subHan Allah

-smiles-

al-Hamdu liLlah for everything.

Yay!
It's almost Turkey Day!

-smiles-

Good Lord!

al-Hamdu liLlah.

Let's see, how did my day go?

I had a parent come and see me about how her son comes home hungry. She told me to watch the children during lunch and make sure that they don't share all their food with the other children. Some of my students are "too" generous, they will give their whole lunch to other students if the other students were to ask them for it... and one would think that at this age a child would think "it's all about me, so this is my lunch, and i'm not sharing"... not my students, the world doesn't revolve around them. Barak Allahu fihum. I did have a talk to them though, I told them, "there's nothing wrong with sharing our lunch, but make sure to have something to eat too, we need food to stay healthy and to have energy." Children need to have food, especially good food.

We spent at least a week during science going over what's good to eat and what isn't that healthy. My students are so cute, during lunch time a child may say something like, "Teacher! Teacher! Look I have carrots!" -smiles- al-Hamdu liLlah, that's much better than a bag of chips or a candy bar, al-Hamdu liLlah.

al-hamdu liLlah my students memorized Luqman's advice to his son. I'm happy about that. I see them walking more instead of running, and barak Allahu fihum little by little they are becoming responsible. al-Hamdu liLlah. Also, a parent who saw these rules posted on the side of my classroom asked if she could have a copy. I told her I would give her one, but al-Hamdu liLlah the office attatched it to the newsletter and now all the parents have it. May Allah allow those who read it to benefit from it. Amin.

I also have posted on the side of my classroom door a set of du`a' for studying. A teacher passed by it and asked if she could have a copy for her son, sweet! So imagine, one day, just posting a set of du`a' on a blog, and having it spread and gaining good deeds by all who use it. May Allah preserve you for the good that you do, and give you barakah upon barakah. Amin.

I found that my classroom has become the "hang out" spot for students of all ages. It's funny because, it's not only students, but a lot of their parents too, al-Hamdu liLlah. Today for instance afterschool, I had a student from at least every grade level come in my class to hang out. They all just crowd around me, and I'll talk to them about random stuff. I don't know how being random is attractive, but it seems to be attracting them, either that or the fact that I hug them to death and tell them I love them. Not the boys though, for the boys, we do the air high fives.

I ask the older students when they come in, "How are you doing? Is there anything bothering you at all?" Then I'll wait, look at them like I sincerely care, and every single one of them had something bothering them. The upper grade girls have a problem with the upper grade boys, and the upper grade boys have a problem with the upper grade girls. For the girls the issue is being called "ugly," or being disrespected. For the boys, it's being teased by the girls. I just remind them that even the prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu `alayhi wa sallam) was made fun of, and his companions (radi Allahu `anhuma) were made fun of, but there's an "art" and a beauty of handling bad words that come towards you. For the girl who was called ugly, I told her, "first of all, to me, you're definitely not ugly! And second of all, do you think you're ugly?" She shook her head. "If you don't think you're ugly, then let those words pass you." -smiles- I will also tell them about how one person calls me a "cow." -smiles- It's true, there's someone that calls me a cow, and I told them, this is how I take it, "i'm not a cow, so it doesn't apply to me, and also, if i was a cow then I wouldn not be offended by it." subHan Allah, I also make them say nice words to each other, that honor one another, they better get in the habit of using good words before the bad words define their character. Khayr ya Rab.

It's so strange, I feel like I'm their mother. The other day, one of the younger students came in my class crying, I told him to come to me and I held him. Waited until he stopped crying then I asked him what was bothering him. He told me that an upper grade student told him that his brother who is in the same grade reads faster than him. I told him that I thought he was an excellent reader, and that as time passes our skills get better. Then I gave him a piece of paper, and I told him, scribble on this paper all the anger and sadness you feel inside. Then he did that, and afterwards I told him to take that paper, crumble it, and throw it in the trash. Once he did that, I told him, "that's it, your anger is in the trash... it's gone." -smiles- al-hamdu liLlah. He felt better after that, he looked stronger, and his sad little face became brighter.

My first graders are growing, subHan Allah, taller. It's amazing to watch them change, so amazing. One student had his tooth drop during class, it was funny, it just fell out of his mouth while he was working. -smiles- I held the tooth and passed by all the desks to show the class, they thought it was so cool. Next thing I know the following day, another student comes to class with a bag to share her tooth that fell too. -smiles- Look what I have started! -smiles- I expect to see more teeth in class as the days progress. al-Hamdu liLlah

What I love most about first grade is that some of them ask me questions that make my iman boost in ways I can only get from children, "Teacher, what made apples so delicious?" Good Lord. subHan Allah. That is an amazing question! What made apples so delicious? It is definitely Allah, and not only that, but what an amazing ni`mah.

I wonder if it's okay to say Good Lord? subHan Allah... hmm, I better stop in case it's not, and plus I don't want others saying it too if it could potentially be bad to say. Khayr. I'm thinking this could be wrong because, Allah is Great, He's better than good. -smiles- Allahu Akbar!

Here are more of the interesting questions I hear: I had them stand in line and we were getting ready to go to lunch, and as I waited for the rest of the class to get to the line and get ready the boy in the front hugged me. He looked up at me and he asked, "Do you have a baby?" I told him, "Nope, I do not have a baby." Then he asked, "Are you married?" I told him, "Nope, I am not married." I smiled at him, subHan Allah, children, them and their questions. Then another student listening said, "Why are you not married?" I told him, "in sha' Allah." Khayr, everything happens as Allah wills it to. It's just funny, how they think about these things at such a young age, that's what makes me smile. These children are observing the world around them, and they have so many questions.

So what about marriage?

al-Hamdu liLlah, things are moving along, and things will only happen as Allah wills them to. Hasbun Allahu wa ni`m al-Wakil.

al-Hamdu liLlah.

Hmm, so I read that pictures lend a helping hand.

I like helping hands... -smiles-

I wonder, since those who oppress will get a taste of their oppression in the hereafter, what about those who lend helping hands? -smiles- Just something to think about. subHan Allah. May Allah allow us to help others, so that on the day of judgement we will be helped.

By the way... I hope no one out there feels offended if I don't post that much. This is kind of an odd blog to have. For one, it's very special, because it has an amazing audience, al-Hamdu liLlah, and for second -smiles-, it's annonymous..., fun times. I don't know what to put in it exactly. For the first point, I sometimes worry I'll be too open and post more of my feelings than I should. It's just hard to show that I care, without so many words, khayr. Some out there are really good at it, subHan Allah, barak Allahu fikum. For the second, being annonymous means I can write about anything I want to, but with this great power, comes as you know, great responsibility. al-hamdu liLlah.

All in all, I do hope not to transgress my limits. Also, knowing that there are going to be visitors this week (and al-Hamdu liLlah, al-Hamdu liLlah, ya Rabbi al-hamdu liLlah that it's people I want to see) it makes me more cautious of keeping my self control. Staying moderate when I'm very excited is challenging. Khayr, I'm doing the best I can, al-Hamdu liLlah, but do forgive me if in any way I have troubled you.

al-Hamdu liLlah for everything, and Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad.