MANAGING WHATSAPP GROUP
Purpose:
Create a supportive and vibrant culture
Energize the group (at least 5-10 student posts a day)
Respond to tech/logistical concerns
Networking (big student accomplishments, news, etc.)
Academic discussions, HW help
Critical communication (In WhatsApp group description and title)
For #3 and #5, response needed within 1 hour during normal hours up to 8 hours on weekends, faster the better)Setup:
1. Sent link to students who have paid for the class (normally through mailchimp orientation email). Add students only as a backup option (person adding must save their name on their own phone first). When students joint this must be tracked in student tracker ‘whatsapp column.’
2. Instructor and coach introduce themselves and then ask for student introductions approximately 1 - 3 months prior to start of live classes. Should have at minimum 50% of student on the group prior to starting introductions, through closer to 80-90% preferable (see approximate minimum #s of when to start intros below).
Sample Instructor Intro: (send this link to students for samples: www.fawakih.org/introductions)
Salam, all. I am Suheil Laher, and I am the instructor for this class. I joined Fawakih full time in 2014, just after finishing my PhD (in Arabic and Islamic Studies) at Harvard University. I have worked extensively on developing Fawakih's curriculum, and have taught all levels of Fawakih, from Level 1 through Level 6 and beyond. I have also taught Arabic at Hartford Seminary, Harvard, Brandeis and Boston University. In addition to Classical (Quranic) Arabic, I have also taught Modern Standard Arabic, but prefer teaching the former, with its close connection to the Quran. I look forward to the first class, and joining you all on a pleasant intellectual and spiritual journey studying Arabic.
Sample Student Intro Request (Levels 2-6):
Salam. Can we please have everyone introduce themselves, give a brief answer about why you’ve joined the class, and then share something unique about yourselves? If you are a returning student, please tell us how your Arabic journey has been going so far!
3. Instructor and coach introduce themselves and then ask for student introductions approximately 1 - 3 months prior to start of live classes. Should have at least 50% of student on the group prior.
Sample:
Wonderful to (virtually) meet all of you (or, for a few of you: re-meet). I still expect a few introductions to trickle in, so if you haven't yet introduced yourself, please do feel free to go ahead.But we will also move ahead to the next stage:Allah taught Prophet Adam "the names of all things." The ability to name things and people is critical to human language. And people's names are important, and have an effect on them. The Prophet Muhammad (s) taught parents to give their children good names. And when found people with unpleasant names, he would instruct them to change their name.With this in mind, please share a brief note about your (given) name and its meaning (whether its an Arabic name or not). If you don't know the meaning of your name, this is your chance / motivation to find out! Don't worry, we can help if you have difficulty.I will start: سهيل comes from the root meaning of 'ease'. It can also mean 'a plain (flat land, which is easy to walk on, unlike climbing a mountain). سهيل is also the name of a specific star (called Canopus in English).