Updated 7 November 2011
On 9 October 2011 The World Federation of KSIMC assisted Muhammadi Madrasah, Birmingham, in organising the second of their annual Teacher Training Days. Sheikh Muhammad Zakariya, an educationalist and scholar from London, ran an inspirational and important seminar on teaching from an Islamic Perspective.
The key aim of the day was to bring together the Madrasah's volunteers for half a day, allowing them to gain from Sheikh Zakariya's insights as well as sharing lesson planning best practice. The first session began with Sheikh Zakariya's talk. After providing an introduction of the structure of his talk, he outlined the various roles and responsibilities of a Madrasah teacher. The key point that was conveyed by Sheikh in the interactive session was the requirement for Madrasah activities to span all of the learner's needs: spiritual, emotional and intellectual. Further, the Madrasah teacher must approach the student with a perspective of nurturing love; with success being achieved when the students develop into rounded individuals, rather than just passing exams.
Sheikh Zakariya's talk was well received by all, with participants expressing desire for the session to be continued and/or repeated in future training sessions. The teachers were also presented handouts that went beyond the material covered in Sheikh Zakariya's talk, as further reading and for personal reflection.
The second part of the day involved the teachers working in small groups to prepare interactive lesson plans on topics, bearing in mind the content of Sheikh Zakariya's talks. Each group was then invited to present their lesson-plan to the other groups as well as specially invited professional teachers. Each lesson plan was discussed and constructively critiqued, with the management teams guiding the discussions. The A-Level teachers were blessed with the opportunity to hold a special session with Sheikh Zakariya, where he was able to share insights regarding the teaching of the more advanced topics for these students, as well as general teaching advice and guidance.
Overall, the day represented a successful event for the Madrasah, with many teachers providing positive feedback on how the day would impact their week-to-week teaching at the Madrasah.
To find out more email islamiceducation@world-federation.org
If you would like similar training provided to your madrasah / institution, please email islamiceducation@world-federation.org