[masterso]

Interesting conversation I was having with a nephew. He studies in Darul Uloom and I asked him what he will do when he finishes his studies. He replied that he would teach kids.

I told him not to teach kids since 'Ulema are bad teachers although excellent students'.

My experience has shown that Ulema [who are mainly men] that have no formal teaching qualifications and skills are terrible teachers. Easily getting frustrated, irresponsible, attacking young kids, lashing out, etc.

You could argue that they are very goood people, upright moral, dispensers or knowledge, etc but my argument is not on this basis, my argument is that they are ill prepared to teach kids.

Example: A can of coke has sufficient enough caffeine and sugar to make a child hyper-active. If they drink a can of coke prior to entering into a classroom and then once in there need to stay focused on repetitive reading the mind can not concentrate at all since that child is on a kind of high and the mind is therefore wandering....effectively you can not get anything out of that child.

Now do you as a teacher need to understand this? absolutely! and have an understanding of how you deal with this problem.

What about the desensitising of children due to television. Do they need to understand this and work with an existing solution towards teaching i.e. flash cards, interactive learning, etc. I think so.

Now I have explored the methods of the Salaf. Imaam malik [may Allah be please with him] was told by his mother to learn the forebearance of his teacher prior to his knowledge since she understoof the value of foreberance. Thus this gives you an idea of the quality that the teacher had and instilled in the student.

The late Moulana Iliyas [may Allah enlighten his grave] was a excellent teacher of students in his method of teaching. Very unique for that period and western education systems are applying this similar method now. That said he did not teach young kids.

In conclusion the earlier period scholars were amazing teachers in the way they taught the kids but this is not reflected in modern Ulema. [now do not think I am comparing them to schools teachers, since I know they are just as bad and as unqualified to teach]

Your thoughts?