The Teacher – An Agent of Change

All praise belongs to Allah, eternally merciful, creator, nourishing Sustainer of the universe, especially Merciful Lord of the Worlds must have the Day of Judgment, to whom is our ultimate return?

Our purest in choices, salons, the rule and salutations to our spiritual master, the best of Allah's creation, the most distinguished of all the prophets, the most eloquent in speech, the most noble in character, the perfect example for all of mankind, and a mercy to all of humanity, our beloved the bay Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam trust in play, Inshallah, you're all enjoying the fruits of this blessed month of Ramadan. May Allah accept all of our dwarves and divided during this holy month. Inshallah.

Can I please ask?

If you can leave, keep mics muted, so as to avoid any disturbances, while cameras may be kept on its own discretion, inshallah.

The recordings of the session will be emailed after the session or in the next few days, to all the delegates that are on the session, including those that have registered, but are not.

gonna ask you to please mute, so as to reduce disturbance.

We will try and address some of the many questions that you posted as you register for this event. And will also feel free to post any comments or questions you have in the chat. We'll try and pick that up as well.

The format of the session CI

system to see if we can ask you to mute this

proposal

I'm

sorry, there's some disturbance coming. I think if you could just mute that will be appreciated. So the proposed format for this afternoon session will be as follows. Our guests will speak for about 20 or 30 minutes and we will use the remainder of the one hour allocated for q&a and discussion. Inshallah. My name is Dr. Raman. I'm the principal of alpha College in Durban in South Africa, and I'm also an executive member of the global association of Islamic schools. Ci A is as we are known for short, envisages a world where Islamic schools positively impact their communities by educating students to embody our son, morals, spiritual and intellectual excellence inshallah.

It is our mission to bring Islamic schools together to build global solidarity and promote a culture of excellence. We hope to provide thought leadership, networking opportunities, and research based standards for holistic and relevant education inshallah. This particular event the scholar series is an initiative of the GIS, where we invite a scholar to post a question or a provocation each Thursday on the G I 's website to underwear, a WhatsApp group to stimulate thought and discussion. These weekly discussions culminate in a one hour webinar each month, with the scholar selected for the month. So it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the second of our webinars in the

series with our special guests. For the Idris who will address us on the topic, the teacher, a real change of agent, a real agent of change. A quick introduction to our guest agrees commission.

Your brother is an international consultant in education in human development. He began his career as a teacher of English, and has been a teacher of English at different schools in a head teacher. At three different schools. He has conducted numerous workshops going to 30 countries. These topics range from leadership, youth development, from information to transformation, creativity in schools dynamics of marriage parenting, in the 21st century, amongst many, many other relevant topics. He was one of the founding members of the association of Muslim schools in South Africa and also an advisor to Eber, the International Board of educational research and resources. He is the co author

of many Ybor manuals, also co authored the art of public speaking from an Islamic perspective. Embrace the joy

public speaking and pre marital conversations and beyond. He is also part of the public speaking Academy. He is a regular guest on National and Community TV and radio stations. One of his unique features is his ability to respond to the diverse needs of the community

is not only identifies the challenges, but it's able to provide many workable solutions. All in all, it reads my job rather is a dynamic individual with diverse talents and a unique ability to connect. And wow his audiences, I have no doubt that you will do the same today. Insha Allah gives me great pleasure to hand you over to our guests for the Idris commercialization

as salaam alaikum, Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

It is really my pleasure to address all of you today. And my presentation today can be life changing. It all depends on how receptive you are. And that's an important thing is saying about being receptive.

Great teachers I believe, are born. Great teachers are receptive to new ideas. So we cannot thank Allah enough for the fact that we are in this teaching profession. The profession of profits, of course, I'm gonna be sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, I've come here as a teacher. Now let's go to the very beginning. Why, for example, did I chose this topic,

a teacher, a real agent of change. Because in my travels throughout the world, going to schools talking to teachers, I find many educators themselves somewhat frustrated. They tend to blame the institutional politics that blame the experience of all of children, the blame the parents, and the says that the much we can do.

And you know, a true educator is an individual who knows, through his inspiration,

you'll be able to really transform young minds and hearts. Where he takes time it takes discipline, it takes really Taqwa. It's about a commitment.

But when we talk about change, what change am I talking about? What do you envision, in the end? What kind of individual you like to see leave the school.

I like to believe in our hearts of hearts. Many of us who are true educators would like to see our young boys and girls leave as potential leaders to go out there and say, You know what, I want to make a difference. I want to leave a legacy. I want to be a person of significance. And not narrowly a person of success was only concerned about his own self enrichment. And also concern about his own inverted commas, reputation as it were in the community.

