Audio-Visual Aids Effectively
Audio-visual aids such as overhead projectors and transparencies, flip charts, audio and video players, etc. can be tremendous assets when used effectively, but great liabilities when not. Check equipment before class to ensure that it is working, that you know how to use it, and that tapes and counters are cued. Position the equipment and yourself so that everyone can see and/or hear clearly.

7) Manage Handouts
Try telling students that you will be giving a handout after presenting the material, but that you'd like them to listen and think for now. Don't just read handout material passively to students, present the main points and elicit support and examples from the class. Whenever possible, double-side handouts to conserve paper. Punch holes to help students file them neatly in their binders.

8) Check for Understanding
Asking students the question, "do you understand?" is an ineffective means of checking comprehension. Depending upon the focus of the lesson, check comprehension by 1) asking students to make a choice such as, "Is this statement true or untrue?" or "Is the best answer A or B?" 2) giving a demonstration of a practical task; or 3) brainstorming further examples to illustrate a point.

9) Give Feedback
Keep feedback focused and positive. For example, if you are giving a lesson on verb tenses, and a student provides an answer with correct verbs but incorrect articles, congratulate the student on their accurate use of the verbs. Try engaging the entire class by asking whether they agree or disagree with an answer. If some students disagree with an incorrect answer, elicit the correct response.

10) Ask for Feedback
Give students regular opportunities to provide anonymous feedback on your teaching and the course. New teachers are encouraged to invite feedback from experienced mentor teachers as well. Acknowledge and respond to feedback with grace. Clarify content or make adjustments to your teaching style as necessary.

12 Tips For Parents: Talking To Your Kids About Sex

You've just found out your son or daughter is getting sex education at public school and you want to give them the Islamic perspective on it.

Or your kids have started asking the “where do babies come from” question.

But you just can't get over your tongue-tying embarrassment. Imagine! If your father or mother, back in Cairo or Karachi, heard of this they'd be stunned and question your parenting skills!

Here are some tips that can help you talk to your kids about the “s” word.

Tip #1: Start Early

Ideally sex education is not provided to kids in a reactionary fashion. Rather, it's given from the beginning in an indirect manner.

This means the child has to have a strong sense of identity and an understanding of what his or her values are.

“Parents are going to have sit down and explain their values to their own children. And this needs to start young, before the society influences them,” says Marilyn Morris, a Christian, who is president and founder of Aim for Success. The organization promotes abstinence from sex through speeches and presentations to students in grades six to 12. The group is one of the largest providers of abstinence education in the United States.

She says it is also important to explain to kids why you hold those values. For example, why do you not approve of sex outside of marriage, whether this is for religious and/or health reasons.

Tip #2: Give the child age-appropriate sex education

Starting to teach different topics at the right age is also important.

For example, a boy of eight may notice his mom does not pray some time during the month and may ask why. At this point, it can simply be said this is a time when Allah has excused women from praying. At the age of 12 or 13, a parent can introduce the topic of menstruation, and by that point, he will be able to make the connection.

Another way topics of a sexual nature can be introduced is while the child is reading the Quran. When the child reads verses about sexual intercourse, menstruation, or homosexuality, for example, this can be explained in a matter-of-fact manner.

Sex can also be discussed in the context of cleanliness in Islam at a certain age. For example, by the age of six or seven, a child must know how to clean him or herself after using the toilet.

After this at about eleven or twelve, the issue of Ghusl can be raised and when it is necessary (i.e. after sexual intercourse, after menstruation, etc).

As well, parents should sit with their children individually, not all together to explain various age-appropriate topics related to sex.

Some of the topics to talk about include modesty, decency, conduct and behavior .

But these should not be presented as just a bunch of rules to be followed. Rather the wisdom behind, for example, the Islamic dress code and lowering the gaze for both sexes should be explained.

Tip #3: Parents should build a good relationship with their kids

Proper sex education can only be given if the correct messages are being sent explicitly and implicitly by parents.

There has to be openness, not a rigid and dogmatic atmosphere at home.

“I'm talking about a loving relationship at home between the parents,” says Khadija Haffajee an Islamic activist and a retired school teacher from the Ottawa-Carleton region of Canada. She has spent about 30 years working in the public school system. “That there's love between the parents, there's affection. They [the kids] can see this, how they talk to each other, the respect that's there.”

Tip #4: Be an example

This goes hand in hand with being a role model, which is the best way to teach and transmit values to children.

That means not only should children be exposed to a healthy male-female relationship when they see their parents. It also means parents do not engage in activities which undermine their views on sexuality.

For instance, “being careful themselves about what they watch on T.V. or what movies they go to see, “ is crucial says Morris “because that ‘s a bad influence on us at any age. And if our children see us doing it why shouldn't they as well?”

This also means setting an example in other aspects of life by following the same rules you expect your kids to follow. For example, if you're running late, call children and let them know, show them the same courtesy you expect from them, explains Morris.

Tip #5: Meet with others who share your values

It is necessary for children to not just see the embodiment of Islamic values at home. They must also experience this in contacts with other Muslim children and families, says Haffajee.

