who & what will be lost the day technology replaces teachers | Non-Fiction
Nodding to Rebecca/ So she can grab the class comfort beanie baby/ Her anxiety is flaring up again/ Her knee uncontrollably chattering against the desk
Salam alaykum friends,
I pray you’re well and surviving the heat (!!) if you’re in the UK. I’ve been tired and a little sluggish most of the week, but Alhamdulillah for everything.
Writing has been slow lately, but I was thrilled to see another one of my stories, Even if it’s between two mountains, out in the world. This story took a lot from me, but I also had so much fun working on it. I particularly enjoyed developing the main character. In a future letter, in shaa Allah, I hope to talk about my journey and what I’ve learned from writing short stories. It’s my favourite form but one I was so afraid of. Yet if you’ve been here from the beginning, you know I tend to run towards the things I fear because I’m confident Allah is with me as long as I put in the work.
Just as my stories find homes in other magazines, I hope to make QALB the number one home for writing by Muslim women. In that spirit, I’m excited to share this week’s piece: a powerful, creative non-fiction piece titled who & what will be lost the day technology replaces teachers by
. I felt a lot of things the first time I read this, and I hope this speaks to you too.
The four walls of this classroom/ Even the thin third one that’s a “temporary” divider/ Desks covered in etched & smudged doodles/ A stack of essays piled high/ Post-it notes slapped across walls/ Complaints about pilfered pens/ The smell of pencil shavings/ Expo markers/ White-out/ The distinct aroma of cheese pizza & chocolate chip cookies wafting through vents/
Our District has a device installed on all school-issued computers, called Gaggle. It detects any alarming and violent words – reporting it to Guidance and Central Office immediately. The student and parents are notified, and often there is an intervention of sorts. Later, will computers scan the arms of children for scars, will it be able to distinguish the difference between paper cuts and self-inflicted wounds?
The sticky humidity seeping in mid-May/ Sweaty boys after PE/ Yelling no standing in front of the fan/ Lecturing about body odor & hygiene/ No, Axe is not enough!/ Restocking the drawer with sanitary pads/ An extra-large tee shirt for the girls/ Rusted stains bleeding through/ Teaching in hallways/ 100-degree rooms at high noon/ Knowing better than walking to the already booked, air-conditioned library/ The crinkling of paper as kids create fans/
Moving seats like musical chairs/ Drafting three different seating charts/ Scribbling down a note/ Telling the nurse to follow up about Sanvi/ Who needs glasses but doesn’t have insurance/ Making the millionth mental note/ Never place Xavier & Raj next to each other/ Writing it in every sub plan/ Giving “the look” to Kyla/ As she whispers to Brendon/ While placing a hand on Sid’s desk/ Because he’s fidgeting with a note/ That he’s about to pass to a friend/ After saying Dorothea’s name aloud/ Because she’s drifting off/ Nodding to Rebecca/ So she can grab the class comfort beanie baby/ Her anxiety is flaring up again/ Her knee uncontrollably chattering against the desk/ Letting Lauren know scratching pen to paper will help/ More than nails digging into skin/
I wonder where children like Antony will receive their only meal. Who else will save all the leftover oranges from free breakfast bags, and quietly hand them to Period 3 kids who arrive too late for their free breakfast? Will ChatGPT curate a list of soup kitchens nearby? Will it cook recipes of what meals to make out of three-day old white rice?
Witnessing chaos as a wasp flies in/ Yelling at Marcus to put his shoe down/ As he tries to lunge for the yellow-striped insect/ Motioning Marcy & Saboor/ To quickly help close the window shut/ As the wasp hovers near the net/ Laughing later with Alejandro/ Who was suspended last week for punching his bully/ But cowered behind a desk at the whizzing insect/ Taping the tiny hole in the window screen with duct tape/ Emailing the janitor/ This is the third wasp this week/ There must be a nest nearby/
Saying good morning every day/ Holding each other’s gazes/ Hearing greetings repeated by everyone/ Even the shy one with a meek voice/ The angsty one/ Who grunts/ The class comedian/ Who uses his Bug’s Bunny voice/ Holding civil debates/ Dressing up as judge/ in what was a graduation gown/ Seeing a kid dressed in his father’s suit/ A loose & lopsided tie/ Fostering passion/ Putting on plays/ Directing/ Acting/ Creating/ Showing a cat video when needed/ Passing out graphic organizers for literary analysis essays/ Listening intently/ To a rant from Inayah/ Who says Romeo & Juliet could have lived/ Had they been better communicators/
Would it know how to tell parents about their children’s growth beyond the numbers? Like how they made a new friend, or finally raised their shaky hand, or stopped to help a student who spilled water in the middle of the hallway?
Learning/ What it means to disappoint/ How to write an apology letter/ Seeing young friendships grow/ Then consoling the broken-hearted between lunch/ Practicing mindfulness when triggers arise/ When Baseer & Soraya could not read/ About bullets raining down on Dally in “The Outsiders”/ Giving the option to color/ Breathe/ Just grab a quick drink of water/
Holding community circles/ Speaking our truths/ Practicing grace/ And gentleness/ Writing/ Keeping journals/ Teaching the comfort of pouring feelings on paper/ Singing Happy Birthday/ Purposefully off-key to our peers/ Naming our class plants & fighting over who waters them/ Asking for tissue box donations in April/ Because the class has already gone through two boxes/ In one week from allergies/ Finding two new boxes & sanitizer on my desk/ Signed by Alex/ Who is always nodding off to sleep/ The student with a stutter/ Receiving a standing ovation for his class presentation/
Talking openly/ About war/ About Hate/ Love/ Hurt & humanity/ Seeing light & resilience/ In vulnerable thirteen-year-olds/ Feeling exhausted/ Disappointed/ Proud/ Honored/ Loved/ Teaching community/ Between four walls/ The third flimsy wall carrying in the end notes/ Of the neighboring teacher’s bellowing laugh/ The children’s curious questions/ Their unmapped & malleable minds/ Unfurled/
When the politicians argue and begin sending the children out to war, will it nudge the children to question why? And when the children search for images of the country they are supposed to hate, will it fatten them with pictures laced in propaganda? How many indifferent soldiers are enough for ravenous leaders, anyways?
Teaching/ How to remain calm amidst crisis/ To be responsible/ Count on your buddy/ At every lockdown/ Fire drill & evacuation drill/ Repeating how we keep each other safe/ Problem-solving/ How the class will finish the test in time/ While we shiver outside/ On black-top/ Maybe not that/
& maybe not piling in the corner/ Like sardines during a lockdown/ Heads bobbing/ Under a pile of desks/ Reminding yourself/ If this were real/ You would have the kids help/ Barricade the door/ By sliding the huge cupboards & bookshelves/ Just like your mother told you/ When she first visited/ Your classroom/ Reminding yourself/ If this were real/ Every teacher you know would put their body between/ Bullets & children/ Reminding yourself/ This is just a drill/ Whispering/ A prayer in gratitude/
And who will save the children then, as steel bullets clamp their screaming shut? Would a computer be enough to sanctify a classroom? Would it know the sacredness of children?
I hope you enjoyed Jaweerya’s piece as much as we did, and you’re inspired to check out her other works. If you found it beneficial, share with friends, colleagues and anyone else who may also benefit from it.
Wishing you a blessed, restorative and fulfilling weekend ahead!
Love and duas,
Suad from Qalb Writers Collective
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