So a question I asked everyone and I want to ask you also in your, I'd like you to respond in your own mind. The bottom line is, why are you teaching?

Why are you teaching?

And they can be as many answers as the individuals. And I came across some very profound answers from individuals in some parts of the world. At the same time, I came across some very mundane, mundane reasons as to why someone is teaching.

Some individual say I teach because I want to prepare my kids for the examination.

But the others who say, I teach because I believe

I can not only leave a legacy, but more importantly, I believe that every child I teach can impact on generations to come. For example, if I have 25 learners, I can impact the lives of 25 generations.

So it's very, very important for us.

As educators, to understand

the context in which we are teaching, we are teaching at a time when the Ummah is bleeding. We are teaching at a time when our homes have become dysfunctional.

When we are teaching at a time when our youth are pining for real leadership, we are teaching at a time in which

individuals themselves have forgotten what their purpose is. They forgotten why they are born, they have forgotten what they need to do. And we are teaching at a time, sadly, at a time when our young boys and girls have lost faith in their own faith. And therefore, as a true educator, your responsibility is to go beyond the confines of cognitive development. Beyond the narrow confines of academic achievement, you need to provide true holistic education. And it must be, Inshallah, through your example, through your attitude, through your commitment that our children are inspired to do great things are inspired to really make a difference. Now, this is a point you see, the point

is this,

that, and I want to say this, with respect to everyone, a true teacher, a true educator, does not believe that he's walking the extra proverbial mile.

What he's doing is something that he believes is part of his responsibility.

It is so so important for us to understand

the gravitas, the enormity of what we do, and why we do it. And please believe me,

sometimes in our

peril, perhaps, exuberance, sometimes believe after we have given one lecture, as it were, that you'd expect transformation tomorrow, it doesn't happen like that. So I want each one of you to know that each one of us has a capacity to transform the hearts and minds of these young people. But it cannot happen just like that.

So let us explore, for example, what should be some critical attributes. I was writing these attributes down, and by no means I'm saying it is exhaustive. It is what I believe in. And I like to believe you will also collapse every unique set of attributes that you think that are important.

And in fact, when I did a survey, with the students, asking them, What do you think are the five most important attributes of teachers?

In what they said to me, they said, the first thing they said to me, a teacher must be fair.

The second thing they said, he must be just the third issue, they said, he must have a sense of humor. The fourth thing that they said, The teacher must be relevant. And the last thing they said, which I believe is critical, a teacher needs to be creative.

So these are important, the perhaps your learners might say something different. But this engagement is important. You see, sometimes you may have a particular self perception, regarding yourself a sage on the stage, a gift to the learners, yet the learners might find you tedious, boring and irrelevant, perhaps a cut themselves off. And you need to ask them this question. The simple question,

what would you like me to do different? give me feedback about the way I teach. And great teachers are those individuals who invite a feedback. We invite someone to critique them so that we can become a better there's a story that I've heard,

maybe some folk tactic, it's very instructive. Apparently there was this Chinese or Japanese Emperor, who summoned the best teacher in the land to teach his son. So this teacher said to his friend, you know what?

How can I teach his son his son is so encouraged double. The Quad is friend said to me, Well, if you want to teach his son, then you must become a better teacher. So it is about us always trying to improve. And what saddens me, I'm sad to say, many educators do not read many educators have not brought in the minds over and above what they might have learned at the university. So I

I want to just share with you attributes

that I believe to be important, not necessarily in a particular order, right? The first attribute that I've got that a teacher must be creative.

Now people ask this question, ways that time for creativity in the class, I says precisely when you don't have the time, you need to unleash your creative juices. And in fact, on a be SallAllahu wasallam. And it is my intention to write a book, Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the teacher of creativity. And there are so many examples in the Sierra, to show his creativity. The second point that I've got is a teacher must be kind. I was reading the other day, I will not be so loud, he was seldom never chided or scolded any child. I'm not saying we must become overly indulgent. And when you are kind, what happens, children become more responsive, they begin to

engage you. The third thing, because of the constraints of time, I'm not going to discuss each in detail, you caught to every sense of humor, if you pass have a sense of humor, right? You know, there is a huge difference. And now to say this, between captive audience and a captured audience, sometimes you go past some classrooms, the kids are sitting there, and reminds me of Charles Dickens book hard times, when you're told, I want you to give a nothing but facts, nothing by facts. And these children are sitting as passive receptacles of knowledge, no engagement, no participation, no cerebral activity. So I think it's very, very important, very, very critical that our children, for

