Author Visit: Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin

Day 2 of 31 at Two Writing Teachers!

On Thursday, our school welcomed author Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin to share with our students about writing and the Muslim-American experience. I was able to take my Advanced ELL class to her large-group presentation, and a small group of students (including one of my Muslim students from Iraq) attended a more intimate Q&A session afterwards.  After school, she even stayed around to sign books (I got her to sign My Name is Bilal for our classroom!) and talk with students at our multicultural after-school event, Global Café Read-a-Latte.  (more about that tomorrow!)

Earlier in the week, I checked out all 3 of her books from the library and had my students buddy-read them so they would be familiar with her work.  It was so much fun to see the cultural questions the books sparked, especially since our Muslim student in that class was able to personally explain some of the experiences  that were referenced in the books.  Her eyes sparkled as she shared about fasting and other traditions with her classmates as they read together.

During the both sessions, Asma spoke about her struggle for identity growing up in a small Ohio town with few other Muslims and explained some Muslim beliefs and experiences that she "wished [her] classmates would have known" about Islam.  This was such an important message for our school, since we have quite a few Muslim students.  In addition, she discussed her motivations for writing and her writing process.  Several of her ideas really resonated with me:

• "Writing helps people share parts of themselves and their humanity with other people."
• "Tap into whatever it is in your soul that moves you and put it onto paper."
• "Let your fingers connect to your heart and just write... free."
• "When you start listening to your heart and soul, stuff comes out that you didn't even know was there."

Maybe I'll put them up on the walls of my classroom next year.  Perfect thoughts to start out the March Challenge, right?