The Joys of Journaling :P

 
How many of us write in a journal/ diary? I've been journaling for the past 3-4 years now and it wasn't until a friend read through some of her entries a while ago from her diary as a child, did I regret not starting earlier too. It's funny and interesting to see what we felt important enough to write about over the years, not to mention seeing how our handwriting and spelling (might have) changed!

I found out what the difference between a journal and diary is recently when I looked through The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing 2nd edition by Dr. Laurie E Rozakis. To make it easy to remember, diary is daily writing and journaling is not. I realized I did a bit of both. I started journaling in my rainbow journal gifted to me in high school, then in 2013 I made it a goal to write in my beach scene journal diary everyday! In 2014, I started journaling again in my pink zebra journal (only because I couldn't find a daily diary I liked...) Either way, now I know the difference between a diary and journal and came to the conclusion that I prefer journaling vs. writing daily in a diary.

I realized a few days ago while reading through my past entries that what I wrote wasn't really worth rereading. They sounded boring to be honest; like what I did daily or planned to do. That is what a planner is for in my opinion, not really a journal. Not that daily happenings aren't worth writing, I just got bored of writing and reading these almost all the time... So, I came up with 5 little "finish the statements" that I could do (mostly daily), to spice up my journal writing experience. I feel like writing at least these 5 sentences holds me accountable on how I spend my day and makes me really think about the good things in life. After writing these 5 sentences for the past few days, I noticed that I look forward to journaling a lot more now then I did before I started this. Yes, some sentences may focus on daily to dos, but not just that. There is more to it!

So the 5 sentences I came up with are:
1. Today I learned/ realized...
To try and learn something/ refresh your memory from THE day.
2. (Alhamdulillah) Today I am grateful for...
What happened THIS day that you were  grateful for?
3. Today I accomplished....
To feel a sense of... accomplishment :P
4. Tomorrow, (inshAllah) I plan to...
Focusing on just 1 goal for the NEXT day should feel doable and so we wont feel like we completely wasted our day.
5. I need to repent asap (as soon as possible) for...
Because we all sin, we should repent daily for something. The smaller the sins (get), you will realize you may be improving!

For example, one day I wrote:
1. Today I realized driving is freeing!
2. Today I am grateful for selling a textbook!
3. Today I accomplished cutting my (own) hair!
4. Tomorrow, I plan to practice for my Praxis exam...
5. I need to repent asap for wasting my time on YouTube...

Whether you want to include these 5 statements in your journal/ diary or not, the point is to start/ continue writing and enjoy it! In Dr. Rozakis's book, she said to think of your journal as: A giant safe deposit box that hold the most valuable stuff of all: your thoughts; a place to make your deepest confessions; a safe place where you work out a problem; a record of your life and the lives of those whom you love; and much more! According to a ProductiveMuslim article, "Personal journaling can be a very valuable tool for self-reflection and development, and here’s a quick reminder why:

1. It allows you to reconnect with yourself and your life: In our hectic day-to-day lives, many details simply get lost, somewhere between breakfast and bedtime. Taking some time each day to sit down and write about your day makes you more aware of what you’re thinking, feeling and doing. And the first step to improvement is always awareness.
2. It helps you see the bigger picture and discover patterns in your life: When you journal for some time, you will find it much easier to connect the dots and recognize the patterns in your life and your relationships. Reading back earlier journal entries can be a real eye-opener and gives you insight about where you’re coming from and where you’re heading to.
3. It enables you to diffuse negative feelings and attitudes: Sometimes you just need to let off steam about something that happened to you, or perhaps you struggle with negative feelings and thoughts that hold you back from being productive. Writing about it can be an enormous relief and it can help you to let go of the negativity and focus on being positive and productive.

Whatever your reason is, I encourage everyone to start journaling/ writing in a diary as young as possible and to continue (if you already do)!

By the way, blogging is a form of journaling and if you don't mind sharing your original writings with the world, then bring your journaling online.  

My OPINIONS on Rating and Reviewing Books

Rating Books

According to goodreads.com
1 star = didn't like the book
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = it was amazing!

My rating scale is a little different
1 star = couldn't finish (boring, confusing, etc.)
To me, the point of even putting a star is to show/ remember that an attempt to read the book was made, but it didn't go far :(
2 = completed, but disliked
If I don't completely quit on the book and give it a 1 star...
3 = okay (# good things = not good)
4 = really good (2-3 things disliked about the book)
5 = favorite (1 dislike I'm okay with)

From now on, when I rate books it will be according to my scale and for the reasons I mentioned above. In the past, when I would rate books on gr, I didn't know how I would differentiate between 3, 4, and 5 stars. After writing some reviews, I came to the conclusion that I should have a "standard" and "explanation" for why certain books get certain number of stars. The above scale is what I came up with :P It will take some time to get use to rating books according to this, but at least it will be easier to "justify" why a book should get more or less stars than another! Hope this makes sense :P

Reviewing Books

I'm getting into writing more reviews, even if they are only a few sentences. I think giving some sort of reasoning behind why you liked, disliked, or who you recommend the book to is helpful and interesting ;) I'm thinking about getting this journal to help me organize all my notes for reviewing books in the future inshAllah!

