I am going to start Year 2 of my teaching career soon! I am extremely excited about starting this year right because the start of the school year really sets the tone for the teaching that entire year!
I found a realy helpful website! And browsing through all kinds of checklists is making me really determined to do great things next year!So here's the link, GREAT WEBSITE!
The sad thing is that this is my first year being away from my Church on Christmas Day! Before this, Christmas had always been very traditional where I spend Christmas with my family in the Church. Later when I was in University, I celebrated Christmas with friends and fellow Church members in SCMC. This year however, it would be spent at the airport and in a taxi.
No matter, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ who has given his life to redeem ours and so no matter where I am at, I shall rejoice!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
With love (:
Post-graduate-diploma-in-education is going fine. I really enjoy the opportunity of sitting in a class and experience learning in a formal setting once again. And, there is so much learning going on here, which is really exciting! I wonder if I can ever generate this sort of excitement in my classroom, in like, some time before my fellowship ends?
It is unbelieveable, but I do (a little bit) miss my staffroom table and my 1 USM classroom. I am also getting more and more excited about classroom decoration for the coming year, and getting a good long term plan drafted out. Plus plus plus, planning classroom management and programs and projects to run the coming year.
I suddenly feel like that I can still do this for another year or two (:
Maybe spending too much time with the fellows is making me optimistic. Or it might be because of the fact that:
It is unbelieveable, but I do (a little bit) miss my staffroom table and my 1 USM classroom. I am also getting more and more excited about classroom decoration for the coming year, and getting a good long term plan drafted out. Plus plus plus, planning classroom management and programs and projects to run the coming year.
I suddenly feel like that I can still do this for another year or two (:
Maybe spending too much time with the fellows is making me optimistic. Or it might be because of the fact that:
I am going home to Kuching for a two-week-long break!!!! and that.......
in approximately ONE MONTH, it would be CHRISTMAS!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Post-Graduate-Diploma-in-Education
The teacher is currently in the workshop (teachers in my district use ths term loosely to associate to teachers going into labour), not to give birth but to be upgraded through lots and lots of training and learning!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
I survived!
Oh my goodness, I can hardly believe that next week is actually the last week of school!
It has been a great year and so many things have taken place. I believe this teaching experience has made me stronger and wiser and more mature in so many different aspects, especially in my relationship with God.
Finishing a school year is not as liberating as I thought, partly because I am losing most of my students next year (*cry*). I am saddened by the fact that I have not taught them enough to enable them to cope with exams better, not did I help them to become really good speakers of the language because I was not hardwoking enough, and also because I so lack experience.
I hope their teacher coach them well next year, most of my babes are going to sit for their public exam next year and I pray that they all do their best (:
Our classroom party is on Wednesday! Can't wait!
But before that, let me get my awards and certificates for my kids done first.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Playing sports
One of the most rewarding things I earned from teaching the past ten months would most probably be the opportunity to be in a sports team.
Even though I do not play the sport with my students, I went for their practices, I went for their tournaments, I sat down with them for briefings from our head coach, I cringed with them whenever a teammate missed a batting or pitched a ball off strike-zone, I cheered (inside) with them whenever a batter hits a good ball or when a catcher put a ball dead.
I am not good at sports and has never been in a sports team (ah, i did run in a relay team before, but that was when I was 10 or 11) so I did not know how it feels like fighting together with teammates for a common goal. Maybe that is why I am not good at working in teams.
Our softball team entered the State-Level Softball Tournament for students under 16 and they played well. They played really well because we have a really dedicated and experienced coach. The players trained hard too and that is how they managed to become one of the best teams. The boys are champion and our girls bagged second.
Tears were shed but I am sure that the girls' effort did not go to waste. Competitions do not really illustrate your effort nor your strengths. There is so much more to that equation. Well done girls, you did great (:
Even though I do not play the sport with my students, I went for their practices, I went for their tournaments, I sat down with them for briefings from our head coach, I cringed with them whenever a teammate missed a batting or pitched a ball off strike-zone, I cheered (inside) with them whenever a batter hits a good ball or when a catcher put a ball dead.
