Today i learnt that capability may not be the best thing that a person has to offer in his job.
Professionally speaking, the person with the best skills win the day. But the eventual winner will always be the one who has access to the hearts and souls of the people around him.
Not that we should tumble into the depths of immorality, as we should still be professional the way we can best portray.
But ultimately, human is still human, and absolute trust can never come from just that aspect in which we all thought we knew so well.
27 December 2006
23 December 2006
Duties 2007
Just realised that i have a understudy teacher next yr!
I teach 2 sec 1 classes,
be seeing 4 sec 3 classes
and 2 sec 4 classes
I teach 2 sec 1 classes,
be seeing 4 sec 3 classes
and 2 sec 4 classes
19 December 2006
17 December 2006
Trinity Blood
the anime set part 2 is out!
haha but i just realised from yoshi that its available online too .. .. duh..
0_o"
15 December 2006
14 December 2006
可贵的友情
Friendships, one of the toughest to maintain amongst relationships in society today.
Friendship is forged when people of similar interests come together and begin to bond in ways so special that it makes them want to keep the relationship.
Some groups hold similar values whereas others share a common passion. Some withstood the test of time while some erode under the merciless flow of work and family matters.
Though some hold on, some friendships do fade as the years crept by.
What defines a strong friendship?
Friends who remember your birthday and celebrates with you every year? Friends who send regards now and then? Friends who send you a card on every christmas day?
What makes the friendship true?
When you take away every single layer of usefulness and connections and they would still be by your side?
Today i watched a television programme and the guest on the show said something to this effect:
"当你要确定自己的决定时，你必须把对方的权势，财富全部拿走，然后你在问自己，这还是我的决定吗？当搁天醒来的时候，我是否可曾后悔？如果没有，那么，我的决定就是正确的。"
Friendship is forged when people of similar interests come together and begin to bond in ways so special that it makes them want to keep the relationship.
Some groups hold similar values whereas others share a common passion. Some withstood the test of time while some erode under the merciless flow of work and family matters.
Though some hold on, some friendships do fade as the years crept by.
What defines a strong friendship?
Friends who remember your birthday and celebrates with you every year? Friends who send regards now and then? Friends who send you a card on every christmas day?
What makes the friendship true?
When you take away every single layer of usefulness and connections and they would still be by your side?
Today i watched a television programme and the guest on the show said something to this effect:
"当你要确定自己的决定时，你必须把对方的权势，财富全部拿走，然后你在问自己，这还是我的决定吗？当搁天醒来的时候，我是否可曾后悔？如果没有，那么，我的决定就是正确的。"
Futures & Achievements
Life as it was, it is and as it will be.
Ever ponder about the limitless possibilities of what the future can actually bring? I remembered about a conversation with either students or friends that of people who generally finished their university degrees, their futures seemed less of choices.
If you are an engineer, the prospect of landing up in a job in the same field would be very high indeed. That would be quite a lame claim, since that person should have known that it was to be the result when he made the committment in the 1st place.
But some people are generally clueless about what their futures should be like. Thus they land up in courses whereby they would have most confidence doing well in. (thus the point in writing the above)
Anyway back to the topic as was initially discussed, students have the brightest of futures. They have the choices of making to the courses of their desires as long as they work hard for them and they can be anything that they prefer should effort and luck fall into place.
So if a graduate is to be admired about his "achievements", the student can be envied to make the choice that the former had always wanted to.
Moral of the story?
Knowledge is power. Get your facts, learn as much as you can before you plunge into your seemingly limitless future, because after a major decision is made, there can only be less that can be maneuvered after.
Ever ponder about the limitless possibilities of what the future can actually bring? I remembered about a conversation with either students or friends that of people who generally finished their university degrees, their futures seemed less of choices.
If you are an engineer, the prospect of landing up in a job in the same field would be very high indeed. That would be quite a lame claim, since that person should have known that it was to be the result when he made the committment in the 1st place.
