11:35 PM | Mior Azhar]
10 steps to get better grades in school
Every parent knows that success in school is important for success in adult life. Parents want to help ensure that success, but what, exactly, can they do to help? Here are ten steps to helping your child succeed in school this year.
1. Develop a schedule. Many families today are incredibly busy. In the rush to meet all the demands upon each family member from school, work, sports, arts and socializing - school sometimes gets crowded to the rear. One way to prevent that from happening is to develop a firm but flexible schedule - allowing sufficient time to meet each of the essentials.
2. Don't Overextend. Many times, when a family begins creating a schedule, it becomes clear that there are simply too many activities to fit. School success may require being a little less involved in extra-curricular activities. It may also mean that parents find they have to cut a few of the extras out of their lives, too.
3. Get plenty of rest. Many students simply do not get enough sleep. Eight hours is actually the minimum number of hours a child should sleep each night. It is best to get more sleep. And don't count on weekends to "catch up" on missed sleep. It simply doesn't work that way. Adequate sleep is needed for each day to ensure optimal school performance.
4. Eat right. Poor nutrition and skipped meals lead to the same feelings of exhaustion and weakness that come from lack of sleep. Schedule in meals that include a good breakfast and minimal fast food. Make sure there are plenty of healthful snacks available for after school - like fruit, raw veggies, cheese and pop corn. And watch that soda consumption, too much sugar can make you feel sluggish.
5. Stay well stocked. Purchase good school supplies and keep them in stock. Nothing is more frustrating than discovering you are out of glue or your markers are all dried up, just as you are beginning the project that is due tomorrow.
6. Make homework a priority. Skipped homework can shipwreck an otherwise excellent grade average. Be certain to allot sufficient time for homework to be completed in a distraction-free atmosphere. Preferably the time should be after the student has had a chance to unwind from school yet still early enough to feel fresh and alert.
7. Lavish praise…especially when your child is struggling in a particular subject. Be certain he knows that many people struggle in that subject; it does not mean he is stupid. Praise each success as he progresses…no matter how small. Offer help, or even tutoring if needed, but don't force help if your child prefers to work independently. Sometimes the goals that are met after a tough fight are the most enjoyable.
8. Keep communication open. Take time every day to listen to your child. Be certain every conversation is not dominated by you. Let your child tell his experiences at school, with his teacher and with other students, then if problems arise, you have a better understanding of the circumstances that may have led up to them.
9. Keep expectations realistic. It is good to expect your child to do well in school - to be polite and to complete assignments neatly and on time - but do not expect every assignment to net an A. Keep goals reachable to avoid frustration and poor self-image.
10. Be honest. Many children naturally want to do as well as their parents - or better! So, when you reminisce about your own school days, be certain to tell about your failures as well as your successes.
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31.5.03
Greatness of Allah
The following speech was given by a scholar last week. Here is the summary:
The Shaikh said that our actions are based on how much belief we have in our hearts. If our belief is strong, then our actions will be strong. Then he mentioned that every effort has a name, a place where it is done and a result. For example, Farming is a name of an effort. Farming is done on land and the result is fruits, vegetables, etc. Similarly, Da'wah il-Allah (calling people towards Allah) is a name of an effort. It is done on the hearts of people and the result is guidence (Hidaya) from Allah.
Then the Shaikh discussed about the Greatness of Allah. He said that if two students come to a teacher with questions and starts asking at the same time, no matter how knowledgeable the teacher is, he will tell one student to talk at a time. Because, he is unable to understand both at the same time. But on the other hand, Allah told us that if the first human being till the last one to born along with all the Jinns, if they were to gather in a field and start asking from Allah, Allah can hear all of them at the same time and reply to all of them at the same time. Even though the people are speaking in their own languages, in own tone and ways, yet Allah is able to hear and understand them all. Allahu Akbar! If a student is far away from the teacher and talks, then the teacher has problems understanding what the student is saying. However, no matter how far we are, Allah can hear us, distance doesn't affect the hearing of Allah.
Allah is able to see what is under the water of the ocean and what is under the dark soil of the ground. If you are walking with some friends and suddenly you look at something haraam, the friends might not have seen you doing it but Allah has seen the treachery of the eyes and He knows what the hearts conceal.
Allah knows how many hairs there are on your head and on the head of each individual on earth. He knows how many hairs have fallen and how many hairs will grow. He knows how many hairs will turn grey.
