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Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Today I taught Lit in school. And I made a silly and hilarious mistake, but this is really my falut as I had not pre-empted such a reaction from the class! I was teaching Animal Farm to a Sec class, and wanted the kids to draw objects that represent character traits of certain characters in the book.
What I did was to give an example by drawing a cactus and linking it to the quality of resilience. What I had not realised was that the class was laughing at my drawing, and it took me a while to realise why they were laughing. They obviously thought it was some phallic symbol and things got out of hand when I drew the thorns on the cactus. Silly me. I forgot that students can be cheeky at times! Ha ha.
I learnt a lesson from this encounter. Always pre-empt what students will think and act. By the way I tried very hard to suppress my laughter too and tried to act as if nothing happened. :P
enlightened apvunsoul- 7:14 AM |
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Friday, February 24, 2006
I'm so glad it has come to the end of Week 1. The only problem is, I think that yesterday's class ended on a bad note. I really need to think of ways on how to make the geog lessons more appealing to my students.. This page is dedicated to my fellow trainees at BG whose presence I appreciate alot these days. We share stories in the staff workroom and never fail to be uplifted somewhat. I think Abidah is great. Her enthusiam and optimistic outlook inspire me to do the same as I reflect on my teaching experience.
I did not even know that there was this play station in the staff workroom where the staff could play soccer. Ha ha. Loads to learn everyday. The trainees wanted to go out for lunch today before the meeting with Mr Choo, but he came in early and we could not go out for lunch. Sob. It would be fun to have lunch outside of school for a change.
Now I got to work on the massive preparations of lesson plans....Ahhhhhhh
enlightened apvunsoul- 6:50 PM |
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Thursday, February 23, 2006
Fourth day of Week 1. Well, I had my timetable changed today for my lit classes, so thankfully I will be taking the Express students meaning that i will prepare the same set of lesson plans for all the lit classes, If I had stuck to the NA class, I would have four CTs and prepare totally different sets of lesson plans altogether for NA and Express classes.
I'm really thankful for the staff culture at BG, cos everyone is so helpful and there is always a smile when I walk past any staff. I also try to make an effort to open the door for the aunty who comes to clean our staff workroom where the trainees are seated when I see her around. My CT is a really nice and helpful person. He gave jumilia and myself a book as a gift for us for taking over his classes. I sure hope I do a gd job now. Mugging up on geog content seems so weird, it reminds me of the time I was in Sec 3 back in KC, where Ms Soo would read off the OHT transparencies and I would be holding my lit book in my hand and read it instead of doing geography. One day, someone from my class made her explode and it was not me. I developed a sure phobia for geog there and then, and i still wonder if I could ever take geog again in my life till I came to uni and met the lovely Prof Wang whose teaching methods inspire me.
Oh well, I need to brush up on my physical geog content very badly! So far so good it seems. The kids in this school are surprisingly milder than I had expected! I was on my way to the staff workroom when a group of students stopped me and asked me why I was not teaching them as I had co taught with Jumilia yesterday. Nowadays it seems that the boundaries between teachers and students are very blurred. They treat us and address us as if we are their long time friends.
I'm not a very firm person and i still am learning to cope with the NT classes for relief periods. Anyone got any ideas pls help me out ya? :)
enlightened apvunsoul- 4:35 AM |
3 comments~
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
this is the third day of prac..i'm taking sec 1s n sec 3s for geog, n sec2s for lit..and this is nerve-wrecking. i am not sure if i can cope with the heavy workload. everyday when i get home i take a nap becos i am so tired. like today..i got home at 5:45pm, and this is going to be the norm. My school goes by the punch in daily system.. I have no idea why.
enlightened apvunsoul- 5:16 AM |
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Saturday, February 18, 2006
Practicum starts tomorrow in Bedok Green. For a whole of 10 weeks, I am going to start becoming busy and perhaps, having no or little life. To all my prac mates n nie mates...All the best as we begin this next stage of our lives!
enlightened apvunsoul- 8:03 PM |
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Thursday, February 16, 2006
V day.The most HOT day for couples all over the world. Not that Edwin n I wanted to specially go anywhere. To us, V Day is not something to be hyped about..yes, anyday can be V Day as long as you really love and care for the other person.
I was not even expecting any gift, neither did I prepare any. Yet Edwin got me a Fossil watch, and it was only because I said casually that the design was alright. He took me at my word! Just like that. Very shuang kuai. I just wanna say..happy v day to all who celebrate, to friends and to lovers. Just remember, each time you get an sms or a card/gift, it means someone really cares about you and LOVES YOU.
Thanks darlings for all your love. Thank you, God for giving me someone whom cherishes me and whom I promise to love for the rest of my life. As the going gets tougher and days of war are at hand...love is my back up plan.
enlightened apvunsoul- 5:45 AM |
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Friday, February 10, 2006
Anyone who knows me should know I love to sing..although not exactly equipped with a nice voice, I can croak anywhere and anytime. =) Just feel like making special mention of my two most faithful ka kees in ktv...my dear and Brion. The three of us can sing all the way and usually from 12 to 3am. HA HA.
