July 2022 – SocRel Annual Conference 2022: Disruption, Crisis and Continuity in Religion.
Guest presenter at the Roundtable: Feminist Identities in the Field: Comfort, Discomfort, Power, and Representation
I delivered a reflective piece titled: ‘Researcher experience on being and researching Muslim mothers’.
‘This presentation shares the experience of being a minoritised researcher endeavouring to centre the marginalised voices of mothers in the public discourse about home-school relations. My research sits within maternal scholarship, utilising matricentric feminism as a conceptual tool. The reflection however, hones in on my personal experience of the dilemmas of being an insider during the research process, where race, identity and public narratives of a Muslim mother’s identity converge.’
September 2021: Presentation: ‘Striving for their children’s soul: Muslim mothers navigating the education system’
Religious nurture and identity formation of British Muslim Children. Interdisciplinary symposium. University of Cambridge.
June 2021 – Speaker at The Tapestry Education Conference: Reflecting on Parental Engagement
I presented narratives drawn from interviewing three mothers on the subject of their relationship with their children’s Early Years setting. The questions the mothers in three different locations of England were asked were about their home setting and daily lives; what do they know about their child’s learning & activities at Nursery/Reception?;What are their views around about supporting their child’s learning; How do they communicate with staff in their child’s setting?
The mother’s narratives highlighted how essential it is to make information about the what the children are learning and communication protocols crystal clear for all parents. The data also brought up the need for better opportunities for parent to parent communication which was a particular challenge during the pandemic. Assumptions about technology proficiency and ease of using certain learning platforms was also raised in their candid answers.
FSF (Foundation Stage Forum) Podcast, Episode 87: ‘The other side of the door’ reflecting on a mother’s narratives from the Tapestry Education Conference
In this podcast the host Juliet Mickelburgh (FSF and Tapestry content editor and education advisor) and I reflect on one particular mother’s experience of the Early Years setting her child attended.
February 2021 – Guest Speaker at: Closing the Gap in Buckinghamshire, Parental Engagement Conference
Head Teachers Virtual Conference, with speakers presenting research on the psychology of parents’ attitudes affecting children, Parental Engagement ‘Do’s and Don’ts
Presented selected research findings shared entitled: ‘Minority mothers – partner or pariah?’
December 2020 – Speaker at: European Schools Heads Association
Education Leadership Webinar Series
Advent? Christmas? Hanukkah? Yule? Kwanzaa? Winter Festival? multicultural approaches to holidays.
‘The third webinar in the series, will discuss a topical issue: how the school should tackle diversity in students celebrating holidays. Inclusion, all aspects of it, are very high on the agenda in ESHA, this is the reason why we are focusing on inclusion.
Taking diversity and sensitivities into account together with the role of school to introduce students the world around them and help educate open-minded people, including holidays in formal curriculum and school programmes is an important leadership theme.” ESHA
Testimonial
‘Suma Din’s professionalism in events as a speaker with us in the European School Heads Association as well as Parents International, is always scaffolded by an honest, personal reflection based on her own experiences, making her contribution all the more impacting.She has been a great contributor in the context of inclusion – both when specifically discussing parental engagement and when discussing in the broader context of school.
In a period when anti-Muslim voices are often too loud, her calm, honest and to-the-point statements are very important for any professional community wishing to work on inclusion and living together peacefully.’
Eszter Salamon | Director | Parents International
Consultant: European School Heads Association
June 2020 – (attendee) ‘Challenges for Mothering 2020: Social Policy and Education’ Lithuania
November 2019 – (attendee) ‘Maternal Influences Conference’ Queen Mary’s University QMUL UK
Two-part interview on themes from MMCS and parent-school engagement with Nancy Angevine-Sands, Family engagement Consultant and Practitioner.
October 2019 – – Interview about MMCS on ‘The Book Club Show’ Inspire FM with Imrana Mahmood, Creative Producer
Radical DMU 19
September 2019 – Presentation ‘Silenced at the intersection; finding the voices of minority mothers on their children’s schooling.’ De Montfort University & Stephen Lawrence Centre, Leicester
At the Conference: Radical Pedagogies: Macpherson 20 years on
The main focus of the event was on how radical pedagogies can be used to highlight and address issues relating to race and institutional discrimination.
Attendee feedback: ‘Just wanted to say I found your short presentation very moving. You were conveying very strong messages but using a very soft approach and voice, teaching me a lesson. We don’t always need to be angry? I have been personally struggling with this. So much work to do. So much injustice.’ Secondary school teacher, UK.
Organiser feedback: ‘Hugely interesting topic here from independent researcher Suma Din combining the experiential with the academic to investigate the experience of minority mothers in the context of schools’ public sector equality duty.’ #radicaldmu19 Tweet Richard Snape
March 2019 – (attendee only) MCB Women’s Conference, University of London
November 2018 – Brunel University, Panel speaker
Diversifying the Ivory Tower; Liberating Libraries , a Student Success Project SSP
MBRN (Muslims in Britain Research Network)
November 2017
MBRN Research Day: Gender and Muslim Spaces: Community and Academic Perspectives: ‘No more a shadow: making space for Muslim mothers’ narratives.’
October 2017
NSC (Norwegian Study Centre) @ University of York, guest lecture and seminar for visiting teachers, trainee and experienced on the research findings in MMCS. Seminars on chosen themes from the book and reflecting on their own practise in schools.
‘Thanks so much for coming and for being so brilliant. I admire your seminar ‘management’ and am not at all surprised that you received such good feedback. You achieved much good.’ Dr Meg Roughley
March 2017: Workshop Delivery: The need to hear mothers voices about education.
Delivered to Jewish and Muslim mothers on challenging stereotypes and moving ahead with good practise.
