2012 – What I like & do not like about GiSLA – Multiple 2012 actual student feedback
2012 Feedback GiSLA March Student 1 (7th Grade & 13 years old) A What I like about the Green Stairs program is when we watch movies and learn about the lives about the Prophets. This program helps me understand how life was like for an average Muslim. By learning about all of this I can teach many other people and they could learn about it and become better Muslims. In this program it changed me a lot. Not only did I become a better Muslim, I also have a better understanding of Islam. What I dislike about this program is the exams. If we already know the material, then we shouldn’t have to have an exam. We should also have more parties like a Ramadan party that would be fun. Also when you make us stand on chairs. We should start class later. We should start at 10 rather than 9:45.
2012 Student 2 (10th Grade & 15 years old) AI like that the Green Stairs Academy does field trips to other religious facilities and we don’t learn about Islam only. We learn about other religions too, such as Christianity and Judaism. I also like that before we begin learning the Quran we have to know the prayers inside and out. I like that when the other students learn Quran, they have to know the meaning in English and why it was brought down to the Prophet (SAW). I like how the teacher interprets things about Islam into things that we use everyday, such as cell phones. What I don’t like about the program is we don’t have parties often, or we don’t bring each other breakfast in the morning because most people don’t have time to eat breakfast. I don’t like how we are unable to pray Duhr in the Masjid. I think we should do more fun activities in the class.
2012 Student 3 (Senior) C This class has helped me a lot to learn the basics of Islam. I really like that the class is designed to help the individual. I entered knowing very little about how to pray and I had almost no knowledge of Islamic history. Even though other students were ahead in terms of their knowledge, I was welcomed and helped by multiple teachers and students. I look forward to coming to class every week so I can gain a deeper understanding of my religion and why it’s important to pray. Our class lectures are usually entertaining and we almost always end up laughing. If I were to improve this class I would add a time for class discussion. I enjoy reading the class books but I think it would be valuable for everyone if we could take turns explaining how we understand different surahs and how we think they relate to our everyday lives. By doing that I think we’d all gain different perspectives and it would initiate us to think more deeply about what we are reading even outside of class.
Overall, I like this class because of the people in it. The multiple instructors/parents are always very helpful and they clearly care a lot if we learn.
2012 Student 4 (12th Grade) S What I like about the Green Stairs program is that it gives me a deeper understanding of Islam and why we believe what we believe. I also like how we learn to understand what we are saying in prayer. I also like the group discussions because it involves the entire class. What I don’t like about the Green Stairs program is that there’s too much emphasis on tests and it wastes a lot of time in class. I also feel like we also spend too much time testing on prayer because most people passed the prayer test multiple times. I feel that if we start class a little bit later people will participate more because they’ll be less tired. Overall, I think that the Green Stairs program is beneficial and I would like to come back for another semester.
2012 Student 5 (10th Grade 15 years old) A In this class I like the Islamic movies. Also I like the way TeacherJi teaches. I like the books that they supply us. I like the pizza. I like the students. I like the analogies they made up, (example, shower). I also like how they teach what is haram and halal. I like the way they perform prayer. Also I like the movies they show us. What I do not like about the class is the way it’s set up. Also I do not like the hours of the class. I also do not like how we have to pay for heat. I do not like the distraction in the class. Also, we get off topic. We can make this program better by organizing the class with organized seats. We can have a class schedule. We can organize the class. We can also have rules and punishments. Also we should have prizes for the class. That is what I think about this class.
2012 Student 6 (16 years old) H What I like about this class is that it teaches us different things about Islam. I also like how we watch different Islamic documentaries/movies. I like the Islamic books which are available to the class for reading. The lectures which we get sometimes are also nice as well. I like the teachers also because they are cool. The food we get I class is also cool.
What I dislike: -Need to watch move movies. -Nothing. What to Improve: -Maybe get more books.-Discuss more topics.
2012 Student 7 (In College) (AT) What we like? I like that it’s broad and covers different small subjects; that it gives us time to review on our own after being tested and then get test again to make sure we actually did review. I like getting tested on information. I love the pizza. © I like that we pray together at the end of class. I like our conversations at the end of class. I like that you pay attention to us as individuals and try to help us with our issues.
