The Ummah as One: The Classroom as One | Islamic Teacher ...

As we continue forth in our discovery of how Islamic schools can mesh with the practice of inclusion, let?s think back to Ahmed; the adolescent with dyslexia, a learning disability that impacts his reading and comprehension ability.

If you had to put yourselves in the shoes of the Principal ? What would you do? Rather, what?SHOULD?you do?

Examining this scenario from an inclusive lens, rather than saying, ?This is my school ? lets see if we can fit you in?, inclusion asks Islamic schools, administrators and teachers to consider all aspects of education to make it welcoming from the get go.

Similarly, a commonly used phrase in education is ?one size fits all instruction?; it?s what we hope is?NOT?happening in our classrooms today. To make sense of this, lets think about clothing. Imagine all clothes were made one standard size and we were all asked to fit into it, some of us would need to gain weight while others might need to grow a few inches, fortunately the reality isn?t so. What?s not so fortunate is the current situation and availability of education in Islamic schools for individuals with learning disabilities.

In her book, Widening the Circle: The Power of Inclusive Classrooms, author Mara Sapon-Shevin advocates for a world where we as individuals can begin to think about life through inclusion with the intent it translates towards inclusive education practices. Speaking of inclusion Sapon-Shevin (2007) mentions,??when we no longer think of students as ?the same? and ?different?, then we are able to make changes that support the [differences in students] within a common context of community? (p. 13).

More importantly, if our children notice a lack of equal representation towards individuals with disabilities in our community this has the potential to produce two outcomes: the first is a movement towards equal access and equity rights and the second more likely outcome is the perpetuation of the current cycle which has Muslim families solely relying on the public schooling system for support. To initiate the change

we as educators can use secular knowledge, such as the examples and information explored about the power of inclusive classroom communities, to renew the practice of inclusion that is at the core of Islamic beliefs and teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

In the podcast by Shaykh Abdul Nasir Janga titled, ?The Ummah is Like One Body ? Remembering Syria in our Prayers? consider how the scope of special education fits into all that we?ve discussed thus far. When one part of the Ummah is struggling and feeling resistance the entire Ummah shakes. Think about how each Muslim brother and sister is connected to one another over our Imagined Community with a similar goal in mind. Similarly when we think about the classroom consider how each student is connected to one another and the implications; when one student is left behind in the classroom we need to develop the classroom environment where each student works towards lifting each other up during down times and meeting the finish line together!

As we continue to think about how we can begin to implement the practice of full-inclusion for students with learning disabilities into Islamic schools, let?s discuss and share the resources that are available for Muslim children with learning disabilities in our communities. Looking forward to ideas and resources?

Reference:
Sapon-Shevin, M. (2007).Widening the Circle: The power of inclusive classrooms. Boston: Beacon Press.

Source: http://islamicteachereducation.com/2012/11/01/the-ummah-as-one-the-classroom-as-one/

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