Spoil the Fun :P

I look at all reviews as spoilers! Even if you don't give away specific details and just talk about your feelings, people reading/ listening to the review will know to expect something that might make them feel the same way. I am not saying to not give details in reviews, but rather I am encouraging it! How can someone understand what made you feel/ think a certain way if you don't give away a few details??? If someone really doesn't want spoilers, they shouldn't even read the back cover to books or search the books online!

This post is not a complaint, just my opinions :)

My Future as a Diverse Educator

This post is of my follow up assignment to my My History as a Diverse Learner essay. Like I mentioned in that post, since I have started my education courses this past semester, I have decided to share some of my work from those classes. I am also considering whether to share my unit/ lesson plans here too, so if you would like to see those, let me know in the comments below!

As a future elementary (K-6) school educator, I will have an important role and responsibility in teaching and caring for my students. I started my education courses this semester, so I have become a little familiar with the “life” and work of a future educator. Although I will have guidelines to follow when it comes to what I have to teach/ follow, I believe as long as my units/ lessons are grade level appropriate, engaging, and enjoyable, any topic should be fair game. Since designing a few unit/ lesson plans for the first time this semester, I know how time consuming and sometimes frustrating it can be to come up with a topic and ideas to teach it. However, by the end it can be rewarding if the teacher and students enjoy the process and results

I would like to put this semester’s unit/lesson plans to use on world languages and culture, fairy tales, and the human body. Even after some tweaking, I would prefer to put the hard work I have done in coming up with content for lesson/ unit plans to use. As I progress in my courses, I will try to continue to come up with lesson/ unit plan ideas that can be used in the future by either me or other educators.

I believe all students can learn if they make the effort to and realize the importance of an education. Multiple intelligences should be in the back of a teacher’s mind when brainstorming ideas, teaching, and interacting with students. Everyone has all of the nine multiple intelligences, but also strengths and room for improvement in different areas. I think a mix of both authentic and traditional assessment in class would work better. Everyone learns in different ways, so catering to those needs in as many ways as possible will allow for a better idea of progress/ evaluation. Students should be given occasional quizzes/ tests instead of heavily focusing on just those for evaluation while still being assigned bigger, hands on, real-world experience assignments where students learn on their own instead of always relying on the teacher.

Educators have a responsibility in getting knowledge and skills across to the students under their care. Using a variety of techniques and materials to present information in an engaging and enjoyable way for both students and teacher will allow for a more meaningful and memorable experience. For example, I have noticed when volunteering at a school that using technology enhances the classroom. A 5th grade English teacher from whom I was learning techniques had her class do presentations using PowerPoint and Prezi on vocabulary words. This had the students up on their feet, let them develop speaking skills in front of an audience, gave them an opportunity to work with computer software, and be creative. The students seemed to enjoy seeing their classmates work and their own presented with graphics and audio. This would be a good idea to have my future students do to acquire similar skills instead of the teacher presenting information all the time.

I learned something useful about maintaining an effective classroom while completing my 20 hour observation this semester. I felt the teacher I was observing was hard on the students. Generally, the students were extremely quiet and didn't look like they were happy to be in class. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like they were more afraid of their teacher who dealt with her class as if they were in boot camp. If the teacher is too friendly and easy going, some students might take advantage of them and not take the teacher seriously. However, if the teacher is too strict, students will hesitate to interact with the teacher, not ask for help/ questions, etc. Being too nice or too strict has problems. I would take a middle approach and keep things peaceful during most of the class time and when necessary, make it obvious to students that I am serious and that they need to get their behavior/work together without yelling.

Overall, I have learned a lot with regards to being a future educator. Nonetheless, there is much to learn, understand, and experience to make my teaching and student’s learning experience as best as it can be. This is just the beginning of a lifelong mission to teach and teach well!

BINGO!

I finally got bingo (click here for more details about the original reading bingo board)!!! The 5 books I read (going from the top of the 4th column down) were:

1. A book published this year (right 1 from free square, up 2)

Muslim Girl by Umm Zakiyyah

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/954441767

 

2. A book by a female author (right 1 from free square, up 1)

If I Should Speak by Umm Zakiyyah

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/235401708?book_show_action=false

 

3. A book set in a different continent (right 1 from free square)
The Gift by Zaipah Ibrahim
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/784061230?book_show_action=false

4. A book based on a true story (right 1 from free square, down 1)

Traitor? by Terry C. Holdbrooks Jr.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/645165954?book_show_action=false

5. The second book in a series (right 1 from free square, down 2)

A Voice by Umm Zakiyyah
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/235072490

With the "rules" I put on myself (again read my original bingo post here), it is difficult to find choices, but the challenge makes it fun. I still plan to fill up the board and work on this side before I decide to start the YA reading bingo.

Join in if you haven't already and let me know in the comments below or a link about your progress!