This Great, All Mighty, Allah didn't keep our success in wealth. He kept our success in following Islam. People used to look at Karoon and say: How lucky is Karoon. If we only had this much wealth. However, Allah Ta'ala showed the whole mankind that the same wealth brought destruction to karoon for not obeying the commandments of Allah.
Success is not in strength. The people of 'Ad were very powerful. They used to say "Who is stronger than us?" Allah sent them a messenger to remind them that "Don't they think that He who has created them is stronger than them?" But the people refused the messenger. Allah sent strong wind which destroyed each and every one of them. Not even one of them was alive. Now who is stronger?
Allah is able to protect in any condition. When Ferawoon decided to kill all the boys born in Bani Israel, his ministers approached him saying that these are the boys who grow up and become our slaves. If he is going to kill them then who is going to serve us? Then Ferawoon decided that one year he will kill and another year he won't. If Allah wanted, He could've made Musa (AS) born in the year when Ferawoon was not killing. But Musa (AS) was born in the year when Ferawoon was killing. And Harun (AS), Musa (AS)'s brother, was born in the year when Ferawoon wasn't killing. And Allah protected Musa (AS).
We cannot see Iman (faith) but we can see the effects of Iman. For example, we cannot see wind but we can see the effects of wind (branches of trees moving, our hairs flying, etc.) The same way, the effect of iman is that we do good deeds. An old man being able to get up for Tahajjud in a winter night shows us the effect of iman.
The Shaikh said that he attended a Janaza last monday where a whole family had died. The brother who died used to be extremely rich and owned his own private plane. He was going to visit some place with his family (Himself, wife, two sons and two daughters). The plane crashed on the way and all of them died. The moment before boarding the plane, he didn't know what was to come.
Today, our death shroud could already be in the store yet we have big big plans.
May Allah give us the understanding of this worldly life which is nothing but a deception.
The following speech was given by a scholar last week. Here is the summary:
The Shaikh said that our actions are based on how much belief we have in our hearts. If our belief is strong, then our actions will be strong. Then he mentioned that every effort has a name, a place where it is done and a result. For example, Farming is a name of an effort. Farming is done on land and the result is fruits, vegetables, etc. Similarly, Da'wah il-Allah (calling people towards Allah) is a name of an effort. It is done on the hearts of people and the result is guidence (Hidaya) from Allah.
Then the Shaikh discussed about the Greatness of Allah. He said that if two students come to a teacher with questions and starts asking at the same time, no matter how knowledgeable the teacher is, he will tell one student to talk at a time. Because, he is unable to understand both at the same time. But on the other hand, Allah told us that if the first human being till the last one to born along with all the Jinns, if they were to gather in a field and start asking from Allah, Allah can hear all of them at the same time and reply to all of them at the same time. Even though the people are speaking in their own languages, in own tone and ways, yet Allah is able to hear and understand them all. Allahu Akbar! If a student is far away from the teacher and talks, then the teacher has problems understanding what the student is saying. However, no matter how far we are, Allah can hear us, distance doesn't affect the hearing of Allah.
Allah is able to see what is under the water of the ocean and what is under the dark soil of the ground. If you are walking with some friends and suddenly you look at something haraam, the friends might not have seen you doing it but Allah has seen the treachery of the eyes and He knows what the hearts conceal.
Allah knows how many hairs there are on your head and on the head of each individual on earth. He knows how many hairs have fallen and how many hairs will grow. He knows how many hairs will turn grey.
This Great, All Mighty, Allah didn't keep our success in wealth. He kept our success in following Islam. People used to look at Karoon and say: How lucky is Karoon. If we only had this much wealth. However, Allah Ta'ala showed the whole mankind that the same wealth brought destruction to karoon for not obeying the commandments of Allah.
Success is not in strength. The people of 'Ad were very powerful. They used to say "Who is stronger than us?" Allah sent them a messenger to remind them that "Don't they think that He who has created them is stronger than them?" But the people refused the messenger. Allah sent strong wind which destroyed each and every one of them. Not even one of them was alive. Now who is stronger?
Allah is able to protect in any condition. When Ferawoon decided to kill all the boys born in Bani Israel, his ministers approached him saying that these are the boys who grow up and become our slaves. If he is going to kill them then who is going to serve us? Then Ferawoon decided that one year he will kill and another year he won't. If Allah wanted, He could've made Musa (AS) born in the year when Ferawoon was not killing. But Musa (AS) was born in the year when Ferawoon was killing. And Harun (AS), Musa (AS)'s brother, was born in the year when Ferawoon wasn't killing. And Allah protected Musa (AS).