example, are participating they are they are engaging, and that's very, very important, right? So this thing about human is also critical. The other thing that I believe is important that the teacher must be dynamic, you have to be dynamic. In fact, you know, studies have shown that the attention span of children, some people say it's eight seconds to five minutes and two minutes. So what do you need to do? You cannot come there and be predictable, I believe. A true educator is unpredictable, but he's reliable, and predictable. And therefore I call good teachers, as educators, good teachers, are individuals who understand the mindset, good teachers, are those individuals were

able to take the place of the students and say, how would I like to receive the knowledge? The next thing, I believe, if you want to be an agent of change, you got to build trust in the children? Why should they trust you? Why? What is it about you? Why should they trust you? Why should they open their hearts out to you? In fact, you know, I should do this. And this is very, very personal, about something I want to share with each one of you. In fact, when one of my ex students have committed suicide, I started making a DUA, right? Every morning when I walk into every classroom, this happened when I was at the government school, and I see ya Allah, show me the unhappy child. Show me

the unhappy child, what's the use of you teaching all these abstract concepts and ideas. Yet, a child is crying out for help, crying out for love crying out for information, affection, attention, that's what we need to do. And I believe when you show a profound love for a child, you love them not only for the mind, you love them because you want to develop them holistically. i Please believe me, I've seen it and I'm sure many of you have seen it, you'll begin to inspire confidence. The other thing that is important is this, that we need to understand the unique personalities of each child. We come in often in a lecture method, right? And a transmission mode as it were, and we

forget that every child is different our NABI sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you know, when he used to speak to the Sahaba the advice he gave, each one was so different because he knew what was in the mind of the person. He understood that particular personality. And when children themselves young people know that this teacher of mine understands me. He's not a sage on the stage but a guide on the side. He will not reprimand and humiliate the front of my peers.

Call me to the side, you'll have a private chat with me. And in that way I can build up trust. And you saying to the person, you know what you have the capacity for, for greatness, and I'm here to support you, let me take you by the hand.

And also you find that a teacher who is an agent of change, is a person that tries to become an authority on the subject, and not only an authority on the subject, he's also knowledgeable, he seems to understand the world around him, and therefore is able to embrace it. When he teaches them, it teaches them about life, and living. That's what it's all about life and living. We do not want children to leave our institutions, we bludgeon them with information, they say true information, if it is practice, it becomes knowledge. The other important thing that is also critical is a fact that educators themselves are people with impeccable character. They are individuals who are always have

the minds open, who also have and this is a very critical thing, have a high EQ emotional intelligence, that is, to me a very, very important aspect to have high emotional intelligence. And I'm sure many of you, when you reflect on your own teaching, and those of us have been teaching for a long time, you might need some of your ex students, you meet them years later, and they share with you a story that you shared with them at school. At that time, the story did not have much relevance, and perhaps they may inattentive, and certainly now it resonates.

And I know for example,

that a true teacher, a true educator,

does not only prepare children for life, outside the school, and life beyond. He prepares them for life within the school. And children mimic adult behavior. You can either liberate the mind of learners or you could sabotage them. The choice is yours. And remember this, I'm in and I save the sin I'm sure many of you cannot take a lie enough. For what take Allah enough for the fact that you are in this profession, that you cannot take a lie enough that you can able to develop in them, those noble qualities that they become true ambassadors for the deen of Islam.

And there are some popular sayings like to share with people, right? And it's very, very important. Very, very important for us to acknowledge this, right? I came across this lesson Wow.

Someone said if you do learn today, you cannot teach tomorrow. How powerful is that? If you do not learn today, you cannot teach tomorrow. And as a teacher, you learn so much there's so much for you to learn. And the other one is if you teach the way you've been taught you're of your children

of tomorrow

and this is very critical my beloved brothers and sisters. Firstly we cannot think alike enough that we are in this profession. We cannot take online not that inshallah the day we die when our learners learn for passing away corrupts and shredded

Yeah, perhaps I lift up their hand see Allah forgive Mollema forgive Malden forgive my moody forgive them was just through them and got to know you to throw them and got to know that recently allowed us sell them. It was through them. I learned how to live with other people. It was for them. I've learned how to show love and respect to my parents. It was through them I was able to unleash my full potential. And this is very, very important. And the day we are able to extricate ourselves from the narrow I use the word advisedly, narrow confines of pure academic excellence. That's the day you can deliberate our children because through successes I said at the beginning, and academic

success on his own is not a precursor for real success. Because as I all

We say, man has learned to fly like a bird in the sky, swim like a fish in the sea. But he cannot walk like a human being on this earth. Now to end up my presentation, because I would rather take questions, there are two things I want to mention.

