Benefits of Being a Teacher

[BiLaaL]

^ Surely this is a worthy topic which deserves your 'bother'. Contribute what you can. Your input may just help someone.

[Malika]

^Dont mind our Sayid,he is doing good though,just xasid to share his strategies..lol

 

We recently had a 'Somali day' at an Early Year Centre,parents were confronted by statics,their children are underachieving, blah,blah..

 

Many of the parents could not understand how and why their children only. It was obvious,our parents didnt understand how child development assessments are carried out for children in early year settings. Our parenting skills,dont really pay attention to if the child by age 4 is fully toilet trained,can eat with a folk , can tie his own shoes/undress by himself,has fluency of a language and on and on..This way of parenting/raising children is really a new concept to us.

 

Anyway,for those in UK..What is your take with the shake up of the curriclum- teaching 'evolution' is compulsory now,its interesting in a country with such low literacy skills,one would have assumed this would have been a priority..but alas! we got to fight the religious pseudosciences..

 

What is education and who is it for?..something to ponder on huh?

[Abu Jibreel]

Anyway,for those in UK..What is your take with the shake up of the curriclum- teaching 'evolution' is compulsory now,its interesting in a country with such low literacy skills,one would have assumed this would have been a priority..but alas! we got to fight the religious pseudosciences.. [/QB]

This is mainly true in primary school and Science in secondary.. I'm glad that I don't have to teach evolution as I would not be comfortable in teaching falsehood.

 

wa'salaam

[Blessed]

Originally posted by Malika:

We recently had a 'Somali day' at an Early Year Centre,parents were confronted by statics,their children are underachieving, blah,blah..

 

Many of the parents could not understand how and why their children only. It was obvious,our parents didnt understand how child development assessments are carried out for children in early year settings. Our parenting skills,dont really pay attention to if the child by age 4 is fully toilet trained,can eat with a folk , can tie his own shoes/undress by himself,has fluency of a language and on and on..This way of parenting/raising children is really a new concept to us.

Interesting. I guess cultural differences are at play here, our culture tend to see children as needy, weak, unable.. empty vessels which need to be filled (s.l.o.w.l.y) which is the opposite to EYFS approach. I do think that telling parents that their child is falling behind is a bit OTT- kids at that age should be working towards dressing on their own, independence, separation from parents , etc. under the EYFS. Are they offering training / workshops on child development to these parents?

 

I'm explaining the EYFS approach to Arab / Indian parents. They like the Somalis pay little attention social / emotional and physical development but have very high and unrealistic academic expectations.

[Honesita]

^^Salaam habeebti!

 

I currently work as a teacher assistant at a school where like 90% of the students are Somali... I didn't go to school for education, but I find working with kids so amazingly rewarding... Like HC said, subhanna Allah when you help a child show off his effort you really get happy in the head...

 

There are issues though, similar to what Blessed mentioned, Somalis don't pay too much attention to the emotional/social/physical development... but even when they realize their child is missing something, they expect the teachers and administrators to take care of the child, and sadly I'm realizing some of these teachers and administrators don't care about specific students, rather they care about the results of standardized exams. Who is stuck and lost in the middle? The poor Somali child?

 

There is a serious need for Somali qualified teachers to teach not just the students, but also the Somali parents because they need help understanding the education system...

 

And they need parenting education too... which is a toootally different topic i'm sure... I see some of the things Somali parents do to their kids, out of good intentions sometimes, but the effects on the child really breaks my heart... May Allah help us...

 

Fi Amaani'Laah

[Blessed]

^Xayaati, finally jumped on board. Good on ya. I don't know about the states but in the UK they had ethnic Minority achievement departments aimed at improving acheivement of minority kids and involving parents was a big part of the process. In Somalia parents sent kids to school and that was that. Sadly many parents get lost in this system but I'd wager that the situation improving as most of todays Somali parents would have come to the west as youngsters themselves.

[Malika]

Horta,why are all the videos in regard to 'teaching & behaviour strategies' are shot in inner city schools full of black kids?

[B]

because the white kids in surburia are all means seen as normal. its a flawed policy of the governement. who remembers 'leave no child behind' what hyperbole.

[Chocolate and Honey]

There are issues though, similar to what Blessed mentioned, Somalis don't pay too much attention to the emotional/social/physical development... but even when they realize their child is missing something, they expect the teachers and administrators to take care of the child, and sadly I'm realizing some of these teachers and administrators don't care about specific students, rather they care about the results of standardized exams. Who is stuck and lost in the middle? The poor Somali child?

Well said Sis. I too run into these problems. When I explain to a Somali parent why their kid is failing or that he or she is socially challanged(which by the way is the hardest thing to do because they immidietly get defensive and tell you off), they just look at you and say maxay macalimiinta sameynayaan marka? Walahi, there is this entitlement that I havent even seen in any other group.

Another major problem is that parents dont pay much attention to the Psychological devolopments of their children. I often run into students in a high school who cannot socialize with ANYBODY! They'll say inappropriate things(there was a girl who would constantly completely forget what she said in class a minute ago)can't follow directions or even carry out a normal conversation yet the parents will come in and tell you their kids is just fine, a bit quiet maybe or a bit kibirloow? :confused:

[Malika]

^Where are we to go from here,anagii baa 'the proffesionals', how are going to help the community by bridging their knowledge gap?

[Chocolate and Honey]

Well, the District I work for is offering a new program where parents take a class once a week for 7 weeks and at the end of the 7 weeks they earn a diploma. I taught one of the classes and it is pretty informative.It makes a huge difference. The parents who graduated from the class are much more involved now. But I woder if those parents would come if they werent offered transportation(a taxi to pick them up and drop them off), a nice dinner and a potential scholorship.

[Malika]

^Sounds like it was worth the 'taxi,dinner and scholarship'..

 

Something to ponder on,first i need to attended the Somali tuition Ngonge has been attending of late.

[Yaabka-Yaabkiis]

Run....

[Honesita]

Originally posted by chocolate & honey:

Well, the District I work for is offering a new program where parents take a class once a week for 7 weeks and at the end of the 7 weeks they earn a diploma. I taught one of the classes and it is pretty informative.It makes a huge difference. The parents who graduated from the class are much more involved now. But I woder if those parents would come if they werent offered transportation(a taxi to pick them up and drop them off), a nice dinner and a potential scholorship.

Masha Allah, may Allah bless your efforts abaayo... Allah put you in the right spot walaahi. I think the solution to these issues we are having as Somalis being new and totally uninformed immigrants is for the professionals to step up and become creative in the way we offer our expertise to our communities... there are horror stories in every field and the Somali professionals can get so much out of contributing to the community whether it is reward from Allah, or a very bright career future that puts them in the sought after caliber...

 

Fi Amaani'Laah

[Malika]

Hassan B,

 

How is it going? have you managed to tame the wild horses?