9. March 2011 by Farhana N. Shah.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Nepal as a U.S. Speaker and Specialist, a program funded by U.S. Department of State. It was truly a privilege to share my knowledge and expertise as a Staff Development Teacher globally. The itinerary included travel to three cities and training teachers of various demographics. It was rejuvenating to network with teachers who were eager for new information. The hospitality and warmth was overwhelming; this is not something we encounter much in the States. An honor I received was to train ten teachers who were hand-selected by U.S. English Language Diplomats for a U.S. State Department project called, ACCESS. This program has gained popularity in Asia and Africa currently. It aims to provide English Language skills to disadvantaged youth. I also had a chance to facilitate two sessions at an international conference held for teachers of English Language. Other engagements involved speaking to middle and high school students about importance of education, U.S. public school system, and community service. A fun event was a last minute engagement, being interviewed by a youth panel on national television. I was also invited to a reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy; I networked with the Diplomats, Fulbright Scholars, and English Language Fellows. All of these events were planned by the U.S. Embassy in Nepal. While it was stressful planning for the presentations- especially, not knowing much about the audience- it was a humbling experience! Finally, I was invited to the U.S. Embassy on my last day to meet the person who heads the program and he said, “We’ve received excellent reports about you”- this really sounded nice after all the stress. 
Oh, yeah, I did get one day off so instead of shopping, I chose to take a flight over the Himalayas (Mt. Everest). 

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5. June 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

There are four things to keep in mind when thinking about successful leadership within a school facility.  First of all, every staff member must know that it is ALWAYS about the students ALL the time.  Also, teachers and staff should be aware of the vision of the school and make sure every decision made about instruction is aligned and consistently followed through.  Leadership members need to make a concerted effort to make sure that expectations are clear, concise, and HEARD by everyone in the building.  Also, when hiring new staff members, it is important to make sure their vision matches the school’s vision. Finally, and importantly, EVERYONE is held accountable.

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15. February 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

Some interesting points and quotes from this book:

*   It is important that we aware of and enhance our strengths in order to know where we fit in.

*   “the key to human development is building on who you already are.”

*   “You cannot be anything you want to be- but you can be a lot more of who you already are.”

I finished this book during the snowstorm of 2010 in Maryland.  It was refreshing in that it helped me to realize that why be stressed over things I cannot change, but rather take time to build the talents I already possess.  I took their online assessment and found out that my strengths include, but are not limited to the following:

1.  Discipline

2.  Focus

3.  Harmony

4.  Responsibility

5.  Restorative

Once you take the assessment and find out your strengths, you can continue reading about your talents and utilize some of the ideas for actions that are included in the book.  While,  the ideas are not new, it is certainly a reminder for us.  The best part is that it helps us to work with those who may not possess the same talents as us.

The downside to the book is that it is clearly a marketing strategy because you have to purchase the book in order to take the online assessment.  Then there is planning guide in order to apply or improve our strengths.

I recommend it for those who are thinking of a career change, stressed over their current work situation, or just want to know what they excel in…

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4. February 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

As an educator in a leadership position, I would rate this book a 3 out of a 5.

I found this book to be simplistic in nature, more like the “idiots guide to personal and professional relationships”.  It focuses on how people deceive themselves by finding faults and blaming others, which puts them “in the box”.  In order to get out of the box, they must have the desire to see and respect others as people.

As I delved into the deeper aspect of this writing, I saw it merely as treating everyone you come in contact with in a human way and not as objects or goals to be accomplished.  As a reflective person, the concept seemed natural to me; the virtue taught by Arbinger Institute is also found in the Quran, Bible, Old Testament, and other books of faith.

What I did appreciate is the fact that is taken from an angle of workplace relationships and presented in a style that is applicable in all aspects of life.  The corporate world dissolved this notion from the onset and used people as objects so I have to agree that it is somewhat refreshing to read about people in big companies who still value this virtue.

While the book is slow and “cheesy” at times, I would recommend it to people who may need a shift in their attitude.

So, what is the message of the book?  Exactly, what Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world”.

Happy reading!!

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19. January 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

Classroom management is considered to be one of the most challenging skills to master as a teacher. This is one of the main reasons why new teachers leave the profession all together.

You may wonder why? Reason being, there really is no proven method or best practice; however, individual teachers try various ways to cajole students into behaving. One way is using a reward system. Unfortunately, it may not always work.

As an educator who has taught in the classroom for eight years, I have found that consistency with follow-up to established consequences to be the most effective. Just like we teach our biological children with patience and lots of modeling, we must understand that our students at school demand the same of us. We need to teach and model what good behavior is- we cannot just mouth it and expect our students to know it. It also takes time and practice for students to be able to respect and adhere to the polices and procedures of a classroom. Of course, there will always be cases in which intervention beyond the classroom teacher is required, but these cases are usually a small percentage.

