Feedback - good only :P

 Looking back at the feedback I've received over the years always puts me in good spirit!

AP Chemistry| 10th Grade - Hons Chemistry | 9th Grade - Hons Biology | Middle school Science 

"Firstly, thank you for making me enjoy and like Biology. They say that during high school is when you choose your career and I think the way you taught me and guided me, I was able to choose my career with ease. Second I just want to say that you are an astounding teacher. Your class was sometimes stressful, but sometimes very fun and enjoyable. In those stressful times. you made sure to make us realize that it's not all about grades.I want to thank you for teaching me this year and making me love biology. I hope I get to have you again next year." - Future Pediatrician IA

Thank you Sr.Fathima for all that you did. Just to let you know that you were my favorite teacher out of all the teachers and your class was one of the only classes I would pay attention to. For all the laughs and good times we had, I thank you for a great year for making Biology fun and exciting for me. Thank you once again Sr.Fathima 

"I liked how it's going so far. Your class has little things to do and it is easy to understand. I liked how you assign little but it teaches me a lot." - 9th Grade Biology Student

"JazakAllah khair for putting in sincere effort into instilling love of science in both of my children" - 8th Grade Parent

"Chemistry will always be my favorite class not only because its fun but because sr Fathima was one of the best teachers in it. She was always willing to do anything to see her students do well and succeed in her class. I am proud to be one of her students." 10th Grade Chemistry Student

"I enjoyed the class I learned a lot and it was fun to be in. Thank you for all the good times!"

"This class was interesting and I truly believe it is due to the teacher's hard work behind it"

"It was a fun and insightful class. The way we learned, didn't make it boring."

"Your class was fun!"

"JazakAllah khair  for your guidance and support. She always speaks highly of you and your teaching skills. She is fortunate to have you" 

"Thank you for teaching us this year. I enjoyed learning from you." - 8th Grader

Some items that might help educators elevate remote lessons

 As educators we are challenged in keeping our students engaged. From bitmojis to fancy virtual backgrounds we seem to have nearly everything checked. With nearly a year of teaching online here are some basics that can help take our remote sessions to a new level.

1. Ring Light - If your face looks dark and zoomed out, it is easy for viewers to be distracted and not pay attention. Invest in an easy to operate ring light like this. 

2. A second screen is a life changer. If you like to view all your students as well as have your slides or activities in a different screen you will find that having two or more screens is a life saver. Something simple like this can make a big difference. Just plug in your laptop and your good to go. Many other options here too.

3. Remote keyboard - If your table is large and you need space to spread out your books and notes, reaching out across to your laptop can be hard. Here is an option to save your arm and minimize the reaching distance

4. Wireless mouse - Don't forget to checkout the wide range of fun colors they offer!

5. Keyboard and mouse combo - Or you could just go the easy route and buy a combo that takes care of both.

6. A comfy chair - This is probably the place you will spend most of your time at and therefore you would want it to be comfortable and shouldn't mind splurging on. However if you are on a budget and want to eventually upgrade then this option might work for you. Again, they come in random funky colors that can match the deco of your office, study or room. Ergonomic Mesh Computer Chair Lumbar Support

To the kiddos in 2021

He was known to be a human being of good character. I never had the privilege of getting to know your great grandfather. All I can do is pray and hope that I will know him in the next life. Great grandma is faraway on the other side of the world but she can tell you stories from the past... stories that have no videos or pictures s d solely rely on the imagination of one’s mind. Pray for the generations before us... pray for the generations to come..., it really is all we can do so find peace and hope in faith and prayer.  Love you Appa - this ones for you!

Careers and Colleges

We have come a long way from having babies and toddlers in the house to the challenges of parenting teenagers. Technically we still have a nearly 3 year old making messes but a 13 year old going on 25 is still the biggest challenge.

How do we tell our kids who love art that there is no real career in art?

Is zoom better than gmeet?

 As a teacher experienced in both these platforms I would like to share my insights on this comparison.

1. Extensions - Most features are not built into the application and have to be installed as a browser extension to chrome.

2. Breakout Rooms - Supervising the participants in zoom breakout rooms is a complicated and tedious process. Besides needing many screens and workarounds, it also requires to have high-speed connectivity which may be an issue if you have five users online at a given time and place.

3. While zoom is about as easy to use as gmeet it is not browser-based and therefore a hassle sometimes.

4. Gmeet so far has not come up with a mute all button and muting 100 participants is a big deal.

5. The free version of gmeet will not let you record a meeting, whereas zoom gives the recording capabilities.

6. Meeting durations - The free version of zoom has a limit of 45 minutes after which your call will end. Gmeet has unlimited duration.