But some people are generally clueless about what their futures should be like. Thus they land up in courses whereby they would have most confidence doing well in. (thus the point in writing the above)
Anyway back to the topic as was initially discussed, students have the brightest of futures. They have the choices of making to the courses of their desires as long as they work hard for them and they can be anything that they prefer should effort and luck fall into place.
So if a graduate is to be admired about his "achievements", the student can be envied to make the choice that the former had always wanted to.
Moral of the story?
Knowledge is power. Get your facts, learn as much as you can before you plunge into your seemingly limitless future, because after a major decision is made, there can only be less that can be maneuvered after.
09 December 2006
可怕的 2007
不知怎么的，对新学年感到异常的恐慌。
明年的职务好像已知悉了七七八八，除了跟上两班中三班以外，好像又得在两个高年级班执教。
哦，忘了大家应该不是很清楚教员 (teachers) 的基本职务分配吧？
新加坡的教育制度是世界闻名的：这里的老师基本所需除了教学以外，还必须另外设身于课外活动 (CCA) 以及学校委员会 (Committee) 方面，有一些老师甚至还是特别职务干部 (Task Force)。(As a general trend, teachers from other countries do not seemed to be so dissected in their main duties comparatively)
根据上头的解说，一个普通的教员应该在三方面都必须均衡兼顾，才算得上是一个尽忠职守的老师。
而我的 2007 年就是如此的阵式：
两班中四
两班中三
学生警察第二负责老师
学生培训委员会中四协调员 (sec 4 coordinator)
如此看来，明年将有得受了 :-(
明年的职务好像已知悉了七七八八，除了跟上两班中三班以外，好像又得在两个高年级班执教。
哦，忘了大家应该不是很清楚教员 (teachers) 的基本职务分配吧？
新加坡的教育制度是世界闻名的：这里的老师基本所需除了教学以外，还必须另外设身于课外活动 (CCA) 以及学校委员会 (Committee) 方面，有一些老师甚至还是特别职务干部 (Task Force)。(As a general trend, teachers from other countries do not seemed to be so dissected in their main duties comparatively)
根据上头的解说，一个普通的教员应该在三方面都必须均衡兼顾，才算得上是一个尽忠职守的老师。
而我的 2007 年就是如此的阵式：
两班中四
两班中三
学生警察第二负责老师
学生培训委员会中四协调员 (sec 4 coordinator)
如此看来，明年将有得受了 :-(
24 November 2006
19 November 2006
其他的历史
那是一个很难回答的问题。
我想自从小学就觉得华文比其他的科目还容易学吧？而小五小六的时候碰上了一位很好的华文老师，让我对华文产生了浓厚的兴趣。记得吴老师很会画画，常用粉笔在黑板(...yes ... 我活在使用黑板的年代...)上绘出了许多栩栩如生的图画，为课堂带来了不少的乐趣！
中学时期可以用八个字形容：一份耕耘，一份收获。
高中是金庸先生的天下，记得他的书看多了，连写作都不知觉地受其影响。
后来当然也就要为自己的前途做打算了。其实中学时期也因为学生警察的缘故，所以对教育产生了一股浓烈的兴趣，觉得没有什么可以更有意义了。于是上大学就不顾一切，以平庸的资历报考国大中文系，与精英们挣一日之长短，为的就是理想与兴趣的结合。
其他的当然也就是历史了！
我想自从小学就觉得华文比其他的科目还容易学吧？而小五小六的时候碰上了一位很好的华文老师，让我对华文产生了浓厚的兴趣。记得吴老师很会画画，常用粉笔在黑板(...yes ... 我活在使用黑板的年代...)上绘出了许多栩栩如生的图画，为课堂带来了不少的乐趣！
中学时期可以用八个字形容：一份耕耘，一份收获。
高中是金庸先生的天下，记得他的书看多了，连写作都不知觉地受其影响。
后来当然也就要为自己的前途做打算了。其实中学时期也因为学生警察的缘故，所以对教育产生了一股浓烈的兴趣，觉得没有什么可以更有意义了。于是上大学就不顾一切，以平庸的资历报考国大中文系，与精英们挣一日之长短，为的就是理想与兴趣的结合。
其他的当然也就是历史了！
12 November 2006
Clarification to the Post "What Say You"
Actually after reading my post and the response from all, i think there could be some misunderstandings!