In my first year of teaching, and there is a difference between a teacher that is certified and the teacher is qualified. Often many qualified teachers may or may not have certification, the others will have set of certificates that fill the walls of the school, yet the heart is not in the right place. And that's an important thing. So there are two things one, for my experience as a teacher, there are many, and the other is my experience as a student. I remember when I was teaching in my first year, I was teaching the book, David Copperfield, I was a teacher of English. And, and it was in my first month as it were, and I was getting a bit frustrated because of the untidy work of one

of my students. And Allah put it in my heart. And I said to him, my boy, I'd like to meet you during the break time. And he was nervous about it. And I was somewhat I had some trepidations, I had no idea how this whole thing is going to pan out. So what did I do? I called him there. And I said to him, Tell me about your home, your background. When the time we started speaking, tears began to well.

He said to me, that I leave from home.

five in the morning, I get a lift in a truck,

come to school, I get home when it's dark, you have no lights at home, I do my homework under the street lamp.

I immediately held his hand I said, please forgive me. I did not know this. But that moment, build up a report a trust on that day, although his circumstances did not change. But he changed towards his work. He was more forthcoming. He was more productive. He was more participatory. And that I learned was a very, very important lesson. Because every student comes to school with three things with an IQ, the baggage of values and an attitude. But we only focus on his IQ, we do not focus on his values will not focus on his act. What is his attitude? We are so preoccupied in drumming down as it were, the curriculum, the syllabus, that you forget what you're all about. And the last two

things I'm dimension before I mentioned the other incidents, you know what, for me, through education, schooling is when when we respond to the needs and fears of our learners, when you are able to workshop those fears and needs in a particular way. And in terms of when I mentioned also, the whole issue of creativity. It's a time for debate. Inshallah, but I want to share a about a teacher. That was my inspiration. I know, Sheikh, my beloved brother, Akram Khan Chima knows him very well. And I'm sitting at Zephyrs place, and I'll share that I was a naughty boy in school. I was a naughty, naughty boy. Right and I was like a reluctant clown at school. I was in a Pisa.

Whenever a magician came, they wanted to volunteer, they see me circumcised to go but I was a sharp clown. No one knew that. They didn't. When I was in age of 14 or so. i The teacher of English and easy to read my essays and the mistakes in this class is to laugh and I shall laughter

so funny, so But I used to get so mad. I could not say anything. Neither could have complained to my dad, because my dad told the teachers, the flesh is yours. The bones are mine. Right? So anyway, so sometimes cry myself to sleep. The next year, I had another teacher smile Kathrada and we were doing this poem, God's grandkid. And so next to me, there was a courageous damsel. So I said yes, also God's grant here so I suppose pinching cheeks and you know, all of those things, checking a vital signs and whatnot. The teacher noticed me he said to me, threes, You're a naughty boy. You I said, No, I'm not a naughty boy. He says, Well, I'm not leaving the class until you give me your

interpretation of the last two lines the poem and I can remember his words almost good.

verbatim.

Remember, if you do not give me your interpretation, I will give you the cold shoulder. Do you want the cold shoulder from him? I said, No, please, please. So I gave an answer to get him off my back. And he said to me three, such a brilliant interpretation. Why don't you give yourself a chance.

And you know, that was a wow moment, he went next door, he told the class, Idris camisa gave me an interpretation, so beautiful. And that was a wow moment. On that day onwards, I became an avid reader, I took my life seriously. Today, I have a library of over 20,000 books. And eight years later, because of that one moment, and our kids need to have a one moment, we need to give them hope, we must give them hope that I became the chairman of the English society of South Africa, there's so much to share with you. And I'm sure you too have so much to share. And now to end it all by saying to my beloved brothers and sisters, let us reflect on who we are. That is reflect on the

fact that we can be agents of change, let us spend time with them. Let us have our lunches with them, let us get to know them. Because Sadly, in many cases, they have no role models at home. The role models they find outside are those individuals that are in critical to Islam, atheists, agnostics, or whatever, whatever, whatever. Those who not love the deen of Islam. So I think it's very, very important to create the class as to, to make it a place animism, the day you are not there. The day you're not there. They do miss you. And it demands me and if I get a time, we'll talk about it. Defer our other take some questions, shall

we circle nothing?

For the trees for that very inspiring. Talk.