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19. January 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

Good Evening. My name is Farhana Shah and I am a Staff Development Teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. I am happy to be here tonight to share my thoughts about Karamah with you.

Karamah is important to me because I believe in its vision and mission. A quote that resonates with me from the leadership program in 2006 was by one of the speakers, Ann Korologos and she said, “The only threat to women’s emancipation is ignorance”. This is something I have believed in since I was a young girl. And the solution to this is education, education, and education! As a Muslim woman, it is a right given to me by God Almighty to obtain education so that I may continue to develop myself and those around me.

What brought me to Karamah is the quest to make a difference in this world.

I attended Karamah’s Law and Leadership Summer Program in July 2006. I found the training intense with many resources and abundant amount of information. Lectures ranged from How to Lead Groups to Harnessing Attitudes, Behavior, and Capabilities. What impressed me about the program at the time was that it was very structured. There was an application process as well as a selection committee so I knew that merely applying to the program did not guarantee that I would be accepted.

The leadership program provided for a great networking opportunity. I met many women from around the nation and world, and all aspects of life. I met a student who came just for the leadership program from Afghanistan. Her stories were fascinating as well as enlightening because we don’t always get the authentic facts through Media. I still get emails from her from time to time.

Currently Karamah impacts my profession on a daily basis in the way I affiliate with my colleagues and supervisors. For instance, in my position, I have to work with many temperaments, attitudes, and sometimes prejudice (because I work with adults. :-)). In order to move forward and provide support to my staff and Administration as a Staff Developer, I “cannot butt heads nor have a chip on my shoulder”, I must exercise in making good judgments by voicing my opinions when needed. And most importantly, I must always reflect and answer the question, “Did I act on my core beliefs today?” I think the most important message I walked away with from Karamah is that in order to communicate, I need to build trust and have integrity(this is what Karamah stands for)- which is crucial to my position as one who coaches and consults staff members on a daily basis. Thank you for listening.

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19. January 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

These are bullet points from the article below:

Moving Beyond the Classroom: The Growing Role of Teacher Leaders

• first area is to understand how to build positive relationships among the adults in the school.
• Make the decision to distribute power and authority.
• Alfie Kohn said, “ people don’t resist change. They resist “being” changed”.
• Most powerful cooperation comes from real bonding between the individuals in a community.
• Community/parent outreach is incredibly powerful role.
• Best transformational work is done by modeling and gentle encouragement.
• To be effective: competent, credible, and approachable.
• Providing time for teachers to collaborate, coach, professionally grow? This means extending school year, funding substitutes, block schedule, etc.
• Teaching is not done by recipe, requires professionals who make day to day decisions in their classrooms.
• Leadership lies in the collective power of committed professionals to influence within and beyond the schools.
• Encourage reflection through journaling.
• Practitioner research transformative practice.
• Peer education to involve students.
• Give kids ownership of problems and have them solve it.
• Build relationships with peers and gain trust. It takes time and effort. Involve a veteran teacher in other class visits, attend professional conference, find something good to complement on. See student data of her class and use for instructional planning. Introduce self. Staff needs assessment. Build an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

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19. January 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is a heart-wrenching story about two women settled in Afghanistan beginning with the Soviet take-over through Taliban rule. This story evokes many emotions on different levels. I had a difficult time putting this book down and finished reading it in several hours. While I know there are numerous themes embedded in this sad novel, the two that stood out are oppression and hope. It was really a roller-coaster ride because after every tragedy, or atrocity, there was hope, even though the sadness never ended. This is a must read!

A Note: there are many sayings in the book about Islam and verses from the Quran. Please know this novel in no way tells the truth about Islam, possibly the culture of Afghanistan, but not Islam.

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19. January 2010 by Farhana N. Shah.

Research says high expectations and building a sincere relationship with students is one of the keys to student achievement. As a teacher, I do believe this; however, we know it isn’t always reality. We will always encounter students who choose not to be successful, no matter how fair or caring a teacher behaves. While, we can’t change the things not in our control, we should always strive to be the best educators we can be.

Teachers tend to form expectations of students early in the year, mostly based on articulations and students’ performance. Marzano believes, “as human beings, we cannot be expected to have a natural affinity for every student in class. However, we can be expected to behave in a way that communicates care and concern equally for every student.” He also suggests steps for self-analysis and reflection in order to establish successful teacher student relationship in the classroom:

1. Consciously engage in behavior such as smiling and looking interested.
2. Let students know your expectation level and make sure to determine if you are not biased because of ethnicity or socio-economic status.
3. Make sure to let low-performing students know that they are valued and respected.

Having Peer Visits and seeking assistance from Staff Development Teachers, along with constant (daily) reflection are some ways to continually assess student teacher interactions. Hopefully, this can slowly pave the way to reach those students who tend to slip through the cracks.

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