I have always said exposure is everything— but I couldn’t have known just how powerful it could be. The impact of having a Muslim teacher is different depending on the school. If there are any Muslim students, then that Muslim teacher gives students hope and someone to look up to that shares a similar identity. It would give those Muslim students an example of a Muslim person establishing themselves as a pillar of American society, something the media and bigots work hard to prevent. But I teach in a school where I can count the Muslim students in the entire district on one hand. For my students, it is an entirely different experience to have me as a teacher. I am the only existing woman that wears hijab in the entire district, from staff to students, and although that might seem intimidating (sometimes it is), it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

I work in an urban district with an overwhelmingly Latinx and Christian student body. For most of my students, I am the first woman who wears hijab that they have ever interacted with. Once they get comfortable with me, they ask me a thousand questions.

“Miss, do you wear that in the shower?”

“Miss, what do you wear when you go the beach?”

“Miss, do you have to take it off when you get married?”

They ask me questions about hijab, my culture, and my religion but also about my personal life, my family, my dreams, and my goals. I have had countless conversations with my students over the years, answering all of their questions and holding nothing back. Through their questions they get to see how similar I am to them, but they also get to understand the struggles I face as a Muslim and Arab woman in the United States.

My students and I form connections that often amaze me and warm my heart. I am often times their “second mom”, older sister, or a shoulder to lean on. For me, my students are the children I didn’t give birth to but that I love as if I did. Their love has been a pillar in my life since I first started student teaching six years ago. This bond has made my students incredibly protective of me, my identity, and my religion. When they hear anyone talking negatively about Islam, they jump to defend it and cite me as a reason why. I have never asked my students to defend me or any aspect of my identity, but because of our bonds, they feel passionately about fighting people’s bigotry. They are personally offended by the bigotry because of their exposure to a Muslim woman.