Jabeen1

AishaJabeen
UWRT1102
PeterBlair
May5,2015
Primaryvs.SecondaryDiscourses
Ifachildcantlearnthewayweteach,maybeweshould
teachthewaytheylearnisagreatadvicegivenbyIgnacio
NachoEstrada,whoisamotivatorandeducationalconsultant.This
quoteepitomizesmyexperiencethatIhavehadwhileteachingat
asmallSundayschoolcommunity.Notonlywerethestudents
learningbutalongwiththemIwasalsoeducatedindirectly.
Metaknowledgeissomethingthatcanbelearnedthrough
experienceonly;therefore,instructingatSundaySchoolhas
taughtmethesecondarydiscoursesthatIwouldhavenotlearned
frommyprimarydiscourses.
SundayschoolislocatedinsideasmallMosqueinaneven
smallercity,Hamlet,NC.Therearenearly20Muslimfamiliesin
Hamlet,andnotalloftheirchildrenattendSundaySchool.We
haveanywherefromfortytofiftystudents.TheMosqueisdivided
intofoursections.Thetopfloorisforprayeronlyanddivided

Jabeen2
intotwosections,onesectionformenandtheotherforwomen.
Myclasswaslocatedinthetopsectionofthemosquewherewomen
wouldusuallyprayduringprayertimes.Thebottomfloorwas
designatedforgettogethers,meetings,fundraisers,etc.Ifyou
wereinthetopfloortherewereetiquettestofollow:likespeak
inlowvoices,stayinablution,anddressfully(womenmustnot
showhairbutdressmodestinthemosque).Whileteaching
childrenIwouldhavetokeeptheserulesofconductinmymind.
Therearemanycomponentsthatplayapartinlearningthe
secondarydiscoursesofteaching.However,thefirstandthemost
importantcomponentischildren.Learningeachchilds
personality,learningstyle,andhabitswasoneofthemost
vigoroustasks.Eachchildhadtheirownuniquewayoflearning.
Forinstance,whenIfirststartedteaching,IdidwhatIsaw
mostteachersdo,andthatislecturing.Igotallofmynotes
readythenightbefore,walkedintotheclassdressedfullywith
aheadscarf,gottotheboardandstartedwriting.Afterwriting
thedateandthesubjectIjuststartedtalking.Ididnotreally
interactwiththekids.HalfwaythroughtheclassInoticedevery
childwasintheirownlittleworld.ButIthoughtmaybethekids
aretired,Imean,comeon,itisSUNDAYschool.SoIcontinued
lecturingandreading.Attheendoftheclass,Iaskedsome

Jabeen3
questionsandonlytwostudentsansweredthem.Oneofthe
studentshadnoideaofwhatwasgoingonandsomeoftheothers
seemeduninterested.AtthispointIdidnottakenoticeofwhat
Iwasdoingwrong.Ikeptonwithmyteachingandlecturingways.
Afterthreeweeksitwastimefortheirfirstexam.Isaw
childrenwhowerenervouswhileIwaspassingouttheexams.As
childrenwerefinishingupIwaslookingattheirpapersandit
startedtoworryme.Theresultswerenottoogood,exceptone
student.Hedidexceptionallywell,andtherestdidnotdoso
well.Thatday,aftertheresultsIthoughttomyselfwhatwasI
doingwrong.Howthatonlyonepersonlearnedandtherestdid
notintakehalfofthematerial?Thenextweekaftertheexam,
duringclassInoticedonethingaboutthestudentwhodid
exceptionallywellontheexam.Hedidnothavepaperorpencil
he,wouldjustlisten,andwhenIwouldaskhimtoreadheread.
Inoticedthathewasjustmemorizingeverything.Ashewas
turningthepageshewasmemorizingthealphabetsandwords.If
thosesamewordsorletterswereshowntohiminadifferent
sentencehedidnotknowwhattheywere.Iwassosurprisedthat
hehadmemorizednearlyalloftheworksheets,alphabetsand
everythingIsaid,buthewasnotabletoapplytheknowledge.
Forexample,letssayhelearnedtheorderofthealphabet,but
ifoneortwoofthelettersweretakenoutandaskedhimwhat

