Appreciating the ‘Pause’ in Quarantine.

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‘If you don’t wake up now, we’ll be late for school!’

This sound no longer echoes the walls of the house every morning.

‘Hold on to your seats, we’ve got 2 mins to get to school!’

My race car driver skills have been put to rest.

‘Bhen, I haven’t completed my work because I forgot to take my book with me.’

I’m no longer torn between saying, ’Sorry, I will not accept late submission.’ and ‘Do you think that is a valid excuse? I expect more responsibility from you all. Please give it to me tomorrow, no later than that!’

I’m sure you get the point…

Even though I truly miss going to school and being in the classroom with my kids, there was no pause to the daily grind, no time to enjoy relationships in the frenzy of nonstop activities.

Although the circumstances under which we’ve been granted this pause is not ideal, it was no doubt much needed!

Pause & appreciate!

Pause to process, to reflect, to reset.

I have been able to connect with my students on a more personal level with conversations on a lighter note. Pause to strengthen my bond with them – one which I intend to keep throughout their lives in the future.

I can have random conversations with my kids at home where we laugh and joke about things. I’ve been given pause enjoy and appreciate their childhood, all things that were mostly lost in the daily grind.

Being completely candid, I can now even enjoy every bite of my breakfast! Then, wake up the kids and take my time to serve them theirs. Life’s simple pleasures.

Most importantly it’s time to rejuvenate!

To restore our energy, clear our minds, give fresh starts and heal any wounds.

• 

The view of Masjid from my balcony

I hope it is in the near future that we can be amidst the hustle and bustle of our students on school campus; listening to the sound of the bell between periods; once again feeling that human connection of being face to face in each other’s presence.

But did we really get the time to appreciate our relationships?

Let’s come out of this stronger, for a better round two – refreshed and renewed- mind & body, heart & soul!😊

-Rashida Kakal

Teaching through Play!

Subject: Quality Education
School: Al Madrasatus Saifiyah tul Burhaniyah, Shabbirabad, Karachi.

Final draft
April 26, 2019

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all .” Aristotle

Introduction:

Since 2000 there has been a dramatic increase in literacy rates, and many more girls are in school than ever before. These are all remarkable successes. Progress has also been tough in some developing countries due to high levels of poverty, armed conflicts and other emergencies. Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. 617 million youth worldwide lack basic mathematics and literacy skills.

Content:
As an early years educator, I believe that early years in a child’s life are critical to the development of his/her personality, intelligence and social behavior. There is a Chinese proverb “Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.” I would like to introduce play – based learning in our curriculum.

Play helps children develop strong oral communication skills, make friends, and become more confident. Play can be self- directed or guided. There are different types of plays: Creative, Imaginative, Manipulative and Physical. For conducting these plays in our premises, we should create role- play areas. Through role-play areas children can:
• Reveal their existing knowledge and kills
• Develop their problem – solving skills
• Use and apply in different contexts
• Develop positive attitudes towards learning.

How to plan a Role Play?
Sample plan
“ Doll’s House”
• Expose the children to real life like situations.
• Enrich their vocabulary through exposure to new words.
• Enable them to express themselves.
• Improve their language skills.

Objectives:
By the end of the activity the children will be able to:
• Learn names of different rooms in a house and things which belong to these rooms eg: living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom.
• Communicate with each other.
• Learn to take care of their loved ones eg: Doll.

Mode of teaching: Activity – based learning.

Resources:
Cartons Glaze

Paper cloth

Poster paints

German glue

Scotch TapS

Dolls Oven Sink

Small Carpet boxes Tins

Thermopole sheets

Rods

Masking tape

Process:
A circular will be sent to parents asking them to send a doll to school.
• A group of 12 children will go to the Role- Play area.
• 3 Children can help act their dolls as host.
• 2 Children will make their dolls sleep in the bedroom.
• 3 in the kitchen preparing food.
• 1 in the bathroom with a doll.
• 3 with the guest dolls.
The activity will enhance the skills of:
• Sharing, co-operating, Decision making, Speaking and Listening skills and observing.

Time allotted:
• 10 minutes instructions
• Unlimited pretend play
• 30 minutes for worksheets
The activity is planned in context with real life situations, to make learning meaningful, stimulating, interesting and motivating for the children.

Instructions:
• Before the activity the subject will be briefed to the children. A teacher will take a group of 12 children and demonstrate how to use the role-play area ( Doll’s house).

Assesment:
• After completing the role-play, children will be given worksheets to assess their learning and to determine how well they have grasped and absorbed the pretend play.