And especially those moments of your personal journey, both as a student as a as a teacher, thank you very much for sharing that with us.

Thank you very much. If you wish to pose a question, to pose a question directly, I invite you to

come on come on you.

Trees. Why do you think about it? Maybe I'd like to pose a question.

On registration. It is.

Many, many questions we receive a one teacher, one teacher. I'm a qualified teacher. But how do I also become a mentor to my students? How do I also become a doctor?

Okay, it's a very important question. The

English definition of teacher is a person that imparts knowledge to children might teach them some competence, or it might teach them a virtue. But when you look at the word Murai, we're a B is far more deeper. It's about a person that encourages, inspires and builds up confidence in the children. So to become a mentor, you must give children an opportunity to share what goes on in their life, to share with you the pain, to be able to do the things that you need to do to assist. And this is very important. And when you for example, you can become a mentor when you make your lessons irrelevant. You know, for example, when I used to teach in a government school, I always precede my lesson with

talking about five minutes of life and often the talks about my life dealt with the challenges young people are going through. So it's about building up the relationship Inshallah, you will find a difference

how do you handle children will not work for children who are disruptive in class, you see, this is a important thing. Now, not children behave in the way they behave for a number of reasons. You know, they speak about ABC of discipline, you must speak about the anti seed antecedent, what is it that led them to become disruptive, perhaps your teaching style, perhaps it is boring. Perhaps they do not feel that you are unleashing the potential. So a good way to deal with this is to get to know that learner outside the classroom. Take a moment engage with him, build up their confidence, and let him know that he has a future ahead of him. Each

particular person is unique. And I follow that when you engage them on a personal level, when you, as a teacher are concerned about holistic learning, you always always get the desired results.

You know, there's this question of getting feedback from students, either by way of surveys or engaging with them, as you suggested earlier, but how do you address the fears of teachers, when children open up to them, and tell them about the weaknesses? You see, this is an important thing. Now, when teach now many teachers have those fears is

they have issues about their own self esteem. So it's very, very important as a school to develop the self esteem

of a teacher. Now, self esteem does not mean that your self esteem means that you know you're fit, you're you feel good about who you are, you understand that you have areas of concern, and you have strengths. And you're you have humility. And it is precisely that feedback that makes a big difference. I remember my best pupil in English. We had the highest for English in the country. Many years ago, when I asked for

feedback, I said, Why did I do that? He said, he finds my lessons boring. He said that,

because I was so concerned. But mine was Judas is mine was so brilliant. So then I realized I had to do something different. So what did I do? I began to ask him to go around class students who the correction is to give him Jones and other, you know, to read and all of that. And if I did not do that, you know, it would have really agitated him. And it's important because remember something when you drink things to Allah, you invite feedback, doing things for yourself and your ego. You'll never invite feedback. And that's very, very important. sokola Thank you very much for that.

There's a question that was posted on the chat.

form. Please talk about the relationship of relationship and community church and community school teachers, school leadership, nurturing, nurturing students, often at very least in America.

A relationship with a teacher is not seen as a refresh token at how to how to, on the other end, how

to approach professionals and expert experts

in improving their gait say, I require a lecture for them, but I'll give you some give you a response. Right? You got to understand I came across this and it for me, it really resonated many, many skated, for example, that we that we are in no control of what what goes on outside the school. But we have complete control what goes on in school. I remember once, when I was a teacher of a school, I said to my teachers, imagine this kids do not have parents. Imagine you the only source of inspiration. And that gave them another dimension. And I think it's important to see you could have self belief. No one can diminish you without your permission. It is such a to me. It's a teaching is

the best profession. It cannot think you got an opportunity of opening the hearts and minds. Same learners that are reluctant today. I promise you tomorrow, they would elevate not that you want to be elevated. I remember my friend Sofia was also

very, I know beloved sister, pianos.

And he said you know, his do is large Charles one of his students agenda for you, inshallah should say, Gala, I want to only go to China with my buddy my bald man Halima. This is what we need to do. If you penetrate the hearts of the learners. When you show a deep concern, a sincere authentic concern when you are genuine, when you listen to them, barely with an open heart. Without you know being pre judging or being judgmental. I promise you this kids do anything. I've seen classes, not only the classes that I was involved. In fact, in some schools, some teachers were surprised they see threes to laugh and joke so much yanking your classroom participatory.