I am not good at sports and has never been in a sports team (ah, i did run in a relay team before, but that was when I was 10 or 11) so I did not know how it feels like fighting together with teammates for a common goal. Maybe that is why I am not good at working in teams.
Our softball team entered the State-Level Softball Tournament for students under 16 and they played well. They played really well because we have a really dedicated and experienced coach. The players trained hard too and that is how they managed to become one of the best teams. The boys are champion and our girls bagged second.
Tears were shed but I am sure that the girls' effort did not go to waste. Competitions do not really illustrate your effort nor your strengths. There is so much more to that equation. Well done girls, you did great (:
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Reward Day!
Group 1 won themselves a tub of Pringles today. Ever since I started doing my homogeneous grouping, despite being one of the stronger groups, Group 1 failed to peerfom because...
1) they are all hyperactive boys who could not sit down properly to get their work done, and
2) they are the big-bosses of the class (one class monitor, one gangster-like decorations manager, one laid-back cleanliness manager and one naughty attendance manager who had just been dismissed from his classroom job) and thus need to run around managing their folowers
... so I was actually very proud that they have finally pulled themselves together and won the challenge today.
Anyway, my cute but naughty boy S. in group 1 has a best friend A. in group 4. Best buds these two. So the boys in group 1 were enjoying their reward while trying to complete the adjectives wordsearch puzzle. S. shook the almost empty can when everyone in the group had their fair share and made eye-gestures asking whether anyone in the group would like to have the crumbled crisps. No one wanted any. He looked like he would have it for himself until his eyes met A. from group 4.
They exchanged a look. Slightly heavy-heartedly but not reluctantly, S. passed the almost empty can to A. A was pleased but he would not show it. Instead, he muttered something, maybe to say that there was not much left in the tub anyway.
Today I learn from my kids that, friendship is, when you are willing to share your last chips with another person (:
1) they are all hyperactive boys who could not sit down properly to get their work done, and
2) they are the big-bosses of the class (one class monitor, one gangster-like decorations manager, one laid-back cleanliness manager and one naughty attendance manager who had just been dismissed from his classroom job) and thus need to run around managing their folowers
... so I was actually very proud that they have finally pulled themselves together and won the challenge today.
Anyway, my cute but naughty boy S. in group 1 has a best friend A. in group 4. Best buds these two. So the boys in group 1 were enjoying their reward while trying to complete the adjectives wordsearch puzzle. S. shook the almost empty can when everyone in the group had their fair share and made eye-gestures asking whether anyone in the group would like to have the crumbled crisps. No one wanted any. He looked like he would have it for himself until his eyes met A. from group 4.
They exchanged a look. Slightly heavy-heartedly but not reluctantly, S. passed the almost empty can to A. A was pleased but he would not show it. Instead, he muttered something, maybe to say that there was not much left in the tub anyway.
Today I learn from my kids that, friendship is, when you are willing to share your last chips with another person (:
Friday, October 5, 2012
Who gave me the ultimatum? I am now a tyrant.
So about the rough patch...
I am grateful of the dispute yesterday, because it made me reflect on the fact that I am not doing what I want. I o not wat to stress my kids out, I do not want to be a mean teacher, I do not want to belittle my kids etc.
So, we had a survey today about our progress in the classroom. I put in an extra question at the very end asking the students to state a few factors that caused them to lose interest/ concentration in English class.
90% of my kids said: when the teacher was angry, when the teacher was scolding us, when the teacher puts up a frustrated face (muka mood) ):
What a transition. I was Cikgu Banyak Senyum and now I am Cikgu Muka Mood ):
I am grateful of the dispute yesterday, because it made me reflect on the fact that I am not doing what I want. I o not wat to stress my kids out, I do not want to be a mean teacher, I do not want to belittle my kids etc.
