Tweet
This is dedicated to a wonderful contributor to this forum and passionate person who loves being productive and providing awareness on many issues. I learn alot from each and every one of her posts. [MENTION=130569]Oum Soumayyah[/MENTION] this is long overdue, I'm sorry sis.:o
I am not an expert on the topic (although I did think of bringing in proper research and everything, didn't have the time) but I thought I might give some tips on homeschooling, say a bit about my own experiences and advice in general. I'm not a parent, but someone who grew up in the West. I've been through all three methods of schooling and hope to give some insight about what worked well for me and what you must consider when choosing a schooling method for your kids insha allah.
For my younger years I went to public school. As a kid I was surrounded by other siblings and my parents were really busy people, so unfortunately I didn't care much about praying and stuff, although my mother (may Allah reward her) was very pious and taught me to pray, read Qur'an and everything.I've never heard of stories of the Prophets, and barely knew about Muhammad (saw). To be honest was disappointing because I knew a ton about Christmas, Jesus, his origins, all that stuff they teach in history. That's when I started taking Qur'an (Tafseer) classes and for the first time I started taking salah seriously,covering my arms, bringing a mat to school even.What brought me closer was the simple fact that Quran actually had meaning (I always thought it was just Arabic). Anyway not to get too personal but things were pretty tough after that....peer pressure kicked in and my mom decided to try an alternative method of learning.
I did homeschooling for about a year after that. While getting used to it, I was angry and hurt because I thought I was different from other kids and that I was incapable of making friends (because of school problems). My sweet mom reassured me that it was because she wanted me to try excelling in a different environment. So I did it...and she also would sit with me, and although her English was limited, she encouraged me to do my classes, even drove me to the library masha allah. She signed me up for girls' swimming and full-time Islamic circle on weekends...and thus I felt like I had the perfect life. I wouldn't want it any better than this...and I also learned some things about cooking, and did tons of babysitting for my mom. I memorized a lot of juz, watched Islamic movies, read books...I was thriving and this was due to how much effort my mom put into creating a positive environment for learning at home, and by finding ways for me to socialize.
Then she heard of a Muslim school very far from us.....hours drive away and although she knew she couldn't afford it,we moved and I remember being so excited about starting this new place. I also thought Islamic school would be somewhat of a greater version of the weekend circles I went to. Anyway, Islamic school ended up to be quite different from what I hoped. I can tell you some of the horror but I'd prefer not to dwell into it. Anyway, it was little of a good experience because we were all teens, and kids sneaking in haram magazines, listening to music in class, and apparently I was 'different' according to them and they didn't like it. I had a ton of bullying going on to the point where I slowly deteriorated academically and even worse, spiritually. I cannot blame the school entirely though, the staff tried their best to get good teachers, the curriculum was also very strong secularly, but the religious part of the curriculum just wasn't strong enough, and many times it was skipped in order to prioritize state testing and stuff.
I realize that I was blessed from a young age to have had such a severe test, but I realize that it took quite a while to completely return to Allah. It is not easy, peer pressure and bullying is real.
Anyway, this isn't what the thread is all about, lol. I wanted to write what homeschooling can do...and how through my post you can evaluate what method of schooling is right for your kids and how to accommodate them and prepare them for whichever method you choose.
1)Homeschooling- For me, this was the best mode of schooling ever. But for everyone, it's different. What made it work for me was my mom tried to make learning fun for me, by letting me learn at my own pace, in different settings She also signed me up for activities where I can meet other people and learn about my deen...and help nurture an environment for me to increase my deeni learning. For the folks who want to homeschool, this is extremely important. Not to mention the lifeskills and close bond I had with my mom as a result.
2)Islamic school- As my story above may have emphasized, Islamic school isn't always the 'best thing' or the 'only solution'. There are some good and some not-so-good Muslim schools. Mine didn't always adhere to Islamic guidelines...and even if it did, it's important for the parents to let their children know if they are enrolling them in Muslim school, that just because the kids are mean, or not well-behaved, that the school is not itself bad, or even more crucial, that it's important not to base what Islam is from the behavior of other Muslims. I learned this the hard way and had cost me to stray from the remembrance of Allah (swt).
3) Public school- For some people, neither homeschooling nor Islamic schooling can be an option (if both parents work, or single parents, etc., not enough money,) and they send their kids to public school. For the record, if it comes to this, it's best to send them to a school where teachers and staff understand Muslims or have encountered them before. I know a child who is able to pray in the office because the principal knew of her faith, and her mom's wishes and decided to make sure that girl prays every prayer she is in school.Not all staff would be like this, but at least an understanding is important.
Last but not least, give the their space. Allah (Swt) guides whomever He wills, and as worried as you might be, with all the precautionary steps taken, kids need their own space sometimes and may refrain from even cooperating with you if they feel like they aren't having their own time to themselves.
As I said before I'm nota parent, but as someone who grew up in the west and has been through all three modes of schooling, I thought my input might help.
-Figs, your sister in Islam
(I'll try to post some statistics for homeschooling next week insha allah. I know my post may be biased, but I still hope it helps.)