I said you know why? Because they know I love them was one of the things that I used to do. Before I went to any school on the first day of my school teaching day. I'll say to my students, please write a letter to me. Tell me about your family if you want tell me about the challenge in your subject. You'll be surprised how many of them open their hearts out to you. So I think you need to have self belief. Secondly, you and the professional the prophets of Nabi SallAllahu sallam was a teacher. In fact, you know one of

One thing, you know, I say, You know what I people asked, What do I miss? I say, Man, I was a captain in the classroom, you know, jumping on the chairs, you know, coming in through the window, you know it making them happy, you're in pain. And once you take up the happiness out of them, they are, you know, they receive the knowledge and open hearts, they ask questions, you know, and this is very, very important.

Thank you, Sister, Sophia has her hand up if you can unmute sister, Sophia.

Thank you so much, Brother, this, it's such a pleasure to hear from you and your pearls of wisdom that you're sharing with us. As the Assistant Executive Director, I have the opportunity to visit many, many schools here in the United States. And then in Canada, hopefully also, overseas, one of the questions that administrators will ask or that they're so concerned about is, you know, something you touched upon, which is that there's, you know, there's qualification and their certification. And they're so caught up some of them the administrators in the board members and finding qualified teachers, but to them, it means certification. And I try to tell them that, as a

first of all is a private school here in the US, you don't necessarily and I know, it differs sometimes state to state, you don't necessarily have to hire teachers with a specific certification. And then they'll say, Well, how do I know what what advice would you give in the interview process to identify that this teacher may not have the certification may not have that academic degree, or that years of experience I'm looking for, but they've got the heart for it. And then we can take that and we can develop and train and provide resources and support for them for what they might be lacking in in

that content, knowledge certification, what would you what would you tell administrators to look for? What kind of qualification maybe what kinds of questions to ask to find that teacher? Yes, I see what you're saying. It's so new, I think what you're saying sometimes is so true. Because sometimes what happen is that when people have all the certificates, what it's like a blind spot, you make assumptions that this person is going to be dynamic to ask many, many questions. Are you receptive to new knowledge? One? Secondly, are you prepared to work as a team, you need to find out about how they would handle certain situations, of course, they need to have knowledge. And also

what is very important is are they prepared to participate in co curricular and extracurricular activities? And any improve the interview process? And of course, I'm sure they would have some kind of passes it where you can identify them. Because sometimes some people are so well prepared for an interview. But then the reality is hits the ground. There are people that say, My gosh, how did I make this mistake? So I think in the end is the heart does a person love learners? Does he love excellence? Does he love to pursue knowledge? And that is very, very important for me.

Just like Well, I think

certainly, we need to relook at how we interview and

we need a new, a new paradigm and the change is the two questions related

together in

one question is, what should we do when parents are asking us to move into their roles? And the related question, how can we as facilitators guide parents to cooperate with us in these challenging times? I remember you know, there is a famous saying the teachers are in local parentless.

Now, the assumption is that at home parents are playing the role. So what I found that is quite useful is that is that once you are training, educating, inspiring the learners you should also have a concurrent program for parents to attend. Because today's parents, many of them, they mean well, but they have little or no idea how to create a particular ethos at home. They have no idea how to nurture the children. Sometimes they are undermining what's going on at school. And one of the ironies when people ask me three is, why is it there are so many Muslim schools sprouting throughout the world? I said, the irony is that the purpose of schooling was supposed to reinforce the values

of the home. Now be asking the home to reinforce the values of the school and this these are the challenges

You're going to have, and I can assure you that when you are creative, when you are engaging, it makes a huge difference. When you say to yourself, that you will create the such a compelling environment, so much of dynamism that these children Shala would also become the agents of change in their own home.

Luckily, at least I think, you know, it's very important. There are three very important players, the teacher, the child and the parent and the teachers.

There's a question here related to children in question here related to children and their part and role, the polarized you have their mindset perspectives of viewpoints, how to bring them to the point that they accept the message willingly and become themselves the agents of change.

You see, therefore, that question, please,

assumes that you as an educator, understands the experience of all of children, you understand what is happening is social media, you understand the influences around them. And it's important that you have a discussion about it. It's an important thing for them to participate and a critical way it should do what I call role playing. And therefore it's important. I mean, imagine when you go to the class, and this teacher is somewhat naive, is ill equipped, he does not know what's going on in the world of children. And you find that the kids are living in a world of fantasy, and there is no connect this disconnect as it were. And I think this is therefore it's important, you know, to win

the hearts of your learner's and make this a point. You see, the point I always mentioned this, I say Islam is a beautiful deed. We need to present a wasteland in a beautiful way for our beautiful, innocent children in a world that is going ugly. It's about how we present the Islam to them. Are we making I'm not saying that we need to reform Islam? No, no, I'm not saying that. Islam is relevant for all times. It's about how you present. They look at your conduct. And you know what? They must look at you and say, You know what, when I grew up, I want to be like that teacher. I want to be like Mrs. Zafir. Idris camisa. You know, Sofia, you know, the Kia Seema, Akram, Khan Chima, whoever

