Thursday, August 6, 2009

Working at an Islamic school

I have started my new job!!! class is not yet in session but we have been doing professional development and getting the classrooms ready... Ill post pics of my classroom soon. Well it is so strange working in an all Islamic environment, I mean when i hear the principal over the intercom calling us to prayer I still get shocked!
The Good:
  1. So much diversity!! The principal is from Taiwan, married to an American.There are two American teachers including myself, one Mexican, a few Palestinians and several Lebanese.
  2. It really feels like a family, so far everyone has been so kind and helpful.
  3. EVERYONE WEARS HIJAB!! for once in my life I am not the only one and I don't have to worry about seeing any cracks... in the public school system, I have seen my share!
  4. Eid Holidays! NO SCHOOL!! And we get out an hour during Ramadan. YAY
  5. I feel like I will learn so much working at an Islamic school.

The Bad:

  1. To be perfectly honest... the pay really Sucks, I make half of what I would be making in the public school system and most of the teachers have husbands who make a lot of money so they don't really need it.
  2. It can get Catty!!! so many women in one place... need I say more?
  3. Cliques, just when I though high school was over... all the Palestinians go out for coffee and don't invite any of the rest of us :(
  4. NO MONEY.. for supplies, field trips, anything.
  5. I have an assistant who so wants my job... she has been there for seven years almost and thinks she owns the place..grrrrr... Its My Classroom!!!

I am soooooo tired...working is hard!!

So what do you all think of private Islamic schools? Are they a good Idea or do they stifle children by not allowing them to be in a real world environment?

9 comments:

Skye said...

salaamz sis mabrouk on the new job,it sounds great minus those fiew things...Insha'allah it goes well for you..I like islamic schools because im a revert and i would want my child to get as much education on islam as they possibly could as i did not have it growing up

Queen said...

everytime you mentioned all the good bits I was like, thats so cool, and that was soon gone when you mentioned the not so good bits!!well i guess i would rather work in an islamic environment than not, it would just be easier!Ive decided to educate my kids islamically myself, i may not send them to mosque, i do have my reasons!!!

Amatullaah said...

Barrakallahu feek on your new job sis,

I personally prefer Islamic schools over non Islamic schools because in the non Islamic schools kids get easily influenced by the way of th kufar. Allahu 'Alim

cairo, lusaka, amsterdam said...

If I had kids I'd send them to a non-Islamic school, because I think parents and other role models in their lives will guide them Islamically anyway, so why put them in a school just for that reason? Also I've heard so many bad things about Islamic schools in Cairo (don't know about here in Holland) that I don't think I'd take the risk of sending my kids to one!
Also to send your kids to an Islamic school sometimes causes tension in Western countries, and I think it might be easier for the kids to go to a normal school.

Sounds like there are a lot of good things about working at an Islamic school though =) Do the positives outweigh the negatives or is it still too early to tell?

Fati said...

That is so exciting! I can definitely see the pros and cons but inshallah over time the pros will outweigh the cons for the good that you are doing.

We have an Islamic school in our town for the past few years and it has been good and bed. My younger siblings attending and mashallah their arabic and quran and knowledge of Islam has improved BUT (and this is just specific to our school maybe because the classes are so small) I found that they have the same problems in public schools... cliques, peer pressure, yes, boy problems and crushes (at such a young age, it's insane). The thing is, parents assume that bc it's an Islamic school that they will not have these problems. They do and they need to make sure they deal with them in the appropriate way.

My sister went to 8th grade public school so she could transition well into Public high school. i thought it was a good idea so she wouldn't be overwhelmed and freaked out by the sudden change of environment (the islamic school only goes up to 8th grade).

AlabasterMuslim said...

Congrats on your new job!
I was in an islamic school for a year wayyy back in the eighth grade. Alhamdullilah i was glad for the Islamic environment and i made long lasting friends who are still with me till today. But it is very cliquey, people who were still 'going out', though nothing serious like in the public schools.
But i say watch out for your assisstant, seems like a sneaky one out for your job :0.

WhiteOrchid said...

think private islamic schools are good especially if you are bringing up your children in a western country.

Congrats on the new job sis! :)

Ms. Mango said...

I see the good and the bad too but I think I am going to like teaching at the Islamic school, I'll keep you all posted!

mint.fresh.muslim said...

Salaam sis, a very timely post, esp for me as I too will be working in an Islamic School. I'm thinking of writing a post to clear out my anxieties!

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