Emotion Management and Feelings in Teaching and Educational Leadership by Oplatka Izhar;Arar Khalid;

Author:Oplatka, Izhar;Arar, Khalid;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Published: 2019-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

Emotions as Burdens

Leading an American Islamic school in today’s context requires a leader who is willing to shoulder the emotional burdens of Islamophobic responses on a consistent basis. One is not simply the leader of an institution designed for teaching and learning academic subjects, one is actually the leader of a community institution that shelters people from anti-Muslim sentiment and racist actions. American Islamic schools provide space for families to mutually support one another’s efforts to advance in this society, while comforting one another through obstacles based on their religious identity. Although each of the women described nurturing their school communities through difficult times, they also spoke about the burden of carrying these emotional experiences as leaders. Across the nation, most women leading American Islamic schools self-identify as Muslim, meaning that they, too, are burdened with anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions as they go about their daily lives. It is also clear that school communities want to look to their leaders for support as they navigate these difficult times, and they want leaders to accept this responsibility boldly. Asfar described this burden meaningfully when she said,

I’m Muslim, being a Muslim leader here. I feel that I have a lot of responsibility on me. Being the, my, I have a lot of trust in me, people have trust a lot in me, and that gives me a lot of responsibility. I feel burdened with that.

It can’t be easy to lead a school through a difficult time, but it is particularly challenging to lead a school community through continuous onslaught of anti-Muslim vitriol.

Some of the leaders discussed how they bear this burden in their personal lives. Emotional leadership isn’t solely about guiding others; it is also about regulating one’s own emotional responses to challenges. Hafsa admitted that she struggles with bearing this burden effectively because she realised she has a short temper at home. She said,

Some days I do feel a lot more frustrated especially with my own kids. You know, if they do something it bothers me, ‘oh! Come on!’. And I do find myself yelling at my kids a little more, it bothers me. You know, the school’s frustration, you’re tired, I do need time to just relax, that doesn’t happen. So it has taken a toll, I think, and sometimes my kids tell me, everything that you say and do revolves around Iqra. Everything is Iqra, Iqra, Iqra [name of school]. I feel sorry for them. (Hafsa)

Other school leaders also described feeling impatient, tense and stressed for long periods of time. The emotional work necessary to lead an American Islamic school is challenging in today’s context. Sweet Pea, a veteran leader, has learned how to thrive in a challenging context by emotionally separating from her professional work after hours. She said,

Sometimes I have to handle things that are stressful that I don’t like. I’ve always had an incredible power to walk out the front door of the school and forget it. Allah has blessed me with that, too. I can go home and I don’t bring that with me.

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