I want to be like them in why? Because they are articulate, they're confident they are avid readers, they seem to know so much about what's going on in this world, you cannot go there and only understand the narrow limits of your subject, a curriculum that is often so static, when the world around is changing so fast, I remember a shake yovel Big once mentioned, he came across this powerful quotation and look at how powerful this is. If you miss a beat, you miss a whole generation can you imagine how vigilant we need to be today the world is changing so radically right? And if we have not recognized that, if we are gone back to our classrooms, serving the same person after the

COVID then I think my friend you are going to become irrelevant. Right? So I think it's very, very important for us to understand that.

Just

someone says it says how can teach the future develop the communication skills, skills usually said usually systems of humor you have in abundance.

You know what?

You know really mean?

I

really, I get so emotional about it. You know, you know today.

Many of our kids come from joyless homes.

They come from home, so there's so much of sadness.

Many of them to ask the man last did you have your father and your mother?

They can't remember. So it's important. They say laughter lubricates life, men, you know, it makes them happy, man. You know, this is important. You know, and I love thriller. My mom, my dad, and my friends and my teachers all contributed to this. And you know what, when you are in this profession, when your heart is there, you know, you feel I belong here. This is me, I belong here. I belong here. And you know what, when you're not a school for one day, your children will miss you. They miss the dynamism, the smile, the excitement, the humor, and this is important. This this thing about acting professorial

No putting on being pedantic, you know, and all of that is not going to work my friend, because the only person you can impress is yourself. You know, it's important that you engage with them. Inshallah is something you need to develop and I'm a parasite on new knowledge. I used to visit my teachers classes, learning from them, you know, when I was the colleague, our V, tell me about a book, I'll buy it right now, I want to learn all the time. Even if I learned one thing, it is enough for me to take a quantum leap.

Just like Eliza,

question posted here, you mentioned holistic education, what do you consider the hallmarks of a whole child child education? Yes, yes, holistic education is for me far beyond the mind. The cognitive, it also means the affective, it also means the whole issue of emotional intelligence, it also means the spirituality, the spirituality, it also means the physical development, it also means the ethical development, we need, you know, you find that the person who leaves a legacy is a person that is a well rounded human being, he himself is spiritually uplifted himself is a individual who is carrying himself is a deep thinker. So it requires all of those aspects in the end. The bottom

line is the simple bottom line is that you can ask yourself, what is it that Allah is looking for in us? What is it in terms of our relationship to people? What is it in terms of our thoughts? What is it in terms of us motivating, and leaving a legacy? So many people have different models of it, right. But there are few fundamental things that our education is skewed towards the mind. And one of the ironies is this

assembly center, what students done in the exit examination is three months after that many kids come to school with emotional deprivation. And we need to nurture that help them to deal with feelings, it is feelings and values that will impact on them.

Just like a lot, thank you very much, Chris, I want to read an article about the Japanese education system where the Early Years formative years of education deal exactly only worth relationally only manners, Leisha prisms mellow things to actual knowledge there isn't any of those metrics and writing comes a little bit. phonetics and writing.

Based on establishing those very important skills on establishing those very important skills as a Christian,

a Christian Yeah. How would How would you say invest invest in your teachers? So you know, you know, they can become changed agents of change? How would you know, eventually at the

agent of change? I think you need to conduct numerous workshops, not only you're conducting the workshops, even getting dynamic teachers to do that. And what we need to do is there are so many stories around people, teachers themselves and yeah, graduates who say a pity, they say, you know, I liked the teacher, that teacher, you know, I came to school because of him, he made a difference. And you asked him how, why didn't you speak to the others about it, we need to share those stories. Because what happens is this, that you see many educators, you know, because of the low self esteem, because of the negativity, they feel they are hitting their head against the wall. And, and remember

this, you know, we got to do self appraisal, we need to reflect on what we are doing. And when you show the stories of, of delinquent kids who transform not only the life at school, but much later, you see a different I share with you two stories, right? I remember when I started the Muslim school and I years ago, and I remember there were two students in school, and they were somewhat naughty. And I had the habit of visiting them at home. There was an incident that took place and I went to the home I met the father, the both the parents and they were shattered. They became quite emotional, but I kept them at school, and you will not believe it. years later. One of them is a

