Organic garden

For some reason, I was chosen to be in the school's organic garden's committe. Maybe because my house is a living example of go green living. Even though my name seemed to be in almost every new committee being set up recently, I took it positively. Beside, I just love plants.

First we went to a nursery that's giving discount because it wanted to relocate to a new site. My fellow teacher picked up most of the organic plants. That's her specialty. Yesterday we planted all the plants in the plot that was specially set up for this project. Three of us were supposed to decide on the landscaping but in the end I was the one who made most decision since I was there first. The workers of the school were great help. So were some students from the Environment Society. 

I love nature. They come straight from our creator. Nature gives me peace. Nature makes me forget about the things that I haven't get done yet. Nature is a great source of inspiration. 

May Allah bless us all.

Usrah

Seeing my girls progressing with me makes my heart flourish with wonder of the greatness of Allah. My weekly usrah session with them this year witnesses attendance from 50 to 110 students, a number that I can only imagine the last two years when I have around 5 girls only on every sitting. Allah send the five girls and Allah send the 110 girls. Allah will only ask how much I have tried and not how much I have achieved. So the attendance of only 5 girls the last two years didn't bother me much. Hardship in the beginning is the sunnah or the way of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (p.b.u.h). 

I can see the progress of my girls in the way they take care of their hijab or clothing, in the way they talk, in the way they carry themselves. And the updates they make in the FB group specially created for them reflects their determinations to follow the way set by Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h). 

To me handling the usrah session weekly is more to give reminders to myself. For Allah knows how much I need to remind myself. When I was about to talk badly about other people I will be reminded of myself reminding the girls not to talk badly about other people in the usrah session. Ooppss.. I should follow my own advice first. When I do research to prepare for the usrah session, I'm gaining new knowledge. Gaining khowledge is compulsory for every muslim. When I always talk about doing everything for the sake of Allah, I find myself trying hard to take care of my niat or attention. So I grow and progress with my girls.

May Allah bless all my girls.

May Allah bless all of us.

Right brain students

I was given new 2 classes in the middle of April. The last two classes. As a teacher who had a master degree in education, I taught the classes with  a strategy. Mind map notes everyday. To teach weak students we can't teach each item separately. Mind map makes students being able to see how each part is connected to the others. Mind map makes the students being able to see the whole picture.

I asked them to use different colours to light up their notes. To use their own creativity to come up with different types of mind maps. Today, as promised, I rewarded students that have creative mind maps. The kids surprised me. One girls have mind map in the ocean with fish and bubbles. Another girl have trees that have the name of the topics inside the leaves. One boy have geometric pattern as the background. And my subject is Perdagangan or Commerce. Hardly the subject that you connects with art. 

All these confirmed what I have learned while doing my master degree - weak students are good at visual spatial intelligence. You can say they are right brainer kids. We can only reach them and make them understand if we utilize their right brain. 

May Allah bless all my students. 

May Allah bless us all.