Jabeen4
theywereindividually,hewouldnotknow.AfterthisincidentI
reallystartedtotakelittlethingsintoconsideration.
Beinginaclassroomfullofdiversitythereweresome
factorsthatIdidnottakeintoconsideration.Forinstance,
somestudentswerelearninganewlanguagebecauseIwasteaching
theArabicalphabet.Ontheotherhandthereweresomestudents
whoknewhowtospeakArabicbutcouldnotreallycomprehend
English.Istartedthinkingtomyselfofdifferentactivities
thatIcoulddotoactuallyhelpthestudents.IfeltlikeIwas
wastingmineandthestudentstime.Ibegantonoticethings
otherteachersdidtohelptheirstudents.Theonlyproblemwith
mewasthatIhadchildrenwhoweresupposedtolearnthebasics.
Theotherteachershadstudentsalreadywithbasicknowledge.If
thestudentsdidnotlearnwhattheyaresupposedtoinmyclass
thereisnowaytheycouldsucceedinthenextclass.Ifelta
lotofpressure,especiallyafterDr.Malik,theheadofSunday
School,sawtheresultsandtoldmehowcrucialitwasformeto
teachmychildrenthebasics.Iwenthomeandstartedtoresearch
differentactivitiesfordifferenttypesofstudents;Iwantedto
helpeverystudentintheclass.Itiredtolookupactivities
thatwouldhelpthatstudentlearnwhotendstomemorize,and
thatstudentwhoonlylearnedthroughhandsonactivities.Ihad

Jabeen5
somanydifferentlearningstylesinmyclassthatsometimesI
wouldbeoverwhelmed.Ialsohadtobecarefulofdifferent
culturalandlanguagebackgroundthekidscamefrom.Thisis
whereIwouldagreewithGeeTheorythatTimMcKaytalkedabout
inhisarticlementionthearticle.McKaysuggeststhatschools
andclassroomswithstudentsfromminoritylanguagebackgrounds
needtocarefullyconsiderthesocialcontextsinwhichthese
studentsareintegrated(MacKay).Keepingalltheseelementsin
mind,Igotoclasspreparedwithfun,educationalvideosforthe
studentstowatch,andaftertheywatchedthevideosIhadsome
questionsontheboardthatthestudentshadtoanswer.Then,for
thevisualandhandsonstudents,Iaskedthemtodrawthe
alphabetsonthesmallwhiteboards.Itseemedlikeeveryonewas
learning,however,westartedtogetalittleloudandthatwas
goingagainsttheetiquetteofMosque.Ifeltlikechildrenwere
notonlylearningthecurriculumthatIamsupposedtoteachbut
alsotheetiquetteoftheMosqueIwasmeanttoteachthemwith
ourfreetime.Everythingseemedtoworkout,exceptwiththeone
studentwhoseemedtomemorizeeverything.Icouldnotgethimto
learnanything.Hekneweverything,butjustforthatdayorthat
week.IperceivedthatIcannotdothisbymyself.Ihadalready
triedeverything.Ineededtogetsomeonewithenoughexperience
tohelpme.

