Exams

Just had my exams today. Although I am no longer yound and have experienced counless tests and exams, I still have butterflies in my stomach before the exams!! Luckily the paper was not too tough. Think should be able to pass, though I don't think I can score an A. (^-^) But can pass can already. Not asking for more. Done my best.

My kids

One of my pupils asked me this question recently, " Teacher, when are you having a baby?" I told him a reply he never expected. " I have 97 children. Do I need anymore?"
Having a baby is a super private subject and I do not wish to discuss the topic here. But the fact that I have 97 children is true. My chidren even changes every year. (^-^)
The pupils I teach are my kids. For one whole year, I would treat them as my own. Scold them when they misbehaves, cry with them when they feel hurt, laugh with them (^-^) when they feel happy. Of course, there are few cases whereby no matter how hard I tried, I can't seem to treat them as my "kids". Those are the very few that 和我八字不合, I guess. However, I am glad to say that usually sums up to less than 5 per year. Parting with them at the end of the year is always a hard thing for me to do. Over the years, I have learn to "let go" of "my kids". Although I still feel somewhat sad at around this time of the year, I am glad that I have a chance to meet and teach them.

爱心晚餐

One look at me face, majority would say I don't cook, or I can't cook. But they are wrong. Though I am not as good as my mum, I am not that bad (as compared to some friends and colleagues my age). I love to cook. Cooking helps me to de-stress.

Tonight I prepared some spaghetti ( tuna , tomatoes cooked with olive oil) , salad (celery stick and seafood stick with thousand island) and salmon pizza ( wrap, tomatoes, pineapple, cheese and salmon). Hubby never said much but he finished everything. That's his way of saying the food were delicious. (^-^)

My children's work

Recently conducted a lesson on global warming with my P4 pupils. Told them to come up with a Chinese poster on effects of global warming or what we can do in order not to make our "earth" sick. These are some of their works. Most of them had took this assignment seriously (although I told them that this assignment is not compulsory and that if they don't hand in, I won't penalise them) , coming up with different ideas. Think I have quite a number of artists in my class. (^-^)

A dish collector

Went to "Botak Jones" to makan yesterday. The food was delicious and as usual, I enjoyed "people-watching" there. Among all, one "ah ma" caught my attention. She is one of those "dish collectors" at the coffee shop, and looks as if she is in her eighties. Although she is hunchback, she moves swiftly from table to table, collecting dishes. Unlike some dish collectors whom I have met, she looks happy and healthy, and is polite to everyone. I admire her working attitude. From what I observed, she is always the first one to walk to a "dirty" table to collect the dishes. Within seconds, the table is spick and span.
I wonder does she have any children? Why is she still working at this age? I have this sudden urge to find out more about her, about her life. Perhaps, the next time I go AMK , will "visit" her again.

Beauty and Youth

PSLE marking days are usually the time to mingle and to catch up with old friends, ex-colleagues and make new ones. Heard that Poi Ching Pri Sch conducted a grooming course for teachers. When I heard of that, I was pretty excited and told my colleagues that it would be good if we have one too. I jokingly told a male teacher that he would have 眼福if all teachers dressed up nicely. To my surprise, he told me seriously that he thinks that there is no eye candy in our sch and that beauty is not everything and it would not last long. He said that we will aged eventually, and blar blar blar......
Many associate beauty with youth. To them, only the young ones are beautiful. I, on the other hand, beg to differ. I believe that 二十岁有二十岁的美，三十岁有三十岁的美，四十岁有四十岁的美......
Yes, inner beauty is something that will last forever. However, I think the appearance is also very important. We do not have to dress like models, but we have to be neat and dressed up approriately. Taking care of our apperances do not mean that we do not care about the "inner beauty", and that we are bimbos. No offence to my fellow colleague, but to me, his perception of "beauty" is too "narrow" and "shallow".

Changing Times

PSLE marking is always the time to "people watch". Noticed a significant change this year.
In the past, CL teachers are mostly the worst dressed. Really I am not kidding. CL teachers are usually the humble lot, with minimal fashioned sense and majority of them are over the fifties.
This year when I went there , I had a pleasant shock. More than 80% are younger than forties and some of those in their twenties really know how to dress up. They are dressed fashionably and go to the marking centres with full make up on their faces!
That's when I realised that times have change. Time and Tide really waits for no man......

伤害

今天，教了三年级学生这么一个词 -“伤害”。“伤害”不只是指肉体上的伤害，也可以是心灵上的伤害。我要求他们告诉我，在什么时候，我们会伤害到一个人。我刚说完不久，就有一位女生告诉我：“老师，有些人一生下来就没有爸爸，他们被别人取笑时，他们心灵上就会受到伤害！”听到她这么说时，我的心都碎了。这孩子来自单亲家庭，想必她所说的“有一些人”就是自己吧！
据我所知，班上有一些学生是来自单亲家庭的。一些是因为父母离婚了，另一些则是因为父亲或母亲已病逝。小小年纪的他们虽然没有说什么，但偶尔，我可以感受到他们的悲伤。他们不敢告诉其他人，他们来自单亲家庭。他们知道自己的家庭背景与其他人不一样......
我听了她那句话后，对全班同学说，没有爸爸，没有妈妈，并不是他们的错，也不是他们所要的。虽然这一些孩子失去了父爱或母爱，但不代表他们就会变坏，或与常人不一样。取笑来自单亲家庭的孩子的人，是非常不懂事，不会关心别人的人，我们不需要理会他们的话。
希望我的那一番话能鼓励、安慰到那几个孩子。希望他们能健康，快乐地成长。

Suffocated

Sometimes, I do feel "suffocated" by all the expectations that the society and ministry expect from teachers. Feel like shouting out this : Teachers are not saints! Teachers are just ordinary human beings trying our best to earn a living!
I wonder how many out there feels the same as me.

“山上的人”

人都喜欢往高处爬。因为爬得高，就能看得更远。但是身在“高处”的人是否就是看得最清楚的呢？那不一定。以我个人“登山”的经验而言，身在高处时，虽能看得很远，但却无法看清山底的事物。

同样的道理，职位高的人是否就比职位低的人更了解一切呢？那未必。很多时候，当一个人达到某一种身份地位时，他就会忘了“山下的人”,也看不清“山下的事物”，眼前他所看到的是远处那更高的山峰。

我的6D学生

我发现我在这个BLOG里从未提到他们。他们是我另一班的小六生。比起6F的学生他们静多了。他们上课时，多数都是静静的，不出声，不给我添麻烦。他们当中有几个偶尔会迟交功课，或不做功课。他们的学业成绩虽比不上6F的一些学生，但我认为他们在学习态度和品行上不会输给6F的学生，甚至在某一些方面会比他们来的强。

他们知道自己的成绩不如其他人，因此有一些特别用功，特别努力。他们对老师有礼貌，懂得关心他人，不计较太多。一个很好的例子就是：叫他们捡起地上的垃圾时，他们会乖乖照做，不会像一些其他的“好班”同学那样，说垃圾又不是他们丢的，为什么要捡起来。

我深信只要拥有正确的态度和价值观，他们往后一定不成问题。