The Muslim students are there.
The understanding often isn’t.

“This training was absolutely phenomenal! I feel like a veil has been lifted when it comes to my understanding of Muslim students. Everything makes sense now! I wish I would have attended this training in college before I ever began teaching. This should be a requirement for every single teacher who has Muslim students in their classroom!”

“WOW! As a 25-year teaching veteran, I am amazed that no one has ever taught me these things before! The nuances of teaching Muslim students in a public school setting — so many things make more sense! The workshop was intense, but well worth it. Every district with even the tiniest Muslim population should offer this to their teachers!”

“I found this training exceptionally interesting and helpful. My insight into the lives of my Muslim students has been expanded tremendously. I am much better equipped to understand, accommodate and connect with them. The session inspired me to explore supporting Muslim students in more depth.”

“We in the Caucasian Western world must attend trainings such as this. This presentation was well executed, perfect for teachers of Muslim students, and enlightening in ways that build empathy, tolerance, understanding, and appreciation of the Islamic religion and culture. A powerful day!”

“As a cultural liaison that advocates for families, I felt such joy taking this training with the staff at my school. Finally! A training that clearly communicates everything Muslim parents have wanted their children's educators to know. I advise all public school educators to take it.”

“The training was fantastic! I came away with so much new knowledge about the history, customs and day-to-day mindfulness needed to be a Muslim in America. I highly recommend it for anyone who comes in contact with Muslim students.”

“I found this training to be a piece that I needed in looking at a missing link in the work I have been doing. It brought connection, a-ha, and validation to building a stronger relational approach with our students and families. I wish I would have had this training five years ago.”

“Every single minute of this training was meaningful information and conversation; even after an all-day event with nearly 20 pages of notes, I was disappointed it was over, and wishing we had more time.”

“One of the best professional developments I've ever been to. I thought I knew a lot about my students' backgrounds and was hesitant to spend money on it. But I walked away with a much deeper understanding of my students and how to support and empower them academically. I would recommend this to every teacher and administrator.”

“An engrossing training that can benefit teachers from all backgrounds and experience levels. The insight and detail offered is impressive in both breadth and depth. As our schools change, every teacher should consider how to engage and serve students well — this training helps you do exactly that.”

“Michael Abraham was extremely informative, providing historical perspective along with practical ways to consider my Muslim students' faith and interests. Just this week, simply greeting students in Arabic and sharing a few Islamic phrases increased connection and student engagement.”

“A day full of learning — from small adjustments to major ideas about how I could change my instruction and social-emotional support for Muslim students. I'm excited to help support our school-wide development in building positive relationships with Muslim families and students.”

“The explicit connections to key beliefs of Muslims in the public school context really helped me understand the perspective of the families I serve.”

“This training exceeded my expectations. Michael teaches in a very objective way that does not judge individual or culture, but clearly states facts and anecdotes with the objective of bridging cultural understanding and improving the educational experience for Muslim students and their teachers.”

“Very informative and easy to understand. Every moment was packed with valuable information that I can use right away to make my classroom and school more inclusive for Muslim families.”

“This training was as insightful as it was engaging. Despite working with a Muslim student population for several years, I was shocked at how much practical information I was able to take away.”

“Mr. Abraham provided the participants with a broad but understandable look at the Islamic faith and how core values relate to students in public school settings. We heard practical solutions that are also just plain good strategies for all students. Thank you for broadening my world view!”

“Learning about the dual existence that Muslim students go through when they arrive at a Western school was an eye-opener. I know that I will have a better year with my Muslim students.”

“I learned so much about Islam and Minnesota's Muslim and Somali populations. The training pointed out nuances within Muslim culture and how those give rise to cultural clashes for my students and their parents. I feel more confident in my ability to provide a responsive curriculum that will engage all students.”

“Very helpful in understanding the mindset of Muslim students with regard to their identity. Abraham bridges two worlds with ease and objectivity while clearly keeping students at the center.”

“A wonderful, eye-opening training. The information was presented well, in a non-judgmental and non-confrontational manner. I felt comfortable asking questions and being an active learner.”

“I felt that this training should be mandatory for all teachers servicing the immediate Twin Cities area.”

“I was happy with how detailed Mr. Abraham was on the history of Muslims in the United States, the reasons for immigration, and how culture and faith can cause miscommunication between schools and family. His research and experience were direct, clear, and so informative.”

“I was impressed with Michael's passion, knowledge, and insight. He provided useful tools and culturally relevant texts and resources for Muslim students. This insight has expanded my understanding of my students and positively impacted my instruction.”

“All teachers want to know about appropriate ways to make Muslim students feel welcome in schools. Michael Abraham's well-researched workshops give teachers the information they need to interact with Muslim students and their families in a mutually respectful manner.”

“This training helped me understand the cultural push and pull that goes on internally inside of Muslim students, and had an awesome book list that I immediately purchased for my classroom!”

“This training answered the question of why professional development intended to better engage our Somali students so often falls short. When Islamic tenets are unknown to educators, we will continue to misunderstand our Somali students.”

“It can be hard to know where to seek information about Islam and how the faith impacts our students. Abraham did a thorough job of providing background knowledge while also making educational connections. I would recommend this to any educator who works with Muslim students.”

“One of the best professional development classes I've taken in a while. His lecture left me thinking about how I can better serve my students and get more family involvement, with strategies I could take back to my classroom right away.”

“Thorough, engaging, and immediately applicable to our work in schools. Michael provided great explanations and recommendations for how to help our Muslim students progress and achieve to the highest level.”

“It gave me insight into the history of the Muslim community in the US and particularly Minnesota. I valued the pedagogical tools I acquired — helpful for me moving forward with both Muslim and non-Muslim students.”