We cannot see Iman (faith) but we can see the effects of Iman. For example, we cannot see wind but we can see the effects of wind (branches of trees moving, our hairs flying, etc.) The same way, the effect of iman is that we do good deeds. An old man being able to get up for Tahajjud in a winter night shows us the effect of iman.
The Shaikh said that he attended a Janaza last monday where a whole family had died. The brother who died used to be extremely rich and owned his own private plane. He was going to visit some place with his family (Himself, wife, two sons and two daughters). The plane crashed on the way and all of them died. The moment before boarding the plane, he didn't know what was to come.
Today, our death shroud could already be in the store yet we have big big plans.
May Allah give us the understanding of this worldly life which is nothing but a deception.
Why so much problems?
The following speech was given by a visiting scholar from the land of Sri Lanka. Here is the summary:
He said that the condition of the world is very bad today. Every countries are facing terrible situations whether the country is rich or poor. Since all conditions are from Allah then is Allah oppressing us? No. Allah doesn't oppress anyone. Allah made oppression haraam on Himself and made it haraam on us. There is a thin white outer coating over the date seed which is so thin that it rips off when you open the date. Allah informed us that He will not do even that amount of oppression to us. Then where are all these problems coming from? They are from ourselves.
This world is a place of means. If we don't eat then we feel hungry and if we don't drink then we feel thirsty. If we hit someone with a iron rod, then he will feel pain. So, there is a system of cause and effect. So, the bad condition that we are facing today is from the effect of what the people are doing all over the world. Because our doings are bad, that's why the condition is bad.
Then the scholar talked about how Allah blesses those who are pious. If there is village where people fear Allah, then Allah will open the blessings of the heavens and earth over them. On the other hand, a village where people disobey Allah, Allah will cause the blessings of heavens and the earth to be closed over them. It may seem that the pious people don't have many things, but due to the barakah (blessings) from Allah, it's sufficient for them. The Shaikh gave an example of goats and dogs. The goats give birth to about 2 babies once a year. Every year millions of goats are slaughtered during Eid ul Adha. Then thousands during Hajj and thousands every day. Still, we don't hear an announcement saying that the goats are becoming extinct or that their population has decreases dramatically. On the other hand, dogs give birth to 2 or more babies every 4 months. So, the dogs give 4 times more birth than the goats. Also, the dogs are not slaughtered. But, we don't see the whole world full of dogs. That is because there is no barakah in dogs. The example of the pious people are that of the goats. Though there is little but it's enough for them. As for those who disobey Allah are like the example of the dog, they can have a lot but there is no barakah.
The following speech was given by a visiting scholar from the land of Sri Lanka. Here is the summary:
He said that the condition of the world is very bad today. Every countries are facing terrible situations whether the country is rich or poor. Since all conditions are from Allah then is Allah oppressing us? No. Allah doesn't oppress anyone. Allah made oppression haraam on Himself and made it haraam on us. There is a thin white outer coating over the date seed which is so thin that it rips off when you open the date. Allah informed us that He will not do even that amount of oppression to us. Then where are all these problems coming from? They are from ourselves.
This world is a place of means. If we don't eat then we feel hungry and if we don't drink then we feel thirsty. If we hit someone with a iron rod, then he will feel pain. So, there is a system of cause and effect. So, the bad condition that we are facing today is from the effect of what the people are doing all over the world. Because our doings are bad, that's why the condition is bad.
Then the scholar talked about how Allah blesses those who are pious. If there is village where people fear Allah, then Allah will open the blessings of the heavens and earth over them. On the other hand, a village where people disobey Allah, Allah will cause the blessings of heavens and the earth to be closed over them. It may seem that the pious people don't have many things, but due to the barakah (blessings) from Allah, it's sufficient for them. The Shaikh gave an example of goats and dogs. The goats give birth to about 2 babies once a year. Every year millions of goats are slaughtered during Eid ul Adha. Then thousands during Hajj and thousands every day. Still, we don't hear an announcement saying that the goats are becoming extinct or that their population has decreases dramatically. On the other hand, dogs give birth to 2 or more babies every 4 months. So, the dogs give 4 times more birth than the goats. Also, the dogs are not slaughtered. But, we don't see the whole world full of dogs. That is because there is no barakah in dogs. The example of the pious people are that of the goats. Though there is little but it's enough for them. As for those who disobey Allah are like the example of the dog, they can have a lot but there is no barakah.
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