My History as a Diverse Learner

Since I have started my education courses this past semester, I have decided to share some of my work from those classes. This essay in particular is not to show off, gain sympathy, etc. It is just to share my journey of learning through (public) school. (I use this blog to save writings that I like, want to go back to in the future, or just to share with others.)

Despite my appearance and what some people assume about me, I was born and raised in the USA and thus, I didn’t have trouble with the English language. I actually consider myself fluent in English rather than my parent’s language, Bangla. I understood what I was being taught in school from a young age and displayed my skills by getting on the Honor Roll and Principal’s List from as early as 2nd grade. I looked forward to going to school daily as a 4th grader. I loved learning, being with my friends and teachers, and generally had fun in school. My homeroom/ Math teacher and aid were my favorite teachers. Mrs. Alia and Ms. Hill made me feel accepted and gifted in school, which motivated me to do well and kept my interest. They taught their subject with enthusiasm and helped us better understand the material. The big classroom itself was welcoming with its bright lights, posters on the wall, and overall organized room. It was actually thanks to Mrs. Alia and Ms. Hill that I wanted to become a teacher since I was in 4th grade. But the good school days were about to end as I entered 5th grade.

As a 5th grader, I started to wear a headscarf (hijab in Arabic) for the first time for religious reasons. Due to this and other reasons, classmates started to bully me. My grades didn’t really suffer although I didn’t enjoy school like I used to. In fact, I started to hate school at this point. I’m sure my teacher noticed the bullies, but for some reason, she nor any other staff member did anything to help me. I didn’t get my parents involved because I didn't want to make a big deal and I thought that if the bullies figured I was bothered enough to get my parents involved, they would have leverage over me. My "friends" weren't much help either. They laughed away as one bully in particular constantly embarrassed me. That year as a fifth grader I didn't feel accepted whatsoever. Classmates were intolerant of the changes I went through and made it obvious. So I basically endured the bullying and hate in silence for the rest of the school year.

Fast forward to 8th grade. Almost all my classmates and teachers got used to me wearing a headscarf and accepted the change by now. I had a group of friends that made going to school enjoyable again. Two of my favorite subjects were Math and Science. My Math teacher taught her lessons extremely well on an overhead projector so everything was neat and logical. She would also have students go up on the board and do problems so she could see that we understood and for us to explain our work to classmates. Again, her classroom was also organized and welcoming. She had desks in groups of 5-6 with at least 1-2 students in each group to help the others. My science teacher may not have been as neat and organized, but the subject was interesting enough to make it one of my favorites.

By senior year in high school, I was comfortable in my “skin” and it showed in almost everything I did. I work better by myself, but when it came to working in a group/ as a team, I tend to take the lead. I had some of the best teachers of my schooling as a senior in high school too. My teachers valued the hard work I put into their class and extracurricular activities. The teachers themselves were very dedicated, humorous, hardworking, organized, helpful, approachable, encouraging and creative, so it wasn’t hard to enjoy being in their company and learning from them. All the good traits I found in my teachers made my learning and overall school experience that much more worthwhile.

Being in university now, learning is different than it was in the past. Now, I have to take more responsibility for my education and what I get out of it. College is a privilege, so I try to do my best as a student. Not all professors have done their job well. Others were surprisingly great. Although some classes had a lot of work required, by the end of the semester I realized those were some of the best classes. Not because I got good grades in them or the professor went above expectations, but because I learned so much as their student. The wide variety of subjects is also very interesting in my opinion because even though we all might have a specific career in mind, it is still good to know a little bit about different areas.

The quest for knowledge and learning won’t end for me after I graduate. There is still so much more I want to learn and experience! As a future teacher, learning with my students will undoubtedly take place. After all, learning never truly stops no matter what our age may be.

Punctuation is Powerful

Buy Books @ the Library?

 

Similar to the book swap at my local library post I did last year, this time I have 8 books I bought during 3 recent trips to the library. These were affordable (10-50 cents each), not to mention in good condition.
 

I think I paid around $0.50 (a steal!) for the 6th Harry Potter book which was practically in new condition- minus something minor that needed to be taped. I don't have all the books in the HP series, but I am taking my time collecting them for when I reread the series in the future :)

I also found the 1st book in the Goosebumps Horrorland series (I read the 10th one already). These are quick reads and have cool covers, don't you think?!

 

I am trying to complete my collection of the Narnia series, so I grabbed the 1st book which has movie images inside. Now I hope I can find movie tie in books for Prince Caspian and the Dawn Treader (if they exist) to complete my set!    

I had a dream long time ago of me in Barnes and Noble buying all of Roald Dahl's books. Well, that isn't necessary because I found 4 of his books in addition to a book of his favorite ghost stories. Will be keeping my eyes open for more of RD books!

 

 

While on the subject of the library, I reorganized my book shelf (updated tour coming soon iA :) and went through all the books I haven't read yet and don't plan to read. I am in the middle of donating these to the library, especially the 6 top ones from my book swap mentioned above. I still have a few more to give away, and maybe swap for them if I get the chance again! I think everyone should go through their book shelves and make a pile of books that haven't been read at all and won't be read (be realistic) to donate to their local library!