Jabeen6
Mycoworkersandheadoftheschool,Dr.Malik,weresome
ofthemostingratiatingandcordialpeoplearoundme.Theymade
mefeelverycomfortableandwereveryconvenientwhenitcameto
givingconsultationandhelping.IspokewithDr.Malik,aswould
toafriendaboutaproblem.IexplainedtohertheproblemIwas
havingwithAdam(mymemorizedstudent).Sheofferedme
excellentadvice;thatIshouldbemindfulofthefactthat
learningtheArabicalphabetwasbasicallya3rdlanguagefor
Adam.HespokeEnglishinschool,Urduathome,andforSunday
SchoolhewaslearningArabic.IrememberonethingthatDr.
Maliktoldme,shesaidYouhavetoputyourselfintheirplace
andrememberthatnotonlyaretheylearning,butalsoyou,
yourself,arelearningtheirstylesoflearning.Icameto
understandtheimpactoflanguagesocialization,theexistenceof
primaryandsecondarydiscourses,andteacherlanguageon
literacylearning(Young).Oneday,acoworkertookovermy
classwhileIhelpedAdamseparately.Wehadaoneononemeeting
andIdedicatedallofmytimetohimbecausethatwastheonly
wayhewouldlearn.Imadesurethathewouldnotgetdistracted.
TherewasanotherstudentwhohadadifferentcasethanAdam.
ThisstudentsnamewasIbrahim,andhisproblemwasitwould
takehimlongertolearnthethingsthatotherstudentswould
learninstantly.Iknewthisstudentpersonally,therefore,I

Jabeen7
wouldhelphimonmytime.ThatmeansondaysotherthanSunday.
IwasstartingtorealizethatifIwantedtobeasuccessful
teacherwithsuccessfulstudentsIhadtodedicatetimeand
attention.AstimewaspassingIwasbecomingmoreandmore
attachedtomystudents(specificallyAdamandIbrahim).Iknow
teachersarenotsupposedhavefavoritesbutsometimesIcould
nothelpit.ThiswasadiscoursethatIcouldonlylearnwith
time.AfterawhileIrealizedthatIcannotjustfeelaffection
foronestudent.Ihadtoconnectwithalloftheminorderfor
ustobesuccessfulandthiswassomethingthatwasbeyondjust
knowledge.
Whatisbeyondknowledge?Howdoyoujustknowsomething?
Well,havingknowledgeaboutknowledgeisMetaknowledgeandthat
islearnedthroughexperience.Itssomethingbeyondgeneral
knowledge.WhiletalkingtoAbrarAlShaer,inaninterview,who
isateacherandheadoftheSundaySchoolinCharlotte,Iasked
aboutthemetaknowledgethatshelearnedthroughoutheryearsof
teaching.Shehasonlybeenteachingfor3yearsnowandshesaid
metaknowledgewithteachingisknowingjustbylookingata
studentsfacialexpressionifhe/sheislearningorpaying
attention(Shaer).Alsogettingtoknowthestudentsweakand
strongpointscouldbeapartofmetaknowledgebecauseitis

Jabeen8
somethingthatcouldonlybeaccomplishedwithtime.WhileIwas
listeningtoherIstartedthinkingaboutthetimesthatmaybeI
gainedmetaknowledge.Forexample,Iwashelpingastudentin
classandIaskedherifsheunderstoodthematerial,shesaid
YesbutIcouldtellthatmaybeshewasembarrassed.Lateron
duringbreakIaskedhersomequestionsregardingthematerial;
shedidnotcomprehendmanyofthethingswecovered.ThenI
helpedheraloneandwehadaoneononemeeting.Slowly,I
startedtorealizethatIwasgaininginsightaboutmystudents
andtheirlevelofunderstanding.
Therearethingsthatcanbelearnedonlythrough
experience.Iwouldhaveneverknewhowstressfulitisfora
teacheroraprofessorwhentheirstudentsdonotdowell.Not
onlythis,butknowinghowstudentslearnandhowtheyfeelwas
alsoahugecompetentofmysecondarydiscourse.Bytheendof
theyearmyintuitiontoldmeifthestudentsweretakinginthe
materialornotandtomethatismetaknowledge.

Jabeen9

WorksCited
MacKay,Tim."GeesTheoryofD/discourseandResearchinTeaching
EnglishasaSecondLanguage:ImplicationsfortheMainstream."
(n.d.):n.pag.Web.

Shaer,AbrarA."SundaySchoolTeaching."Personalinterview.8
Apr.2015.

Young,Chase."BuildingLiterateIdentitiesasSecondary
Discourses:ResearchintoPractice."BuildingLiterateIdentities
asSecondaryDiscourses:ResearchintoPractice.TaxesA&M
University,2011.Web.04Apr.2015.

Jabeen10