What I don’t like? I don’t like that it takes all morning. I think it will be more efficient if the older group will have its own lecture tailored more to their needs. Sometimes I feel like if I was with people of my age only we could advance faster and the class will be filled with more “mature” subjects. Maybe the first part we can all be together and be grouped according to how much we know (just like we do now), but after that we can break into groups according to age. People like me came to this class for the moral advice (and the like) more than to memorize surahs. Yet, I do understand that memorizing surahs is very important and a main part of the course. For example, I already memorize wudu and my prayer and when we keep reviewing the same, I get bored.
2012 Student 8 (9th Grade & 15 years old) (A) I like the Green Stairs Academy because it is very interactive. We’re always being asked questions about our opinions and what we think. I also like it because a lot of the things we learn relate to us as kids, such as the analogies we learn. This class is also pretty funny, especially when teaching kids bout BS. I don’t like how we have pizza every Sunday. I think we should get something else to eat sometimes. Overall, I really like this program. I think we should make a few changes, such as play a game or have challenges to remember/revise what we have learned. I think we should also do more with our study partners, like games, projects, etc.
2012 Student 9 (9th Grade) M In the Green Stairs Program I like the fact that we all learn surahs and the meaning in English instead of just memorizing it in Arabic. I also like that we talk about what each surah means, where it came from, when we received the surah, and the importance. I like that we also talk about other religions and we don’t judge other religions when we don’t know their beliefs. Like everybody else, I like that we have pizza every week. I like how this Sunday School isn’t that boring. Other Sunday schools I went to had very boring classes and I didn’t like how those teachers made everything sound so boring. In this school, I like how the teacher makes everything fun and relatable. I think we move too fast sometimes though. That’s the only thing I don’t like about the Green Stairs Program, the fact that we move through materials too fast and cover topics in such a rush.
2012 Student 10 (7th Grade) S Likes: Engaging, exciting. Keeps us running. Not just reading from a book. Letting us learn about other religions and how we are all alike, not just talking about differences. Not separated boys and girls, we are all together. We are not separated by age either; we are in the same class, just on different sides of the room. Awesome ways to remember how we can be closer to Allah. And of course, BS! [and awesome pizza ©] Dislikes: I don’t think I have anything to criticize. Advice: Keep us engaged in class. Tell guys to bring their own food, they eat too much of what we have to share! We are allowed to eat however much we want, but they take it to an extent. That’s just about it.
2012 Student 11 (8th Grade) A This class is very fun. It’s very engaging and helps us learn a lot of things that will benefit us in life. This class is very exciting to come to because of all the enthusiasm that goes with it. I also like how we get to see movies and meet people from other religions. The people here are all very friendly. Out of all the other classes I’ve been to that teaches about Islam, this class is the best. All the teachers in the other classes were really boring and didn’t put any fun into teaching about our religion. You have a lot of humor in you and it makes this class stay awake (especially at 9 in the morning).
There’s not much that I don’t like about this class. Yes, it is pressured a bit, but I think that will help us in the future. Also, when I first came here I was really shy, especially when you would call on me to say stuff in front of people. But I guess that would help make friends and make us confident to talk in front of people. The only advice that I would give you is to keep doing what you’re doing. This is a really fun and engaging class. A lot of people wake up not wanting to go to the masjid. This class is something I always look forward to every Sunday.
2012 Student 12 (12th Grade) B There is no one particular thing that I like about this class. This class is the best example for [lazy?] people like us to not only study Islamic studies but it
teaches us how to become a good leader. I like this class because Teech teaches us stuff that makes sense, that is logical. He makes Islamic study fun. The most important thing that I have learned in this class is that Islam is the way of life not just some religion you have to follow because your parents told you so. This is the best Islamic study class I have ever been to. I have studied Quran from at least 8 different Islamic study teachers. But he is the first person that taught me stuff about Islam that made sense [??? ???] some logic into it. That’s why I love coming
here. If you want to change anything in this class the first thing you should do from my perspective is do not change anything keep it as unique as it is. If you keep changing stuff the uniqueness of this class would be [ruined?]. I love this class as it is.
2012 Student 13 (8th Grade) I What things I like: -The pizza, -The movies we watch, -The lectures, -Islamic Books What things I don’t like: -The class is too long, -Some lectures to repetitive, -The pizza tastes nasty, -No drinks, -Boring, -No fun, -Better seats To make this class better you should make the class shorter and you should get better tasting pizza. There should also be drinks. The lectures should be more fun. Also the movies are boring the movie should be about the actual thing that happened like actors playing the parts of the people back then.