Really looking forward to being able to find time to go sing..but cannot seem to find time or ka kees. I remember the first time going on a geog trip in NUS to some kelong in Tanjong Pinang was the most exciting for me. Meiting, Alice, Evan, Shirlynn, Kenny, Kwanhua, Micki, Sicong n Shane were my new found frens from the trip through the ktv session..the people on the trip were separated into 3 groups..one being the mahjong'smoking group, us the ktv pple and another group was the pool players.. I couldn't believe a kelong could be so happening. But it was fun. Unfortunately, I'm not able to join the gang on Sun for another reunion..this is sad. They can be really fun to hang out with though.
Anyone game for ktv? Call me hor..I can't wait to sing again. =)
enlightened apvunsoul- 1:11 AM |
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Anyone who knows me should know I love to sing..although not exactly equipped with a nice voice, I can croak anywhere and anytime. =) Just feel like making special mention of my two most faithful ka kees in ktv...my dear and Brion. The three of us can sing all the way and usually from 12 to 3am. HA HA.
Really looking forward to being able to find time to go sing..but cannot seem to find time or ka kees. I remember the first time going on a geog trip in NUS to some kelong in Tanjong Pinang was the most exciting for me. Meiting, Alice, Evan, Shirlynn, Kenny, Kwanhua, Micki, Sicong n Shane were my new found frens from the trip through the ktv session..the people on the trip were separated into 3 groups..one being the mahjong'smoking group, us the ktv pple and another group was the pool players.. I couldn't believe a kelong could be so happening. But it was fun. Unfortunately, I'm not able to join the gang on Sun for another reunion..this is sad. They can be really fun to hang out with though.
Anyone game for ktv? Call me hor..I can't wait to sing again. =)
enlightened apvunsoul- 1:11 AM |
3 comments~
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Over the past few weeks, life has been a series of fast forwards and back tracking for me.. Just emailed Mrs Tan yesterday to inform her that I had been posted to Bedok Green. And that I was shocked about Ms Devi's demise and asked how everyone was coping. Mrs Tan misses Ms Devi too. I don't think any other lit teacher i know could ever go round calling us sweeties and really treat us like sweetie pies. Sigh.
I do not blame fate or circumstances, nor do I blame God for my posting. I guess He knows what is best for me and I'm just going to go by trust. After coming home from school today, I was happliy taking a nap, occasionally interrupted by Yanfeng who comes to my room and calls me jie jie. Suddenly, this phone call comes and awakens me from my sleep and Evelyn tells me that Ms Yee is my supervisor for the practicum! I mean, yes I was thinking it would be nice if I could have someone whom I knew for practicum supervise me. I was hoping it could be Ms Yee or Dr Alvin Leong, my gesl supervisor. Praise the Lord for answering an unspoken thought! Sophie and I got Ms Yee as our supervisor.
I'm just very thankful that it is not so-and-so, for the fact that so-and-so is very fussy and picky about my teaching performance. Thank God. I believe that I can make a good lit teacher, perhaps not the ra ra type or the kee siao type..ha ha. But I'm able to help my students understand concepts and appreciate the pleasure of reading. Now, I need more confidence in myself, esp when it comes to pedagogy for teaching geography..I feel very ill-prepared for geography. Anyway, I guess I just got to pick up as I go along.
12:30am..And not in bed. Still thinking of how wonderful God is to me. I never even specifically asked for Ms Yee to be my supervisor. It was just a nice thought that became a pleasant reality. Many thanks to Benjamin who lent me his prac file and other resources. I'm just so grateful that on my teaching journey, I've been guided and handheld all the way. It's a small start to greater things ahead.
enlightened apvunsoul- 8:22 AM |
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Sunday, February 05, 2006
I've been posted to Bedok Green for my practicum which begins on 20th feb.. Actually I kind of expected that KC would not take me back because I did not really have anyone strong fighting for me..Was not outstanding in my CCA, nor was my service to the school extraordinary. Anyway. I'm fine, and I thank God for this posting.
At least I know Cindi's brother is in that school, so that makes the school not so scary for now. :P And if i get to teach his class...Ha ha, I wonder what will be the outcome? Broken wings..the title of my entry.. Well, in Anglican High, they have this eagle creed that encourages students to soar like eagles on wings. I'm not going back there, and I am not going to KC so it means I have borken wings, broken expectations. The only consolation is that my dad may fetch me to work daily and that Jumilia from the other geog class is going there with me. OK, Bedok Green, here i come!
enlightened apvunsoul- 2:03 AM |
2 comments~
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Just went to watch the show with Dear. This is quite a good film, better than I expected. It portrays the kind of problem that our society faces these days. The lack of encouragement. I remember my cousin making this comment some time back when I told her I was apprehensive about going to neighbourhood schools to teach. She said that kids dun go bad on their own, they go bad for reasons that are very real.
Perhaps a teacher's role and job is not as revered locally as in other countries. Last year's papers had an article about teachers who were given ipods in the UK. Expensive would you say? But here, teachers are not appreciated, if anything they bear the brunt of any parental complaints and learn to take it in their stride. They learn NOT TO EXPECT anything in return, especially kindness. Ha.
As I am about to be sent out to a school soon for practicum and know not what lies ahead of me, I hope honestly to put into practice what my TPP instructor taught me. She's a retired principal whose words of wisdom have graced my days as I recall her advice. " As you go out to teach, remember to uphold the integrity and professionalism of the civil service. " What I should know about teaching-it is not just head knowledge..it is HEART knowledge. Madam, I hope to meet you again for you have made a difference in my life, and I know for a fact that that day of the TPP, God let our paths cross.
enlightened apvunsoul- 5:42 AM |
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