I edited this so it can be easier to read. Maybe I'll start another thread on what actions are important to take regardless of what environment you choose your kids to be educated in.
I am not an expert on the topic (although I did think of bringing in proper research and everything, didn't have the time) but I thought I might give some tips on homeschooling, say a bit about my own experiences and advice in general. I'm not a parent, but someone who grew up in the West. I've been through all three methods of schooling and hope to give some insight about what worked well for me and what you must consider when choosing a schooling method for your kids insha allah.
For my younger years I went to public school. As a kid I was surrounded by other siblings and my parents were really busy people, so unfortunately I didn't care much about praying and stuff, although my mother (may Allah reward her) was very pious and taught me to pray, read Qur'an and everything.I've never heard of stories of the Prophets, and barely knew about Muhammad (saw). To be honest was disappointing because I knew a ton about Christmas, Jesus, his origins, all that stuff they teach in history. That's when I started taking Qur'an (Tafseer) classes and for the first time I started taking salah seriously,covering my arms, bringing a mat to school even.What brought me closer was the simple fact that Quran actually had meaning (I always thought it was just Arabic). Anyway not to get too personal but things were pretty tough after that....peer pressure kicked in and my mom decided to try an alternative method of learning.
I did homeschooling for about a year after that. While getting used to it, I was angry and hurt because I thought I was different from other kids and that I was incapable of making friends (because of school problems). My sweet mom reassured me that it was because she wanted me to try excelling in a different environment. So I did it...and she also would sit with me, and although her English was limited, she encouraged me to do my classes, even drove me to the library masha allah. She signed me up for girls' swimming and full-time Islamic circle on weekends...and thus I felt like I had the perfect life. I wouldn't want it any better than this...and I also learned some things about cooking, and did tons of babysitting for my mom. I memorized a lot of juz, watched Islamic movies, read books...I was thriving and this was due to how much effort my mom put into creating a positive environment for learning at home, and by finding ways for me to socialize.
Then she heard of a Muslim school very far from us.....hours drive away and although she knew she couldn't afford it,we moved and I remember being so excited about starting this new place. I also thought Islamic school would be somewhat of a greater version of the weekend circles I went to. Anyway, Islamic school ended up to be quite different from what I hoped. I can tell you some of the horror but I'd prefer not to dwell into it. Anyway, it was little of a good experience because we were all teens, and kids sneaking in haram magazines, listening to music in class, and apparently I was 'different' according to them and they didn't like it. I had a ton of bullying going on to the point where I slowly deteriorated academically and even worse, spiritually. I cannot blame the school entirely though, the staff tried their best to get good teachers, the curriculum was also very strong secularly, but the religious part of the curriculum just wasn't strong enough, and many times it was skipped in order to prioritize state testing and stuff.
I realize that I was blessed from a young age to have had such a severe test, but I realize that it took quite a while to completely return to Allah. It is not easy, peer pressure and bullying is real.
Anyway, this isn't what the thread is all about, lol. I wanted to write what homeschooling can do...and how through my post you can evaluate what method of schooling is right for your kids and how to accommodate them and prepare them for whichever method you choose.
1)Homeschooling- For me, this was the best mode of schooling ever. But for everyone, it's different. What made it work for me was my mom tried to make learning fun for me, by letting me learn at my own pace, in different settings She also signed me up for activities where I can meet other people and learn about my deen...and help nurture an environment for me to increase my deeni learning. For the folks who want to homeschool, this is extremely important. Not to mention the lifeskills and close bond I had with my mom as a result.
2)Islamic school- As my story above may have emphasized, Islamic school isn't always the 'best thing' or the 'only solution'. There are some good and some not-so-good Muslim schools. Mine didn't always adhere to Islamic guidelines...and even if it did, it's important for the parents to let their children know if they are enrolling them in Muslim school, that just because the kids are mean, or not well-behaved, that the school is not itself bad, or even more crucial, that it's important not to base what Islam is from the behavior of other Muslims. I learned this the hard way and had cost me to stray from the remembrance of Allah (swt).
3) Public school- For some people, neither homeschooling nor Islamic schooling can be an option (if both parents work, or single parents, etc., not enough money,) and they send their kids to public school. For the record, if it comes to this, it's best to send them to a school where teachers and staff understand Muslims or have encountered them before. I know a child who is able to pray in the office because the principal knew of her faith, and her mom's wishes and decided to make sure that girl prays every prayer she is in school.Not all staff would be like this, but at least an understanding is important.
Last but not least, give the their space. Allah (Swt) guides whomever He wills, and as worried as you might be, with all the precautionary steps taken, kids need their own space sometimes and may refrain from even cooperating with you if they feel like they aren't having their own time to themselves.
As I said before I'm nota parent, but as someone who grew up in the west and has been through all three modes of schooling, I thought my input might help.
-Figs, your sister in Islam
(I'll try to post some statistics for homeschooling next week insha allah. I know my post may be biased, but I still hope it helps.)
I edited this so it can be easier to read. Maybe I'll start another thread on what actions are important to take regardless of what environment you choose your kids to be educated in.
is so Great and Merciful that although we continue to disobey Him, He still awaits for our repentance so that He may forgive us.
Comment