The theme of the role-play could vary according to the class level. There could be baby clinic, restaurant, doctor’s surgery, stationary shop or super market. As I conclude,”..because he learns through play, a child learns willingly and learns much. Play must not be left out of the elementary curriculum.”( Froebel 1967)

MSB-Shabbirabad working towards a greener and cleaner environment

Students of MSB-Shabbirabad in various sections are engaged in making badges and bands regarding keeping our environment clean and participate in cleaning the school premises after and during break time.The young masters of class 4th is using degradable material and saying no to plastic.Mrs. Batul Hazari our horticulturist of the school conducted many environmentalist activities in her classes which included plantation and cleanliness of the surroundings.One great endeavour has been through presentations and distribution of badges and paper bags for use by students, teachers and parents.Primary section believing in safe environment and pollution free environment has been making paper bags and giving them to the malls and various departmental stores from last five years. Bringing awareness to the customers and administration of that store.

Reading Amidst Nature

Event coverage by TV channel: DAWN News

SDGs: Goal#2 and Goal#13

We all know that the earth is our mother land and we all are need to live here peacefully but as the time passes all our natural resources are getting scarce and we are facing many challenges as a human. To save the humanity and mankind we as Pakistani and being a teacher it is our responsibilities to create an awareness among our young children about this dilemma and bring a positive change. These sustainable development goals are tough challenges and we need to work together as a nation. The SDGs are universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

1) One of the challenges is “Zero- hunger”.
A skit of 10 minutes then discussion for 15 minutes. Approximately 30 minutes lesson.
• Seven children will participate, six friends and a waiter. Six friends will visit to a restaurant for dinner. They are so hungry that they will order more than they could eat. After they are done, they will ask the waiter to take the left over and throw them. One of the friend will stop them and give them an idea to give these left over food to the needy person. Finally they all will agree.
The teacher then will ask the students have you ever experienced this situation?. What did you do? Discussion will be carried out in the classroom. It is necessary to instill in tender minds that we should not waste food.
• The second activity is to create awareness and bring a change.
On every Friday, students can bring extra food. We collect them and the school administration can distribute them among the deserving people. This will develop and inculcate the sense of empathy.

2) Life on Land/ Climate changes
Climate change is a change in weather pattern. It is not only affecting the land but also have an adverse effect on humans. Almost all the causes of climate changes are due to human activities. Humans are cutting down trees, burning fossil fuel at an alarming rate and many more of it. Due to these anthropogenic activities, the ozone is also depleting.
• Duration of this activity is 1 hour.
A day in advance, ask them to bring a plant pot. Before planting will discuss in groups the benefits of trees and will list down on a chart and display in the environment.
• “Go green and get clean” badges and pamphlet will be displayed in the environment.
• Then will plant a plant in the school environment.
According to the vision of our beloved Moula Dr. Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin [TUS] We Dawoodi Bohra community are already practicing fostership, Qarzan Hasanah, upliftment programme,Faize Mawaid Burhaniyah, and plantation for the betterment of mankind.

The little effort of everyone may change into big one; save earth:

“Save Earth –Save Life”

Educating a Child’s Heart through Goal#16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Syedna Abdulqadir Najmuddin R.A use to say that children are our future’s army, especially now being in a Maula’s Idara it’s oie responsibility to train the children according to Aqa Maula’s vision. We Pre Primary teachers welcome students at a very crucial age, at their learning stage, when they easily adapt thing that fascinates them and teachers are their inspiration. Children always try to mimic their teachers and to grow up like them. A teacher should lead an exemplary life of behaving with respect and love.
Peace and justice can be inculcated in a child, only at a very young age. How? By showing them how to respect their elders, love their youngers, practice sharing is caring, use of courtesy words as magic words, behaving in a public place, dinner table etc. Teachers can use the saying of Maulana Ali A.S “aahsin ila man asa’a I’laik” you should do good to even those who misbehaves with you.

All these ethos when taught at this mild age becomes a part of their personality which leads them to better human beings in the future because every thought matters when it comes to making peace “We are the change we seek.”

The Lesson Plan
Objectives:
• When to use a courtesy word, what we mean when we say it and its importance (its magic).
• Teaching children easily to forgive and how to return it with a good deed.
• Children learn to give their things, become kind.

Activities:
• Bring a toy from home and gift it to your friend.
• Friday presentation, a role play that includes:
The use of sorry, thank you and please.
This shows a friend’s feeling when other friend hurts them or misbehaves with them.
How can you make peace with your friend.
What Maulana Ali A.S teaches us.
Approach:
• Both the teachers in the class will act a role play, will act as two classmates fighting, then will think of the saying of Maulana Ali A.S and will say sorry, hug each other, will share gifts with a thank you note and feeling guilty of what they had done before, will show the children how good they feel after making peace with their friends and will elaborate the play a little bit.
• The next day teacher will start with the poem “sorry excuse me”.
• Next day the Teacher will call for gifts from home, children will exchange gifts with their friends.
• Now one by one every day the teacher will bread the Idara stories of thank you, please and sorry.

Best Practice:
• Whenever in our classroom its freeplay time or DEAR time, children try and snatch the toys and books they like from their friends, it’s then when I tell them to ask for the toy politely with ‘please’ from your friend and he or she will surely give it to you, they give it when its asked with please that is where I show them how the magic word ‘please’ works!

