High Tea with Farah

Hana talks about a very important developmental change of the child during this time. The 9-year change is an important one in the development of the child. Hana discusses what curriculum she uses and how she homeschools. 

Hifdh is the memorization of the Quran, the holy scripture for Muslims. In this episode, Sabiha discusses her child's hifdh journey, motivation strategies, and the environment she created at home for her child while her daughter was memorizing. 

Hana sheds some light on how to take college classes in high school. Hana discusses the first thing that needs to be done when your student decides to take college classes. She highlights the importance of doing well and grades in college. Hana mentions what prerequisite classes need to be taken before entering college. Join me for this enlightening discussion.Hana can be reached at pepperandpine.com. She is a veteran homeschooler and mother of 4. She has been cultivating a rich learning environment that inspires, nurtures, and empowers her students since 2003.

Enjoy this conversation with Fatima S. as she gives insight on how to focus on this important grade where the seeds of identity and character are nourished. She has a strong background in math and discusses the importance and the journey of math for the children as they are getting ready to go to middle school.

In this episode, Mubashera discusses how to be present with our children during this age. She discusses the different curriculum she used with her children. Mubashera highlights the importance of having good friendships during their homeschool years.

The new theme for 2021 is Homeschool by the Grades. In this episode. Qanita M. sheds some light on how to homeschool KG & 1st grade. Her homeschool thrives on self-directed learning. In this episode, Qanita inspires us by telling us how her homeschool day looks like. She mentions, ' KG & 1st grade are her favorite grades in homeschool.' Qanita discusses the curriculum she uses in Math, Language Arts, Science, and History. She has a checklist approach which can be super helpful in our homeschool. Open-ended free play, and read aloud are popular in Qanita's homeschool. Qanita mentions how she reads aloud to different ages. You can find Qanita on IG on @qanitaquests.

Listen in as Farah and Iman converse about mental health as it relates to our children. Iman Saymeh is a recent graduate from a master’s program in Clinical Social Work (ACSW) providing a range of treatment plans through individual, couples, and group therapy. The counseling field is a new shift after serving in the education field as a public and private school teacher and a school principal for the past 15 years where she utilized her master’s degree in Instructional Leadership in Education. She resides in Southern California with her two boys. Iman is committed to creating an understanding of the importance of the mental health field through answering community questions and posting weekly videos on her social media platforms. She merges between the teachings of Islam and psychology as she is a graduate of the Institute of Knowledge Seminary Program (IOK) in Diamond Bar, California. You can reach her at isaymeh@instituteofknowledge.com

Sama Wareh discusses the importance of incorporating being outdoors for children, especially homeschooled children. She shares her passion for nature and gives some advice on how to incorporate it creating a wholesome schooling experience. For those that are local to southern California, she talks about GPS adventures and how it came about. You can learn more at https://www.artandwildernessinstitute.com/About Sama WarehNaturalist, University Lecturer, Artist, Author of "How to Draw 60 Native CA Plants and Animals: A Field Guide" and Environmental Educator for over 14 years.Sama has a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies from CSUF. Her Bachelors is in Filmmaking and she has a minor in Art. Wareh has led over a thousand hikes, taught TK to the university level, and has done workshops for arboretums, nature centers, OCParks, and museums all across California. She has spoken before the UN, given a TED-X talk, and has received multiple awards, including the OC Register's 40 Under 40 award, OC Weekly's People of the year, and Access California's Humanitarian Heart Award. She has received a certification in Wildlife Tracking from Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School, is a certified Project WILD and Project Wet Facilitator. She founded the Art and Wilderness Institute along with Dr. Khadeeja and Syma.

Dr. Taylor joins us again and gives us an overview of Dyslexia and dysgraphia, which are related to reading and writing. You Can find more resources here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SNPW8hsE8WeiA8MTfo7riA6r3AR7U86MNu0QjK70Mlw/edit?usp=sharing)More about Dr. Taylor:Heather Taylor Wizikowski is assistant professor in the College of Education and Integrative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. . Dr. Wizikowski is also currently co-director of the Integrated Teacher Education Preparation program at Cal Poly Pomona. Her current research interests include maximizing student potential in K-12 education for a modern, diverse student population, effective teacher preparation, and effective new teacher mentoring. Dr. Wizikowski holds a Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. Taylor gives us an introduction to who is eligible to receive special education services in California and the resources that the state education system provides. In addition, these services are available to homeschooled children through a charter school system. It is important to work as a team for the best interests of the child, and that involves the parents, the teachers, and the system to work together. You Can find more resources here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SNPW8hsE8WeiA8MTfo7riA6r3AR7U86MNu0QjK70Mlw/edit?usp=sharing)More about Dr. Taylor:Heather Taylor Wizikowski is assistant professor in the College of Education and Integrative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. . Dr. Wizikowski is also currently co-director of the Integrated Teacher Education Preparation program at Cal Poly Pomona. Her current research interests include maximizing student potential in K-12 education for a modern, diverse student population, effective teacher preparation, and effective new teacher mentoring. Dr. Wizikowski holds a Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University.

In this episode, Dr. Abdullah talks about travel while homeschooling. She mentions what she does before the beginning of a new year to incorporate camping and backpacking into the family calendar. Dr. Abdullah also sheds some light on homeschool co-ops and their benefits. She also talks about experiences that can direct your career choices to make a meaningful impact. You can reach her at https://www.instagram.com/khadeejabdullah/

In this episode, Fazila discusses homeschooling her three boys, the importance of sports and movement, and balancing life, school, work, and family. She drops many gems on how to prevent burnout and the evolution of her homeschool journey as circumstances change. You can find out more about Fazila at https://homeschoolballers.blogspot.com/?m=1.