“The historical context in which the material is presented helps provide a deeper understanding, allowing for a more comprehensive approach to supporting Muslim students and families in public schools.”

“One of the most inspiring workshops I've attended in a long time. It was filled with open and honest advice on how to communicate with all students.”

“So eye-opening. We were given practical knowledge that at least begins to help teachers understand the dual world Muslim students are living in.”

“This was the training I have been looking for for years! You don't know what you don't know until someone tells you, and I know this will enrich my teaching of, and relationships with, my Muslim and Somali students.”

“I learned so many facts that I never knew. This training is needed for anyone who works in education. I appreciate that, as a Christian, there were many topics that were similar to me.”

“I appreciated hearing about the roadblocks and internal struggles our Muslim students go through daily. I walked away with great ideas on how to minimize these battles and better fit education into the lives of our Muslim families.”

“One teacher complimented him by saying, 'I have learned more in this one hour about our Somali/Muslim students than I have learned in my three years here as a teacher.' The insight Michael gave into our students' culture was invaluable.”

“I was very happy to have learned so much in such a short period of time. The lecture was engaging and questions were always answered thoroughly, spanning elementary to post-secondary, in every subject area.”

“I took away so much. I learned strategies to adapt my teaching to fit their learning style, as well as strategies to connect with them. A wonderful course that every teacher should take!”

“Honestly, it was the best training. It was great to understand the insights of the history of Muslim immigrants and culture.”

“This training opened my eyes to things I knew very little about. I feel more equipped to ask culturally appropriate questions and approach families and students in new ways!”

“Hearing about Islam brought new understanding to ways to build even better relationships. I loved hearing about life in a mosque and dugsi — this has helped me understand my Muslim students' lives away from school.”

“All of the information was well presented and will help me build relationships with my Muslim students. I recommend this to all public school teachers. Michael and Qorina were wonderful about leaving room for questions.”

“It gave me basic knowledge about Muslim culture and language, and ways I can connect with students and their families. There are also takeaways about what not to do as a school, which I'll share with my colleagues.”

“Extremely helpful in my understanding of the cultural background that students may have. I feel like I can now communicate better with families and be conscious of how my demeanor can affect their learning.”

“After the training I had conversations with my students about what I learned. They LIT up with excitement that I was interested and learned about Islam.”

“I walked away feeling better equipped to build relationships and make connections with my Muslim students.”

“Through organized and informative content, I gained valuable insight into the Muslim culture.”

“During the training I had many 'aha!' moments relating to specific students. Certain interactions or sets of behaviors now made more sense. Understanding clears the way for true relationships and communication!”

“This workshop was amazingly informative! The 6 hours I spent here were valuable and worthy of my time. Michael is extremely eloquent and clear, and gives gentle suggestions your school could use in preparing for Muslim students and their needs.”

“Exactly the kind of training I was looking for! I learned so much about the history and meaning of Islam and better ways to build relationships and effectively teach my Muslim students. I hope more teachers at my school can attend.”

“Mr. Abraham is a living testimony as to how Muslim children can embrace two cultures and be successful with their teacher's help. He is a good teacher who will teach you different topics about Muslims.”

“I was very impressed with the historical background and recommendations provided by Mr. Abraham. He opened my eyes to subtle behaviors or connotations that may inadvertently provide dissonance for a Muslim student.”

“Everyone should hear Mr. Abraham's presentation. We all need to learn about other cultures and religions to overcome ignorance and ethnocentrism. Mr. Abraham shares beneficial strategies to help students feel accepted and understood.”

“I wish I'd had this before I'd started teaching — I've started implementing some things right away and will restructure expectations and procedures next year!”

“I have worked with Muslim students for the past 8 years, and this training was more thorough and informative than any professional development that has been provided by my school district.”

“I learned several insights into Muslim culture and the reasons behind the what and the why. I loved the book recommendations.”

“This gave me a better perspective on many Muslim families' evening schedules. I hope to use this newfound insight to better meet the needs of the families we serve.”

“I walked away quite enlightened on many details surrounding the daily practice of Islam, including prayer and everyday social language — and how small changes in lexicon can make a huge difference.”

“Fabulous training! I was filled with knowledge and information and the speakers didn't mind all of our questions!”

“The presenter kept my attention throughout the entire program. Topics were clear, concise and beneficial, and the practical advice in understanding and dealing with Muslim students was enlightening.”

“This was the most in-depth training I have received on Muslim students and families! I am excited to see the benefits of the different tools and understanding I have gained.”

“Very informative and eye-opening! After leaving, I have a much better understanding of Muslim culture and more ways to build relationships with my Muslim students.”

“So clear, and it gave me a lot of new insights into what to consider when teaching my Muslim students.”

“6 hours of listening and taking notes — normally I would not have enjoyed this. However, this training had me riveted every minute. The presenter was a master at his craft: personable, likeable and knowledgeable.”

“Eye-opening — forget what you see on TV. Tapping into known learning styles and experiences will help learning in the classroom. Slow and steady wins the race.”

“Great content and well organized. I appreciated having a female Muslim's perspective as well!”

“This training is unlike anything else I have ever attended; I found the insight into Islam very interesting and enlightening.”

“I got a lot of information that will help me proactively support my Somali students.”

“An extremely informative training about Muslims, a continually growing culture that most of us teachers do not know much about. Thank you for the wealth of new information!”

“The trainer made the information very easy to understand and it was very interesting. I learned so much about Muslim students.”

“The presenters did an amazing job making the information useful and accessible!”

“The presenter was very well spoken and knowledgeable of Muslim students in public schools. We left with many ideas of how to carry this information to our schools and staff.”

“This training opened my eyes to many of the small things about being a teacher of Muslim students.”

“Thank you for this training! It was interesting, insightful, and inspiring.”