INDEPENDENT LEARNERS

'O Allah increase me in knowledge,
amin.'


Wednesday 21 October 2009

Feeling blessed, hamdulillah!

Assalamu alaykum my dear readers and sisters fi deen,


Hamdulillah I feel a sense of relief and contentment.
S.is soon to start school. This week I will buying his uniform, the first uniform he has ever bought or worn for school a part from the abaya he used to wear at madrassa.
A. will follow soon, insh'Allah.Maybe as soon as next two weeks. InshAllah. The waiting list for this particular school is very long as the school has high demand. My boys have been on the list since the 1 of September.
I looked into their new routine and I tell you, it will be a busy one.
After school they will attend the 'after school clubs' and they will be joining in activities such as cooking, reading club, literacy, science lab, football, netball and so much more! MashAllah. Three times a week they will come at home with homework inshAllah. I do intend to carry on homeschooling for a hour or so a day, making sure they get the best out of the school's environment.
Everyday they will have Qur'an and Arabic as usual. Also swimming and wrestling is still on once a week and madrassa on Saturday. Insh'Allah.
I feel for now, it's the best choice, I mean keeping them busy and active.
We went to visit the school and it is a great place. 90% of the pupils are Muslims and there is a great majority of sisters teaching there. Food is totally halal for all, Muslims and non.
I visited their website and it's great, updated daily with the progress of the kids as well as activities and after school clubs. Also they are always on the look out for school governors and guess what? I will apply to be a school governors or at least in the parents board. Making sure things run swiftly :)
I am happy that out of 3 schools we applied to, the first choice was the one!
Kids are over excited! They cannot wait and feel so happy to start. InshAllah.

...About me, I am building my own schedule. I want to go back on learning the deen and tajweed. Also tafseer and Arabic. Insh'Allah. I don't have any longer a car and made a conscious decision to use my legs :) and public transport when needed. But I am also thinking of buying a bike to enjoy some riding time with my kids at the park inshAllah.
Keeping myself busy with activities, I couldn't do when homeschooling, is my main goal. No more studying at night or early morning. Hamdulillah.
I feel blessed. My illness and other various problems have been a bless as well as hardship.
Allah is the best of Planners indeed.
I have always said that the day my kids will have to attend school is because of my health. Allahu Alim.
The day has come and I need to see the positive side and accept Allah's decree upon me. I need to bear patiently and increase myself in activities that will bring me closer to my Lord. I have always been so passion about homeschooling and I would have never dreamt of putting my kids to school, never! In fact I am still in shock thinking that my kids who have never attended school, public school, will go. Please do remember us in your duas.

For now
wa alaykum assalam
x

Sunday 11 October 2009

Homeschooling quote


How much people can learn at any moment depends on how they feel at that moment about the task and their ability to do the task. When we feel powerful and competent, we leap at difficult tasks. The difficulty does not discourage us; we think:Sooner or later, I'm going to get this. At other times we can only think: I'll never get this, it's too hard for me, I never was any good at this kind of thing, why do I have to do it, etc. Part of the art of teaching is being able to sense which of these moods learners are in. People can go from one mood to the other very quickly. - Holt

Saturday 3 October 2009

Home Education CAN carry on...

Assalamu alaykum
hamdulillah Rabbi 'Alamin! Certainly we are just strangers in this dunya and we should remain as such, all praises are due to Allah, Lord of the Alamin. We seek His help and aid. May He always guide us to the straight Path.Amin.

Last few months have been hard and testing for me and my family. I found relief and comfort by looking carefully at my very situation...bad things turned out to be the best, my very own health problems are now a real blessings and all the world around me is just dunya...I feel relieved and glad and althought my test is not over yet and Allah knows best, I feel blessed Allah is my Comforter, my Reliever, My Creator and the One who I seek help from! Allah Akbar!!

Everything happens for a reason...
Home Education can carry on. In fact we have never truly stopped, maybe in my mind, maybe in the perception of how I personally see home education. But our life carried on everyday, hamdulillah. kids have learnt even in those very days filled with hardships. Those days have taught me a lot and I feel purely blessed and thank Allah for the chance He gave me.Hamdulillah.

Kids are still not in school, but I have started a more formal approach to home education. Just small things and mainly Islamic studies, Arabic and Qur'an. Those very 'subjects' are on everyday, in fact have never stopped for a day! Mash'Allah.
Also I will be using again the mindsprinting website for both boys even when the kids are at school, as I believe knowledge are never enough!
I am happy about the realization, or maybe just I have suddenly 'remembered' that home education can carry on and it doesn't have to stop only because the kids will attend school.
I have to say jazakallahu kheiran to all those beautiful sisters out there that without even realizing have contributed to my 'relief' and realization of this simple fact.
Kids seems more relaxed and happy now that we are back to a more normal routine. They have gone back to their usual sports activities namely swimming, football and wrestling and they will, insh'Allah, be starting soon a new saturday madrassa. Hamdulillah. Things are looking up and I thank Allah for all the blessings He has bestow upon me and my family.

I leave you with some pictures and pray you are all enjoying the benefits of homeschooling.
Wa alaykum assalam
x

A.truck

a building with a lift


S. built his own scoop

Baby S. in the local park. This is the aromatic garden.

Sitting in this area wakes up your senses...

S. enjoys his scooter

Baby S. pushing his pram

Autumn flowers, beautiful


Maghrib time at mine, the view is breathtaking!!!


Pizzeria, this one was excellent, mash'Allah

Can you spot the chef taking a pizza out the oven? So sweet!!

The pizzzeria, view from the street, people are crossing,

some waiting for the bus etc! So cute! Mash'Allah!

A bunch of roses...some very caring person bought for me

Autumn leaves

Collecting conkers. My boys and their friends made a big

pile and expected me to count them all!! What?!Lol

Little arms and hands, piling up the conkers