So, we had a survey today about our progress in the classroom. I put in an extra question at the very end asking the students to state a few factors that caused them to lose interest/ concentration in English class.
90% of my kids said: when the teacher was angry, when the teacher was scolding us, when the teacher puts up a frustrated face (muka mood) ):
What a transition. I was Cikgu Banyak Senyum and now I am Cikgu Muka Mood ):
Thursday, October 4, 2012
We are going through a rough patch ):
I am shocked to realize how much I am “into my character
as a teacher” lately. I have picked up some really bad habits (easily agitated,
being angry with students all the time, complain about their attitude etc.) and
has started practicing all these very things I disliked in a teacher.
Right now, because of my behavior, I am going through
a rough patch with my kids. I regret how things has spiraled down and come to
think of it, by the end of the day, all I wanted is to help my kids to be
better people and to excel in whatever fields they want to excel in. We actually do share a similar goal here, me and the kids, so why the dispute?
Dear Lord, please help me to be patient and kind and
loving so that I can continue to be in the position to touch lives. Amen.
Monday, October 1, 2012
EEC 1 in action!
Thanks to fundings from Taylor's, my kids now have the opportunity to have fully sponsored extra classes on Monday and Friday afternoons to improve their English!
 |
| And the books are funded by KDU! |
 |
| Make us proud one day (: |
Occupations and Ambitions (:
After nine long months I realized that I am not here to be loved or to be just a friend. I am here to be a teacher, who leads and inspires and disciplines.
And authority in the classroom being firmly hold in the teacher's hands, is actually something students would appreciate (:
And authority in the classroom being firmly hold in the teacher's hands, is actually something students would appreciate (:
********
Today, I had a great time in 1 USM. We are still discussing about occupations and ambitions and still very much stuck in Band 3. However, today I get to share with my students a little bit about my passion and my past failures before finally achieving my dream to become a teacher.
My students were really quiet (hopefully they are listening instead of dozing off) and sat up staright throughout my sharing which took approximately 3 minutes illustrating how many times my application to become a teacher was rejected.
After that, I put Sarah's multi-sensory approach into good use. We started off with listening and reading and visuals. I had manila cards with occupations in large print pasted on the board, and my nice occupation chart with the visuals on the side. And then after reading and reciting together, we had handwriting practice followed by a word search and then the fly-swatter game.
By the end of the lesson, 3 of my students scored 14/14 in the assessment! Only 3 students scored below 7/14.
Little successes like these do keep you on your track, and keep you feeling hopeful (:
What a wonderful Tuesday!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
They are improving academically, but this is not really all that I wanted.
January
|
March
|
May
|
September
|
|
| A |
10
|
35
|
25
|
46
|
| B |
21
|
19
|
13
|
37
|
| C |
8
|
19
|
19
|
44
|
| D |
12
|
46
|
26
|
53
|
| E |
11
|
29
|
28
|
58
|
| F |
18
|
33
|
23
|
26
|
| G |
19
|
21
|
20
|
28
|
| H |
0
|
21
|
20
|
40
|
| I |
9
|
43
|
30
|
42
|
| J |
16
|
32
|
26
|
40
|
| K |
20
|
19
|
32
|
25
|
| L |
18
|
29
|
36
|
65
|
| M |
12
|
31
|
13
|
47
|
| N |
18
|
66
|
53
|
86
|
| O |
10
|
14
|
17
|
33
|
| P |
17
|
13
|
28
|
42
|
| Q |
9
|
18
|
22
|
28
|
| R |
13
|
57
|
35
|
68
|
| S |
12
|
21
|
22
|
37
|
| T |
10
|
29
|
38
|
79
|
| U |
6
|
24
|
31
|
54
|
| V |
25
|
32
|
65
|
|
| W |
46
|
39
|
49
|
|
| X |
43
|
33
|
65
|
|
| Y |
16
|
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