trustee of a moss with a worldly and they

doing what is right, the other, I met him many years back, I went to his home. And he say asked him, you know what, how are you? He says, you know,

under Allah, Allah has been very merciful. I've got, I've been very well, in every year, I sell to couples for hudge. Now, if I were to share that with teachers, they're not believing, because we mustn't assume people the school is only part of their life is the beginning of the journey. You cannot be punitive at the beginning of the journey, get to understand them. No child is incorruptible no child come to even his heart. No child comes there to disrupt things. You know what? So speaking to shake, yeah, you know, he was telling me, many people say, you know, you know, they're seeking a, you know, a way out whatever, you know, what kids are doing, really the seeking

connection. It's about you connecting with the heart, spending time even calling the belligerent bellicose learner to the office, say, Come You and I have tea together. And I remember this, this incident, I remember. And now, this one incident, when my first group of matrix students were leaving, so I

was getting so emotional. I was so attached to them, you know, and I wondered whether we did enough to help them navigate the turbulent waters of this world. Whether the slam that we developing will be strong enough to be like a antidote.

And I remember I called the boys to the mosque and ask them, tell me, you know, you've been here for years. What did you learn from me?

The first group, were massaging my ego. And I was feeling very good about it, saying, you know, I remember this sacking to the office, a cry on your shoulder, that, that two boys, one of them said, I learned nothing from you, my friend, what he bruised my ego.

But I'm glad I asked him that question. And he said, I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming my home, because nothing you tell us has relevance in my home. So what I did, I went home, I went to his place that day or the other day, next day.

I went there. So the mother jokingly told me, You came to spy on us?

In a way, right? So anyway, but what happened

on that Monday? I told him, and I told another student of mine. I said, Come You and I have coffee in town, the same boy that are some that day, would you ever help an old man to cross the road? He says, No, I'll never help an old man. He spent 12 years of the school and he's got no compassion. How do we teach the slums

of Nairobi? Salah Lowry alayhi wa sallam, but look what happened. I parked the car, not far from me. There was an old man on a wheelchair. He said, Excuse me, moody. He helped that old man to cross the road. What happened? It just felt a kinship. He felt this. And that's important. If they can

assume

they believe in you. You share with them profound insights about the world. You care for them. You connect to their families, and you love them. I promise you these children inshallah will become eloquent ambassadors for the deen of Islam.

Because

this is always your speech straight from the heart from these individual personal anecdotes. So moving

anecdotes, so moving touch any other questions

that we have to get to the questions on this list.

To get to we've already

take this opportunity.

Last month, we'll see those questions in the last month challenging.

And also for your time to be here this afternoon. For many of you who don't know, it reads this morning flew from Durban to Johannesburg did some work in Johannesburg, flew back to Durban drove straight from the airport to his house. He had a power outage drove to my house to make sure he could honor this.

Engagement. We really appreciated this and I really appreciated your inspiration. last issue

was you add

value of the value of the profession of the prophets and inspires

teachers and teachers.

I want to add something

I want

To remind all of you, my beloved your My beloved brothers and my sisters on to make the word that this Ramadan is inspiring for all of you, but men or parents, but I want to say something and I want you to repeat after me, I want all of you to repeat I want you to unmute yourself and repeat after me. If I do not do not change the next 40 In the next 48 hours, it is unlikely I'm going to change. So, you did so you repeat it three times this this presentation come to nothing, if we did not confront you and please is not to say I cannot learn from young eager to learn from Yarmouth. aracite I want to learn from you. So I want to wish you well. Inshallah, may you be an inspiration

to all learners. May you in not only inspire our learners but inspire humanity at large desert Kula Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah. If you are assigned the autograph, don't worry.

Thank you very much. Here's a question that should be posted. Now someone wants to know how to join join the

group and my board report details currently only the GA

Members

Association association. So if you belong to an

association, you can make arrangements with them, they put you in touch with them

where the executives are invited

to join the WhatsApp group in shoulder I want to take this opportunity to behalf of the global association of Islamic schools to think Greece and to thank all of you for accepting our invitation to be here today.

This has been a valuable learning experience. Allah bless you all God bless you all for your time to be here with us make all the best for the rest of your days for the rest of remember. And we hope to see your money last month to see you next month's scholar series

will be our guest

today of me me inshallah.

Salam wa Rahmatullah.

Sakal. Ahead, everyone. Thank you so much.

Looking forward to possibly Shala soon having an opportunity