March 2012 Student 1 (7th Grade & 13 years old) A What I like about the Green Stairs program is when we watch movies and learn about the lives about the Prophets. This program helps me understand how life was like for an average Muslim. By learning about all of this I can teach many other people and they could learn about it and become better Muslims. In this program it changed me a lot. Not only did I become a better Muslim, I also have a better understanding of Islam. What I dislike about this program is the exams. If we already know the material, then we shouldn’t have to have an exam. We should also have more parties like a Ramadan party that would be fun. Also when you make us stand on chairs. We should start class later. We should start at 10 rather than 9:45.
2012 Student 2 (10th Grade & 15 years old) AI like that the Green Stairs Academy does field trips to other religious facilities and ew don’t learn about Islam only. We learn about other religions too, such as Christianity and Judaism. I also like that before we begin learning the Quran we have to know the prayers inside and out. I like that when the other students learn Quran, they have to know the meaning in English and why it was brought down to the Prophet (SAW). I like how the teacher interprets things about Islam into things that we use everyday, such as cell phones. What I don’t like about the program is we don’t have parties often, or we don’t bring each other breakfast in the morning because most people don’t have time to eat breakfast. I don’t like how we are unable to pray Duhr in the Masjid. I think we should do more fun activities in the class.
2012 Student 3 (Senior) C This class has helped me a lot to learn the basics of Islam. I really like that the class is designed to help the individual. I entered knowing very little about how to pray and I had almost no knowledge of Islamic history. Even though other students were ahead in terms of their knowledge, I was welcomed and helped by multiple teachers and students. I look forward to coming to class every week so I can gain a deeper understanding of my religion and why it’s important to pray. Our class lectures are usually entertaining and we almost always end up laughing. If I were to improve this class I would add a time for class discussion. I enjoy reading the class books but I think it would be valuable for everyone if we could take turns explaining how we understand different surahs and how we think they relate to our everyday lives. By doing that I think we’d all gain different perspectives and it would initiate us to think more deeply about what we are reading even outside of class.
Overall, I like this class because of the people in it. The multiple instructors/parents are always very helpful and they clearly care a lot if we learn.
2012 Student 4 (12th Grade) S What I like about the Green Stairs program is that it gives me a deeper understanding of Islam and why we believe what we believe. I also like how we learn to understand what we are saying in prayer. I also like the group discussions because it involves the entire class. What I don’t like about the Green Stairs program is that there’s too much emphasis on tests and it wastes a lot of time in class. I also feel like we also spend too much time testing on prayer because most people passed the prayer test multiple times. I feel that if we start class a little bit later people will participate more because they’ll be less tired. Overall, I think that the Green Stairs program is beneficial and I would like to come back for another semester.
2012 Student 5 (10th Grade & 15 years old) A In this class I like the Islamic movies. Also I like the way TeacherJi teaches. I like the books that they supply us. I like the pizza. I like the students. I like the analogies they made up, (example, shower). I also like how they teach what is haram and halal. I like the way they perform prayer. Also I like the movies they show us. What I do not like about the class is the way it’s set up. Also I do not like the hours of the class. I also do not like how we have to pay for heat. I do not like the distraction in the class. Also, we get off topic. We can make this program better by organizing the class with organized seats. We can have a class schedule. We can organize the class. We can also have rules and punishments. Also we should have prizes for the class. That is what I think about this class.
2012 Student 6 (16 years old) H What I like about this class is that it teaches us different things about Islam. I also like how we watch different Islamic documentaries/movies. I like the Islamic books which are available to the class for reading. The lectures which we get sometimes are also nice as well. I like the teachers also because they are cool. The food we get I class is also cool.
2012 Feedback GiSLA March 2012 What I dislike: -Need to watch move movies. -Nothing. What to Improve: -Maybe get more books.-Discuss more topics.
2012 Student 7 (In College) (AT) What we like? I like that it’s broad and covers different small subjects; that it gives us time to review on our own after being tested and then get test again to make sure we actually did review. I like getting tested on information. I love the pizza. © I like that we pray together at the end of class. I like our conversations at the end of class. I like that you pay attention to us as individuals and try to help us with our issues.