SDGs’:Goal#2-Facing the challenge of hunger

There are many challenges that Pakistan has to face as its sustainable development goals. I would like to mention the goal that is a serious challenge right now, and it is the challenge of hunger. The 2015 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report- the tenth is an annual series- presents a multi dimensional measure of national, regional and global hunger. It shows that the world has made progress in reducing hunger since 2000, but still has a long way to go.Reaching zero hunger is a tough challenge that requires an ambitious approach. This has to be worked together as a nation, not as a community to see this vision transform in to reality. The eradication of hunger, realization of food security and improvement of nutrition are the particular relevance.Our beloved Aqa Maula Aali Qadar Mufaddal Saifuddin (TUS) has already accepted this challenge as a community of providing food to all Dawoodi Bohra momineen.As for the school activity, we had a programme related to zero hunger in which we had collected food for the poor and vulnerable.Class activity 1 ( Distribution of food):
First, the teacher will explain that why we are doing this activity? There is enough food in the world to feed our growing population. The challenge comes from making sure that everyone has access to the food they need to live happy and healthy lives. To provide an effective food distribution, the teacher will ask children to bring food from their homes according to the given list of items. Circulars would be provided before hand. An organization would be called in advance, so that they can collect the specified food for the poor and needy people.Class activity 2: “We are grateful for our food.”
Children would be explained how food is important to us and to ensure that everyone of us has an access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The teacher will show the clip to start a lesson about sustainable agriculture. It introduces us to a collective of women farmers of India who explain how sustainable farming not only increases the income of the farmers, it also promotes food and ecological security for the generations to come. (Lives of others/ Sustainable agriculture in India) You tube. Children would be asked to bring cutouts of fruits and vegetables. They will be divided into four groups. Each group will paste their cutouts on a given chart paper and they will come in front and discuss about their fruits and vegetables having turns.

MSB Dar es Salaam’s Strategy for Speech Proficiency

Early intervention is the key to solving many developmental issues. In the last few months, the teachers of MSB DSM- Pre-primary have been noticing a number of students with delays in speech and language development. In order to address this problem, the school counsellor / learning support coordinator advised all teachers to perform the mouth exercises as a circle time activity. We follow Mrs.Tongue story (https://youtu.be/ANxAOTsomIE) in which five minutes of mouth exercise every day is exercised to improve oral awareness in students, for correct sound pronunciation and improved speech proficiency.

Zakiya’s plan on SDGs’Goal #2

Satiating hunger is the basic need for all the living beings. It is that basic need which holds equal importance for everyone, irrespective of their social, financial and religious status. Even though recent technologies have helped a lot of the citizens of the developed countries, providing them with food and shelter, however a lot needs yet to be accomplished. There are still around millions of people who don’t get enough to fulfill their hunger. The people are malnourished and prone to diseases and illness. Therefore bringing about “Zero Hunger” remains a burning question in the world today.
In order to truly bring about Zero Hunger, it is imperative to understand the dire need of food and empathize ith those who do not get enough to eat.
According to the survey conducted by UNESCO, “1 of every 10 people around world experience chronic hunger”. Hence I, as a teacher , aim to empathize my students by educating them about the importance of food and making them experience starvation by shedding light upon the facts during the holy month of Ramadan. Some online resources and you tube videos will be consulted to understand the food drives and campaigns conducted by NGO’S which aim to aid the understanding of the students and help them in developing their understanding of hunger and starvation.

POSTER MAKING ACTIVITY:

Students are encouraged to make posters, visualizing what they perceive as hunger. In addition to this , funds would be raised by them which would then be donated to welfare organizations in Karachi such as Selani, Ansar Burney etc.

COMMUNITY EFFORTS IN ERADICATING ZERO HUNGER:

In addition to this a “Dana Committee “is formed which aims to control zero wastage of food. This is a community initiative which emphasizes upon eradicating hunger and starvation within the society, ensuring 100% access to adequate food all around.
These society based initiatives can further be extended by the Government of Pakistan to produce a sustainable food system and zero loss of food. Meeting the Zero Hunger Challenge involves investments in agriculture, rural development, social protection, decent and quality work. This will make a major contribution to bring world peace and stability, ensuring food security to all the nations, and for the reduction of poverty.

Reading lessons in Lower Primary in Nairobi:

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1. MSB-Nairobi follows the Oxfordowl Tree Reading Series

2. Year 1- 2 have 3 lessons per week for 1 on 1 reading with a child. Each child reads at least twice with a teacher.

3. Apart from the class teacher each class has 3-4 other teachers who walk in as reading helpers.

4. The classes are divided into 3 groups. Each group gets a chance to do an outdoor activity once a week during the reading lessons.

5. The activities are based on reading i.e. dramatization, listening to stories online, playing word games and so on.