Checkout this gmeet slideshow put together for a group of educators that had to vote on their preference

Happy Teachers' Day!

Every student we teach is training to be a superhero

Every Teacher is a Hero who makes Super Heroes!

The tears and sweat will be worth it in the end

Come on let's play!

 Just how much play would be too much play?

There is no question that play is absolutely important. But 12 hours a day is a really long time.... How much play would be healthy and adequate?

What are some age-appropriate activities?

Bring it on

 I challenge every public school out there... Certification does not maketh a great teacher.... in fact it has nothing to do with the ability to teach. Yes, we need training. We need experience. We need motivation but a piece of paper does not prove anything. At the end of the day, can you connect with a student? Can you help them learn - that's all that counts. 

There is no question!

 "The big question is..." This is how some of us teachers start our sessions - it tells you that we are setting the minds up to start thinking... start thinking about problems and situations that need solutions, creativity and critical thinking.

The Future of Education is here

In many ways online education has been better for me both as a student and a teacher but I miss certain aspects of a physical face to face interactive class and I think I would like to put in words what I miss most about my students.

I miss being able to see their personalities - their unique beautiful personalities that is 360 degrees and as full and and bright as the sunshine. I miss experiencing the ray of color that each student adds to complete that rainbow of the classroom. From the witty comments to the unexpected questions and unthinkable answers - they never seem to be the same online.

I miss looking at the creativity in their note taking skills. I was able to give them one on one feedback and look at their work from any angle I wanted to. I could give them the flexibility of an all inclusive classroom where students who wished to write notes may do so, those who wished to type notes may do so and those who wished to draw their notes may absolutely do so. I miss the physical projects and labs we did but that's not as big as their personalities.

Now for the positives...

I have been able to enhance their learning options and expand their understanding because I am able to use far more tools and platforms. From virtual labs, to self grading learning tools, the students have a variety of opportunities to showcase their talents. While hunting down quality content and tools can be daunting and time consuming, the end result is completely worth it. Traditional teaching methods are making their way out and the future of education is already here. Students are learning to take online work seriously enough. They show up to live classes ready to learn and they provide constructive feed back about what works or does not work for them.

A truly paperless world - i have spent a lot of time typing out questions, making tests and assignments, converting paper quizzes to google forms etc. I know it is heavy on me now but with time the material can be used and reused with absolutely no paper waste, no copying, stapling, misprinting, errors - none of that and the students get instant feedback with self grading assignments.

I am able to bring out the best in the students by offering a variety of learning methods for projects and assignments. So if you love writing you can write about what we learn. If you prefer to make a video - the floor is yours, if you want to make an art project - get right in! Learning should be inclusive to all students, all talents and skills as well as be enjoyable and interesting, so I love the fact that I get to enjoy these tools as much as they do whether it be watching anime made by a student or admiring a sewn article that captures what was taught.

As the walk in to the future just became a run and a ride, the road may be a little bumpy as we start but soon the way world works will stay changed and the sooner we adjust into it the smoother the long run would be. With all the negativity that covid19  has done to us, at least it brought us to the future much faster! So embrace it and live it to the fullest

Fathima S
April 2020

Keep them curious!

I walked into my class with a question. Here's all I said

"White mum, black dad - the baby is born brown - kind of like an 'in-between' color, how does this happen?

Within seconds all eyes were glued onto my diagrams on the board. They were anxious to find out what happens. As I always love the suspense, I let them ponder for a few minutes as they shuffled through their minds and books to come up with an explanation. I took a few answers from the classes but none were close enough or correct. The anxiety was building up and the curiosity was rising. Now they really HAD to know.

I gave them some clues and we were off to look for reasons and explanations as to how this can happen. What could possibly be going on in our DNA that made this a possibility?
Within a few minutes, the students were able to completely understand on their own, how these traits are passed on. They were able to have the satisfying feeling of figuring out how something worked and applied to the real world. I was just a facilitator and a guide. I did not provide information rather I let them bank on themselves by providing a few leading questions.

What I was doing here, was simply trying to bring their attention to theoretical information through an everyday situation and all I did was start with a question instead of an explanation.

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Start your day with a question that makes them think... soon you will find that they ask the most fascinating questions and come up with the most mind boggling answers that move the world! In the process, you are slowly creating an analytical and inquiring mind!