09.28.09
Chemistry Teaching Musings (V)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
I am posting these rather frequently–I hope this doesn’t soon immediately fizzle out. I guess I have been doing TONS of chemistry lately, so these posts keep getting written. God knows what I will do if I make it into Physical Chemistry…. I do have some Islamic posts in the making, but I always leave them half finished. I’ll try to a spiderman post request by the end of next week. (Which one, you’ll have to tune in and find out!) XD
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To Spiderman and Sarah: I TOTALLY DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE TYPING THIS! LOL.
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So today in class my professor said he grades the lab reports himself to have an idea what the class understands and struggles with–and that is when I started thinking of this post:
How do I customize my chemistry class to meet the needs of every class I get each year? Read the rest of this entry »
09.24.09
Chemistry Teaching Musings (IV)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
I think I figured out why I use roman numerals. Probably because when I have to name d-block molecules, I have to put the roman numeral charge, so it is somehow subconsciously coming on to my blog….
I am again procrastinating my lab report and I am super grateful that I DID NOT break anything this week. (Alhamdulillah! LOL)
I don’t feel comfortable typing this. XD
I was reading some random article about how a student’s emotions are almost directly correlated with how the student will perform at school. Now as a teacher, it isn’t my business to know what is happening at home (unless it is something extremely detrimental, illegal, etc.) but I know that I have some control of how the student can ‘feel’ in the classroom. My computer professor always shows us a mini youtube clip before class to ‘loosen’ up our mood so that way it can help us transition into his class.
(News anchorman to a little girl: Do you believe in Santa Claus? Little Girl: No I am Jewish!) Read the rest of this entry »
Funny General Chemistry Moments #1
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
I am such a silly mood right now because I just found out I have this HUGE project assigned… ahh I forgot the intricacies of the academic world in the past year…. This post is particularly dedicated to Spiderman, who will never learn to appreciate or even simply learn chemistry. (But I will teach you how to balance an equation, insha’ Allah)
I don’t know if this will become a series, but I HAD to put this up–
My chemistry professor put some links on our chemistry webpage to some articles that explain concepts from class. I saw this photo and I broke out laughing in the middle of the computer lab: Read the rest of this entry »
09.22.09
Purification of the Heart, by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
EDIT: This is a super old post in my draft box and I am too lazy to finish it. I am still procrastinating my overdue history homework–
While I am still on my Shaykh Hamza note taking rampage, why don’t I include his book, Purification of the Heart?
I am just basically listing each illness and its cure, so they are not very good notes and I would recommend that everyone should read this book. Again, this is just to summarize or list the core principles. You should read the book.
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Purification of the Heart
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Miserliness: (stingy/hoarding money) The treatment is to realize those who achieve great wealth normally do so after wasting his/her whole life. And life goes by and soon it is over. So through contemplation can you get over this disease. Read the rest of this entry »
09.19.09
My Epiphanies (XIV)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
(These Roman Numerals are starting to get more complicated.)
The last two days have been nuts and today will probably be nuts as it is potentially the last day of Ramadan. But I am not sad. I am not planning to leave Allah swt’s presence after Ramadan. In fact, Ramadan is here just to give us a gentle nudge or ‘recharge’ or another way to remember to constantly turn back to Allah.
With that said, don’t be disheartened that Ramadan is ending. Allah’s love will be with you. He is the Most Loving.
Anyway, the topic(s) of today’s epiphany(s) deal with yesterday (Friday). Thursday deserves its own post, but because yesterday is still fresh in my mind, I better write it now:
I went to a different Masjid to attend the ending of the recitation of the Quran and the ‘khatm’ duaa afterwards. I don’t like to use the term ‘khatm’ as it suggests that the Imam ‘ended’ the Quran. He actually finished it in the 19th rakah, and in the 20th, he started again with surah Baqarah. The reason for this is so people don’t think you simply ‘end’ at the closing of Ramadan. Islam is this constantly cycle of renewing ourselves and going back to Allah. It kind of reminds me of the Expanding and Contracting cycle–>we keep going in and out, but we must always keep coming back.
So after the 20th rakah, we all sat and the duaa began. The first half of the duaa was in Arabic and I understood a good portion of it because some of the duaas the Imam were making were duaas I have learned. Some of them were beautifully spoken (in terms of language) and some I simply didn’t know. I obviously broke a few tears and prayed for everyone’s forgiveness, spiritual state, relationship with Allah swt, etc. etc. until the Imam started to speak in English. Read the rest of this entry »
09.16.09
My Poems: Our Garden
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
This was inspired at Taraweeh. Don’t ask why, but I pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote this (I removed a few errors):
(Although this is clearly written to Allah swt, I did think of someone else when I wrote it. I’ll give one guess to each person who wants to know. No one guesses correctly, then it will be my secret.) =)
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Our Garden
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The stars are shining brightly tonight.
People are home with the ones they love dear.
But You and I are together, hidden from sight.
And although other people claim their love is sincere,
Ours is in a Garden that bursts into life. Read the rest of this entry »
09.13.09
Birthday Post from Spiderman
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
Today is an international holiday as it is my birthday–say what???
So I offered spiderman if she would like to write something up for my blog and I received this in my e-mail. (Present#5 for anyone counting at home….) My comments are in bold and italics:
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Chemistry Teaching Musings (III)
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
I decided that Microsoft Excel is too technologically advanced for me. (Hey–technology isn’t my cup of chai [tea]. I’ll own you at cleaning the chemistry lab….) So I was inspired to write this post after writing about C (graphite) and C (diamond) in my last post.
EDIT: SPIDERMAN! YOU BETTER READ THE WHOLE POST.
FYI: C (graphite) is Carbon in graphite form (the molecular structure resembles that of polygon-like sheets layered on each other) and C (diamond) is Carbon in diamond form (the molecular structure has tight diamond oriented bond structures).
This post may be a bit more Islamic teaching than public school teaching, but I’ll try to touch a little on both.
I am not a teacher, but having extensive experience as a student, I know that one very important part about teaching is not only to convey things in an easy and organized manner, but to somehow make the subject matter relevant. To make the subject matter relevant, I have to make kids appreciate it. In this case, the subject matter is chemistry. (Wow, I got my work cut out for me.) =) Read the rest of this entry »
A Question: What is Grace?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
I was reading about questions that make you think (which half the questions are loaded or can be answered with Islam–I should get my money back) and I came across one question that captivated my interest:
What is Grace? Read the rest of this entry »
Questions that Keep Faith786 up at Night (Science Edition)
Posted in Chemistry, Humor, Social Commentary at 12:04 pm by faith786
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum,
I have been reading my chemistry book, Raphael, and it prompted me to type this post. I apologize to people who are sick of my chemistry rants, but I can’t help myself. It is what I love amongst many other things such as literature, mango kulfi, ice cream, theology, cheesy chemistry lines, and biking….
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Why are raindrops depicited with a pointy tip on top? They fall as spheres and you don’t see bubbles going to the surface with pointy bottoms….
Who the HELL came up with the name Yttrium? How do you even say that?
Why are the lab room floors cleaner than the hallway floors right outside of it? Read the rest of this entry »
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