They must see that family life the Islamic way is not just something their own family practices, but it's something others do as well.

This makes it more “normal” for the child, who in public school may have friends or acquaintances with homosexual parents (two mommies or two daddies), parents who are having sex outside of marriage (mom's boyfriend, dad's girlfriend) or other types of unacceptable relationships.

Tip #6: Get involved with your children's school

Depending on a parent's schedule, this can mean different things. Most of the time, public schools encourage parents' active participation through channels like Parent and Teachers' Associations (PTAs) or as elected school board members.

Haffajee explains that more and more schools will be decentralized and will have more power at the PTA level, for instance. Another forum for involvement is running in school board elections. School boards run all the schools in one district.

But if this is too much of a commitment for you as a parent, at least be in contact with your child's teacher, and let her/him know not just about problems, but good things he or she is doing for your child as well.

”We have to build these links, not feel it's them and us,” adds Haffajee.

Volunteering and helping at the school is also an option. This differs in each school. Some may have a lunchroom program with parents as monitors, for instance, which requires only a few hours a week.

Regular participation in such school organizations and activities gives you a voice as a parent to express your views about what's going on in the school system as it affects your child, as well as others' children.

It is important to add that this involvement should not come only when the school has done something you, as a parent, feel has violated your child's needs as a Muslim, or when you want something specifically for your child (i.e. time off for Eid, Juma, etc.).

By participating at the long-term level, your voice is more likely to be heard because you're involved in making the school better generally, not just for your child's interest only.

When it comes time for sex education, you can band together with other parents, Muslim and non-Muslim, who share the same views on the topic, and it is more likely you will be listened to.

“There are a lot of non-Muslim parents who are concerned about these issues and feel as if there is no control,” notes Haffajee.

Tip #7: Know the sex education territory

“There should be talk about what kind of information they're getting, preadolescent education,” says Haffajee.

Launching a three hour tirade against the evils of public school sex education will do little good in helping your son or daughter see what's wrong with it. This is why it is necessary to find out what is included in the sex education curriculum.

“They should find out exactly what the school is teaching, to the point of even sitting with the person doing the education and finding out about the values of that person,” says Morris. “This is a very important issue”

Tip #8: Know the Islamic perspective on sex

There is more to sex education than telling your son or daughter “don't do it until you get married”.

Topics like menstruation, sexual changes in adolescents, Islamic purity after various types of uncleanliness associated with sex also have to be discussed.

On the same note, if in the course of your conversation your child asks you something and you are not sure about whether it really is Islamic or not, CHECK IT OUT. Assuming that a cultural practice relating to sex or boy/girl relationships is automatically Islamic is a mistake.

Tip #9: Tell your kids you're available to talk to them about sex

This is necessary, especially if sex has been a taboo subject in the household for so long.

“Parents [should] say to their children “I want to be your primary source of information about sex,” says Morris.

This makes it clear that while your child may be getting information about sex from other sources like television, the movies, school and friends, you are the “authoritative source”.

This is done best when discussed at a younger age, rather than waiting for the teen years when rebelliousness usually kicks in and kids are less likely to listen to parents.

Tip #10: Express your nervousness

It will be hard to talk about sex for many parents. But they should not hide this from their kids.

Morris recommends parents say, “If I sound nervous or uncomfortable just bear with me,” in the course of their conversation.

This stresses the seriousness of the topic and the importance of what you want to say. The fact that this is so difficult for you, yet you are going forward with it emphasizes your child's need to listen.

Tip #11: Withdraw your child from sex education but tell them why

There are public schools where sex education is an option, and a child can be exempted from it.

Haffajee says there are parents, Muslim and non-Muslim who have decided to choose this instead of having their kids sit through public school sex education.
But if you do decide to do this, she advises it is important to clearly explain to your child why this is being done, and to ensure that s/he is being provided with Islamic sex education in the home.

Otherwise, your child may see it as being excluded from an activity with his or her friends.

Saint Kabir a very renowned personality of India has said in his Doha that "Once I saw God and my Teacher both standing in front of me and wondered whom should I bow to??, It then appeared to me and I bowed to my teacher, pointing to the Lord I said; that if it were not for you I would have not known the creator for which I thank you."

http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/kabir.html

A teacher's role is one of the most important in carving any human life and though many would deny it is indeed the most noble of all professions.

Why are teachers not respected in our society?? Is there any reply to that?? Why are the students to later grow up to be engineers and doctors or even head of states tend to stand tall on the heads of their teachers who are yet even better then parents that brought them to the world as a result of lust and sexual pleasures. Whereas the teacher uplifts a mans character and strengthens his soul preparing him to face the world with much courage and confidence. Yet further the teachers often is a ladder to the heavens and a pointer towards the Lord. I hope you agree with me.

I had formed a group for Moallimeen of your community and its just my little effort to give them the much needed importance as well as bringing them together. If you are a Moallim please join us: http://group.yahoo.com/group/attalim

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