- On ISLAM:
I did not knowingly know a Muslim until I was in my 40s. Despite growing up in a rather diverse (yet highly segregated) Washington, DC, my friends and family members were predominantly Christian and Jewish, with a few close Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and Baha’i friends. No Muslims that I remember. I visited Morocco in my 20s and reveled in the beauty of mosques, minarets, and muezzins, but it was still foreign and “other.”
Until the Haydaris came to live with us. In 2015 my mother was working actively with her church to support resettled refugees from the Middle East. She needed affordable housing for a new family arriving from Iran and Afghanistan (via Turkey), so we offered our basement apartment. Mariam and Hojat arrived from Turkey to Dulles Airport with their two daughters, Haniyeh and Fatima, and were driven directly to our house. They did not yet speak English. They had four suitcases. They were starting a new life.
The following year was one of learning and growth for all of us. As the Haydari’s learned English, started work and school, navigated the labyrinth of the US immigration system, we learned Farsi and about Islam. We navigated cultural differences related to gender, clothing, schedules. We celebrated our first Eid. They celebrated their first Christmas. While they are not strictly observant Muslims, the women wear Hijab in public, and there were rules about how men and women would interact. Now I can say I have family who are Muslim.
They Haydari’s moved into a more suitable two-bedroom apartment as soon as it was financially possible. They have since moved to Ohio, and then Texas. Now, less than a decade later, they are all full citizens and have a big house, another boy, are fluent in English, and are Americans. Hosting them for the first seven months of their time in this country afforded us the opportunity to truly connect with another culture and ideological framework.
I had not taught Muslims before moving to Portland. Now I continue to learn from my students as they share about their faith, food and families. I am enjoy supporting them in their early attempts to fast and pray during Ramadan. I feel excited for them as Eid approaches, and love hearing them talk about their celebrations. I still have so much to learn. I would like to read the Koran. I would like to go to Duksi (spelling?) and attend a service at a Mosque. I would like to learn more Arabic. The more I learn, the better I am able to connect with my students and make my classroom a truly welcoming space.
2. RENEW:
Sibley Obrien’s and Breau’s protocol offers a simple way to connect students to the text and activate their schema in the interest of developing empathy. It is not new to us as teachers, but it provides a framework for accessing the text that is anchored in equity rather than learning standards. The protocol gives me permission to spend the time that students crave to connect to and reflect on texts when doing a shared reading. Our curricula are currently highly focused on oral communication, so the protocol reinforces those skills.
Review- Elicit and affirm students’ responses; practice reflective listening.
Exploration- Encourage curiosity and engagement; compare differences and similarities; celebrate diversity.
Neighbors- Emphasize connections. Engage imagination in building affinity.
Education- Offer accurate information.
Welcoming- Reinforce values.
