Seventeen Tips for Parents to present Ramadhan in your Child's Class
Parents talking to their children's
principals, teachers and classmates in public schools about Ramadan are
of immense importance. By doing so, Muslim children feel less awkward
identifying themselves as Muslims, since someone in an authority
position has discussed what they believe what they do. As a result, the
children often feel more confident and secure.
Well, Muslim children need to feel the
importance of their own celebrations and holidays, especially since we
are living in a non-Muslim environment where kids don't see fancy lights
and decorations, commercial hoopla or consistent reminders of the
"holiday season" during Ramadan.
And of course, talking to your child's
class about Ramadan is a great way to make Dawa to non-Muslim kids and
Muslim kids as well, in particular those who may come from
non-practicing Muslim families.
There are a couple of tips to keep in
mind when approaching the school or your child's teachers about
presenting, as well as for how you present the information to the
child's class.
01. Start early
Calling your child's teacher in the
middle of Ramadan asking to do a presentation on the topic is too late.
Now, less than a month before Ramadan is the best time to bring up the
issue, especially considering Christmas is coming up and holidays are on
the minds of most people, teachers and students included.
Starting early also helps you think
about and gather the right materials to make a good presentation.
02.
Get permission from your child's teacher
While parents do have a lot of clout in
the school system, this does not allow them to show up unexpectedly one
day at their son or daughter's class to do a presentation on Ramadan.
Send a letter giving a general
indication that you want something done about Ramadan. Then wait for the
teacher to call. If he or she does not do so within a week, call them
and tell them you are following up on the letter you sent earlier.
03.
Select the right period in which to do the presentation
Does your child study Social Studies?
Or does he or she have a period once a week for Moral and Religious
education? If so, suggest to the teacher that you would like to do the
presentation during these periods. Or, you can of course ask the teacher
if he or she has ideas about which time would be best to come in and do
the presentation.
04.
Be polite but firm
Speaking nicely to people is part of
our Deen, including non-Muslims. We should remember that the purpose of
this exercise is to not just educate the students, but the teachers as
well. Being polite and courteous will not detract from your desire to
present. It will serve to build bridges and communication, and could
lead to further contact to do presentations on other Islam-related
topics and more teacher-parent cooperation in the future, Insha Allah.
05.
Ask the teacher what areas to cover and how long it should be
This helps to adjust your presentation
to the age level of the students, as well as connect it to what they are
already learning. This doesn't mean you can't bring in other
information, but knowing what to cover from the teacher helps you put
down what has to be covered and from there you can develop more points
on these or related topics. Asking how long the presentation should be
can also help you decide how much you can include in your presentation.
06.
Read, prepare, read, prepare
Now that you've gotten the permission,
you don't just sit back and wait for the night before the presentation
to put it together.
Remember, if you want to appeal to the
students, especially younger ones, you are going to need more than just
a talk. Visuals are a great help. You can get a Ramadan banner picture
of Muslims fasting, show part of a video aimed at children about Ramadan
(see
Adam's World's Ramadan Mubarak video) .
To get the right material, you will have to find out where to get it
from, and ordering it might take a couple of weeks.
Preparing is important, even though you
may have fasted all of your life and think you know all about Ramadan.
Get a children's Islamic book and read what it says about Ramadan. Or an
article written by a teenager about Ramadan. This will also help you
understand what points to emphasize in your presentation.
Reading up will also clarify any
incorrect cultural norms that may have seeped into the practice of
Ramadan which you may not have been aware of. Talk to a knowledgeable
Muslim for advice as well.
07.
Talk to your son or daughter about the presentation
Who would know better the mind set of
the kids in the class than your son or daughter? Consult them about what
to include, what the kids like, what kind of things they are interested
in. Not only will this improve your presentation, Insha Allah, but it
will also make Ameena or Saeed feel important and more confident as
individuals, and as Muslims.
08.
A few days before the presentation
Call the teacher to check the date and
time of the schedule. This will serve to remind him or her about your
visit and prepare the class accordingly. It will also help you get the
exact time and date.
09.
Write presentation points on note cards
Reading off papers about Ramadan will
not hold the interest of many people, young or old. Instead, writing
brief notes on note cards that you can look at so you don't miss any
topic will help you avoid straying from the subject while allowing you
to make eye contact with your audience and maintain a conversational
style of presentation.
10.
Practice your presentation in front of your son/daughter
Practicing helps you identify what can
be improved, changed or omitted. Practicing in front of Ameena will give
you the opportunity to present before one of the kids in the class who
can really give you the best advice.
It will also help you time your
presentation, so you can make it shorter or longer.
11.
Dress for success
This does not mean pulling out the
Armani suit or the most expensive dress you have. It just means looking
as a Muslim should-clean, respectable, professional and Islamically
covered. Clothes don't always "make the man" but they do affect others'
perception of you.
12.
Be early
Teachers and students are busy people.
They have a certain curriculum to cover. The fact that they've squeezed
in your presentation is somewhat of a privilege. Don't take advantage of
this by wasting their time by coming late. And anyways, Muslims should
be on time as a principle.
Coming early can also help you set up
your audio visual material.
13.
Make Dua...
Before your presentation. Ask Allah to
help you convey this message sincerely, properly and clearly. And say
Bismillah.
14.
Speak calmly and clearly
It's important not to race through the
presentation, nor to talk too slowly. A clear, conversational style, but
emphasis on the major points or terms you want the students to
understand can help convey the message properly.
15.
When answering questions
If you don't know something, say so.
Then check up on it and get back to the teacher. Ask him or her to
convey the response.
16.
Thank Allah...
For this opportunity He blessed you
with and your ability to go through with it.
17.
Send a thank you note to the teacher and class...
Thanking them for their time and
attention, as well as their cooperation.
Adopted from soundvision.com with
slight modifications. |