Fathia Balgahoom is an educator with a strong focus on inclusivity and self-expression in the classroom. She recently spent three years teaching social studies and special education, where she created engaging, culturally relevant lessons tailored to meet the unique needs and expectations of her students. Through creative activities and collaborative in-class projects, Ms. Balgahoom encouraged student interaction and teamwork. She also worked closely with the Child Study Team to evaluate student progress and adjust educational plans accordingly.
Ms. Balgahoom earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Montclair State University in 2022, where she was recognized for academic excellence with the History Department Merit Scholarship and the Gary Tamarian Memorial Scholarship. During her studies, she gained valuable clinical experience as a student teacher and volunteered as a mentor in the newly established Bridgemen Believe Mentor Program. Currently, Ms. Balgahoom is pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education and Inclusive Practice at Rowan University.
Her teaching experience also includes two years as a summer teacher’s assistant at Apple Tree Preschool in Westwood, where she supported the lead teacher and led groups in the teacher’s absence. In addition, she fostered open communication between parents and staff, ensuring a strong partnership in supporting students’ development.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day begins around 6:00 am, and I follow a strict morning routine to ensure that I am ready for the day ahead of me. I start by making sure that I begin the first prayer of my day. This allows me to clear my head from the worries and stresses of the previous day and center me. I then make sure to eat some breakfast since it is the most important meal of the day, and as an educator, you may not get to eat until much later. I am a big fan of lists, so I have a sticky note on my laptop that prioritizes the most important tasks I need to complete before the end of the school day. It also helps me keep track of important meetings or check-ins I need to have with students.
How do you bring ideas to life?
As an educator, I believe in the importance of student collaboration, so I try to encourage it as much as I can in my classroom. One of my favorite lessons happened to discuss the Enlightenment Period. I posted statements on the board, and students were asked to choose whether they agreed or disagreed with said statement. After choosing, they would then have to defend their stance. These types of lessons encourage student interaction and critical thinking.
What’s one trend that excites you?
One trend that excites me is the inclusion of Social Emotional Learning in education. Nowadays, speaking about one’s mental health has become more normalized, and it shows in the students’ openness to discussing their growing needs. This normalization benefits not only the staff members but students as well. It encourages staff members to establish a safe, inclusive, and positive learning environment where students feel welcomed and valued. As the school year progresses, students learn skills such as communication, empathy, active listening, and others through school-related activities and events. These skills can then be applied in other parts of their lives.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that helps me stay productive is making a to-do list. I am a big believer in staying organized, and to-do lists help do just that. I list the most urgent tasks at the top and slowly work through the rest of the list. Each time I complete a task, I reward myself with a small 5-minute break before moving on to the next one. Additionally, I set a goal of how many tasks I’d need to complete in a certain amount of time to prevent myself from procrastinating.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self not to fear failure. You are never going to be the best at everything, and that is okay! Failing and hardships are meant to come your way. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid it. Instead, you should find the lesson in that hardship, learn from it, and move on. Don’t be afraid to lean on others to help you come to terms with those difficult times and help you pick yourself up again.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I truly believe in the statement, “There are no stupid questions.” I have always enjoyed fostering a student’s curiosity, and in my classroom, questions are always welcomed. Whenever a student asks questions, I get so excited because it signals to me that they are excited and want to learn about whatever we are discussing. Even if they’ve asked this question multiple times, I still find myself responding because I believe that by answering their question, it may encourage more reserved students to ask for help from myself or their peers.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I highly recommend everyone place their phones on “Do Not Disturb” for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, it has encouraged me to stop looking at my phone and electronic devices for long periods of time. This helps me unwind easier at the end of the day and doesn’t encourage reliance on these devices to help me fall asleep. Secondly, it helps me stay on task with whatever I need to do. By not hearing my phone vibrate or ring every second, I realize I can get more tasks done. It helps me stay productive throughout the day, so I won’t have to bring any work home with me.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I am a huge believer in the power of positive affirmations. By focusing on and repeating these phrases, I am to create a sense of calm and control. Once I have achieved the level of calm I desire, I am then able to use other phrases to reaffirm my ability to stay on track and complete the goal/task in front of me.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One strategy that has helped make me a better educator is continuing to learn. This could be through attending professional development seminars, listening to education-related podcasts, and even attending classes at a college/university. Education is an ever-evolving field, and it is important that we continue to evolve with it. By actively seeking information on the latest evidence-based practices, classroom strategies, and content, I am able to stay ahead of the trends and anticipate how to move with them.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
When I first started my career, I enjoyed having my students engage in a structured debate at least once a year. However, I overestimated my students ‘ ability to engage in this activity properly. Instead of building these foundational skills like analysis, critical thinking, research, and active listening, I had just assumed that they would already have them. But when it came time to do the debate, it was clear that they lacked these skills. Instead of scratching the lesson altogether, I focused on building these skills throughout the academic year by incorporating them into the daily lessons. Then, at the end of the school year, I had them participate in another structured debate. And at that point, it was clear that they were far more prepared and had a more developed skill set than they did at the beginning of the year.
From this experience, I learned the importance of gauging my student’s abilities and skills. I could’ve used a pre-assessment given to students at the beginning of the year and gathered data before exploring activities like the debate. Additionally, I learned the importance of building these skills and incorporating them into their daily lessons. This has shaped my approach toward my future classes.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
The Sticky Notes App on any of my devices has been indispensable in helping me stay productive. I enjoy staying organized and listing my tasks for the day, and the sticky notes app helps me with that. I like to color-code my sticky notes that way, it doesn’t look like an unattractive blob of things to do. Each color also stands for a specific list of things. For example, purple would represent the lesson plans I would need to create and the assignments I plan on grading for the week. When I finish a specific task, I write “ALL DONE” to signal to myself to move on. Once the week is over, I erase the abovementioned phrase and follow the same routine until the school year has ended.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
“The History Unplugged Podcast” and “The Dig” immediately come to mind. As someone who believes in the importance of understanding the past to understand the present and future, both of these podcasts perfectly encapsulate this. The History Unplugged Podcast helps me develop a further understanding of certain historical figures and the events that led to the critical decisions they made. The Dig, on the other hand, has helped me apply that information to the current and evolving political landscape.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Abbott Elementary instantly comes to mind. The show follows the lives of teachers and staff members alike as they navigate problems that arise throughout the year. It offers insight into the life of someone working in the education field and the very real issues we face. For that reason, I find it quite relatable. However, the show takes it a step further and humanizes the characters we watch and makes us invested in the struggles they face week after week. It sprinkles in important life lessons like that is okay to make mistakes and take risks, after all that is what life is all about.
Key learnings
- Knowledge Is Key: Education is a field full of change, so you must seek out opportunities to learn about the newest techniques and best practices. Try applying them in your classroom and see what works best for you. Do not be afraid to ask questions or seek advice from colleagues; they have a wealth of knowledge.
- Stay Organized: Create a To-Do List and set of goals for the week. As you progress through the list, make a note of it, and move on to the next one. That way, you are keeping track of what to do next.
- Reflect and Adapt: Do not be afraid to make mistakes and take risks throughout your career. Not every lesson is going to be a hit, but you need to recognize when a lesson went wrong and how to fix that mistake moving forward. Just remember there is always a lesson behind every failure, you just have to find it.
- Have Fun: It’s always important to make sure you find ways to unwind after the day. After all, life shouldn’t just be focused on work.