What I don’t like? I don’t like that it takes all morning. I think it will be more efficient if the older group will have its own lecture tailored more to their needs. Sometimes I feel like if I was with people of my age only we could advance faster and the class will be filled with more “mature” subjects. Maybe the first part we can all be together and be grouped according to how much we know (just like we do now), but after that we can break into groups according to age. People like me came to this class for the moral advice (and the like) more than to memorize surahs. Yet, I do understand that memorizing surahs is very important and a main part of the course. For example, I already memorize wudu and my prayer and when we keep reviewing the same, I get bored.
2012 Student 8 (9th Grade & 15 years old) (A) I like the Green Stairs Academy because it is very interactive. We’re always being asked questions about our opinions and what we think. I also like it because a lot of the things we learn relate to us as kids, such as the analogies we learn. This class is also pretty funny, especially when teaching kids bout BS. I don’t like how we have pizza every Sunday. I think we should get something else to eat sometimes. Overall, I really like this program. I think we should make a few changes, such as play a game or have challenges to remember/revise what we have learned. I think we should also do more with our study partners, like games, projects, etc.
2012 Student 9 (9th Grade) M 3 Feedback GiSLA March 2012 In the Green Stairs Program I like the fact that we all learn surahs and the meaning in English instead of just memorizing it in Arabic. I also like that we talk about what each surah means, where it came from, when we received the surah, and the importance. I like that we also talk about other religions and we don’t judge other
religions when we don’t know their beliefs. Like everybody else, I like that we have pizza every week. I like how this Sunday School isn’t that boring. Other Sunday schools I went to had very boring classes and I didn’t like how those teachers made everything sound so boring. In this school, I like how the teacher makes everything fun and relatable. I think we move too fast sometimes though. That’s the only thing I don’t like about the Green Stairs Program, the fact that we move through materials too fast and cover topics in such a rush.
2012 Student 10 (7th Grade) S Likes: Engaging, exciting. Keeps us running. Not just reading from a book. Letting us learn about other religions and how we are all alike, not just talking about differences. Not separated boys and girls, we are all together. We are not separated by age either; we are in the same class, just on different sides of the room. Awesome ways to remember how we can be closer to Allah. And of course, BS! [and awesome pizza ©] Dislikes: I don’t think I have anything to criticize. Advice: Keep us engaged in class. Tell guys to bring their own food, they eat too much of what we have to share! We are allowed to eat however much we want, but they take it to an extent. That’s just about it.
2012 Student 11 (8th Grade) A This class is very fun. It’s very engaging and helps us learn a lot of things that will benefit us in life. This class is very exciting to come to because of all the enthusiasm that goes with it. I also like how we get to see movies and meet people from other religions. The people here are all very friendly. Out of all the other classes I’ve been to that teaches about Islam, this class is the best. All the teachers in the other classes were really boring and didn’t put any fun into teaching about our religion. You have a lot of humor in you and it makes this class stay awake (especially at 9 in the morning).
There’s not much that I don’t like about this class. Yes, it is pressured a bit, but I think that will help us in the future. Also, when I first came here I was really shy, especially when you would call on me to say stuff in front of people. But I guess that would help make friends and make us confident to talk in front of people. The only advice that I would give you is to keep doing what you’re doing. This is a really fun and engaging class. A lot of people wake up not wanting to go to the masjid. This class is something I always look forward to every Sunday.
2012 Student 12 (12th Grade) B There is no one particular thing that I like about this class. This class is the best example for [lazy?] people like us to not only study Islamic studies but it
teaches us how to become a good leader. I like this class because Teech teaches us stuff that makes sense, that is logical. He makes Islamic study fun. The most important thing that I have learned in this class is that Islam is the way of life not just some religion you have to follow because your parents told you so. This is the best Islamic study class I have ever been to. I have studied Quran from at least 8 different Islamic study teachers. But he is the first person that taught me stuff about Islam that made sense [??? ???] some logic into it. That’s why I love coming
here. If you want to change anything in this class the first thing you should do from my perspective is do not change anything keep it as unique as it is. If you keep changing stuff the uniqueness of this class would be [ruined?]. I love this class as it is.
2012 Student 13 (8th Grade) I What things I like: -The pizza, -The movies we watch, -The lectures, -Islamic Books What things I don’t like: -The class is too long, -Some lectures to repetitive, -The pizza tastes nasty, -No drinks, -Boring, -No fun, -Better seats To make this class better you should make the class shorter and you should get better tasting pizza. There should also be drinks. The lectures should be more fun. Also the movies are boring the movie should be about the actual thing that happened like actors playing the parts of the people back then.