Hifdh is the memorizing of the Quran, the holy scripture for Muslims. In this episode, Farah discusses the process of memorization with her guest Qanita, whose son embarked and completed this honorable journey.

Research has shown the amazing benefits of learning a second language. Amazing Director Lena khan (more about her later) is not a native Arabic speaker but has been successful in teaching her children fluent Arabic. In this episode, Lena discusses what helped her teach her son Arabic. She mentions exposure is the most important in learning a language. She delves into the methodology OPOL (one person-one language), that worked for her. She gives tons of resources and ideas in this discussion.More can be found at bit.ly/arabicresources. Now a little about Lena Khan, Lena is an Award-winning Canadian American writer and director who recently finished a major studio film for Disney. With a background from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and experience at noted production companies such as Participant Media, Lena spent years directing short films, commercials, and music videos for artists such as Maher Zain before embarking on her first film. Lena and her work have been profiled in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue, USA Today, The New York Times and more. Lena has committed herself to making competitive and entertainment content that is also relevant to the social needs of our time. She has been honored as a guest speaker at various universities, received numerous awards. Farah will be having Lena as a guest in future episodes.

Farah answers a listener question by discussing 11 strategies that can help a student in their homeschool. These strategies can be applied in other aspects of life as well!

In this episode, you’ll hear ways to keep the family motivated. She gives you ideas on what she uses as an inspiration to keep the learning going. She gives you ways to keep yourself motivated and gives you an example of what she outsources to keep the momentum going.

In this episode, a listener asks regarding juggling teaching and managing a household. Farah talks about how this is very specific to different situations and different people. Find what works for you and your family and know perfection is not required.

In this episode, Farah gives her thoughts on how she connects with her children while homeschooling. From being present and interested in the children's perspectives to connecting one on one with each child at different times.

In this episode, Farah answers a listener question regarding how does one know they are doing enough in terms of teaching the child. Firstly, being present in your children's lives and education is enough. Utilize the resources you may have at your disposal to assess if the children are retaining what is being taught. Listen for more thoughts.

In this episode, Farah answers a listener's question regarding homeschooling multiple kids. Listen to learn which subjects she focuses on with individual children, and when she schools together.

For the next few episodes, Farah will be answering listener questions. In this first question, Farah addresses how to start homeschooling? Do not be overwhelmed, take a breath, and know that you can do it! We discuss charter schools and also focusing on the 3 R's (reading, writing, and arithmetic (math)).

Mubashera is a homeschooling mother of 4 and has been homeschooling for 14 years. She is an eclectic homeschooler that gains inspiration from Islamic teachings and Charlotte mason. In this episode Mubashera highlights the importance of Islamic identity and academic foundation needed to be successful in High School. She also discusses how the relationship with the student/children evolves as they progress through different milestones in the schooling, from the Islamic lens. She also discusses taking the High School Exit exam in california to start the college journey earlier for children that are ready and have the discipline for the rigor of college. You can reach Mubashera at mubasherachaudhry@gmail.com Resources for this episode:1. Bandit story was Imam Ghazali on his return from Gurgan, Persia to Tus, his hometown.2. Powerful Reader: An SAT & ACT Reading Listhttps://reasonprep.com/powerful-reader-sat-act-reading-list/3. Teaching Younger Children | Robinson Curriculumhttps://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/rc/teaching-younger-children/

Roohe Ahmed is a registered dietitian working for a major health care organization, as well as a nutrition instructor at a local college. She holds her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and her Master’s degree in public health, specializing in nutrition from Loma Linda University. She specializes in weight management for adults and children, and chronic diseases linked to nutrition. She is also a certified personal fitness trainer. She is active in the community, serving on various boards and committees. She’s passionate about all aspects of wellbeing, and just as passionate about a good cup of tea. In this episode she explores the importance of nutrition in your home, especially if you are homeschooling. She gives ideas for snacking and bringing this essential focus in your home. In addition she recommends being mindful in your daily life with nutrition, physical activity, sleep and de-stress. Her passion is apparent in this episode. Listen to learn so much from this amazing conversation.

Qanita Mohiuddin holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a Master's degree in Teacher Education from UC Irvine. She leads workshops at local schools on topics such as positive discipline and differentiation in the classroom. She is a mother of six children between the ages of 1 and 10 and this will be her 7th year homeschooling. She is an eclectic homeschooler who gains inspiration from Charlotte Mason and TJEd. Qanita's homeschool thrives on self-directed learning where her children pursue their own interests. This is also her fourth year serving as a Homeschool Teacher with Cabrillo Point Academy. In this Episode Farah and Qanita discuss the process of schooling multiple children of different ages. More than 45 minutes of amazing insight. Enjoy the gems you will learn from this amazing conversation, including teaching through play, importance of mentorship, and much more.

Hana from Pepper and Pine is a veteran homeschooler and mother of 4 and has been cultivating a rich learning environment that inspires, nurtures and empowers her students since 2003. This may be the secret to her success and the key to her ability to thrive long-term as a homeschooler. One way she does this is by enriching her main lesson blocks with living books, hands-on projects, activities, cooking, gardening, handwork, and field trips. She chooses topics that inspire her, and that excitement spreads to her students. She shares this creativity at her blog at pepperandpine.com In this episode Farah and Hana discuss Unit Studies in the homeschooling environment and how to enrich your homeschool experience with it.

On this inaugural episode of High Tea with Farah, learn about her and her homeschooling journey so far.