What I wanted to actually say was: do superbly well now for your studies or anything that shows people of your ability at large, and you will be able to enjoy or live the kind of life that you have always imagined!
you know that means if u excel in something... next time you can have lots of free time for yourself... and get to do all the things that you were never free to do. In the opposite sense, a person who does not excel, be it studies or any talent, that means he would have to slog his life away.
I figure be hardworking now so as to enjoy life later is perhaps a kind of option lor.
But then again that is only ceteris paribus :p
What I wanted to actually say was: do superbly well now for your studies or anything that shows people of your ability at large, and you will be able to enjoy or live the kind of life that you have always imagined!
you know that means if u excel in something... next time you can have lots of free time for yourself... and get to do all the things that you were never free to do. In the opposite sense, a person who does not excel, be it studies or any talent, that means he would have to slog his life away.
I figure be hardworking now so as to enjoy life later is perhaps a kind of option lor.
But then again that is only ceteris paribus :p
08 November 2006
What About My Life? (in singlish)
Haha okie yet another response to questions posted.
My life ah, very boring one... like nowadays i am stuck to Tiong Bahru exam centre to do O level marking for the students of 2006.
Dun bother to ask me about who got how many marks or how we go about marking cos i cannot say... later gahmen come arrest me for violating the Official Secrets Act under the Statutes of the Republic of Singapore.
then hor lunch time was spent scouting for places to makan lor.
dinner with fren then on way home was caught by cousin who forced me to go makan dinner with her.
good in a sense that she paid for everything la but then she forced me to go shopping with her.
then saw yanhan in the mrt and my cousin actually says he more handsome than me leh!!! ANGRY!!! (then i say she heavy colour light cousin)
haha...
anyway most interesting that happened to me was the experience of reading a story in the national geographic magazine... the one about the greatest mountaineer in the world... wish i can be like him leh... haha so officially hes the closest person to an idol for me la... if u r interested to know :p
interesting or not? light or not? haha :p
My life ah, very boring one... like nowadays i am stuck to Tiong Bahru exam centre to do O level marking for the students of 2006.
Dun bother to ask me about who got how many marks or how we go about marking cos i cannot say... later gahmen come arrest me for violating the Official Secrets Act under the Statutes of the Republic of Singapore.
then hor lunch time was spent scouting for places to makan lor.
dinner with fren then on way home was caught by cousin who forced me to go makan dinner with her.
good in a sense that she paid for everything la but then she forced me to go shopping with her.
then saw yanhan in the mrt and my cousin actually says he more handsome than me leh!!! ANGRY!!! (then i say she heavy colour light cousin)
haha...
anyway most interesting that happened to me was the experience of reading a story in the national geographic magazine... the one about the greatest mountaineer in the world... wish i can be like him leh... haha so officially hes the closest person to an idol for me la... if u r interested to know :p
interesting or not? light or not? haha :p
07 November 2006
This is from Steve Jobs -- and this is for Andrew
Well i cannot think of a more successful businessman than steve jobs, so here you go...
quoted in his speech for the graduands of Stanford University 2005
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html
the gist...
"Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
so i guess the very first thing is belief and the 2nd important thing is a combination of disciplines, quoted from steve jobs again of cos (and i am not a fan ya.. haha)
quoted in his speech for the graduands of Stanford University 2005
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html
the gist...
"Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
so i guess the very first thing is belief and the 2nd important thing is a combination of disciplines, quoted from steve jobs again of cos (and i am not a fan ya.. haha)
04 November 2006
What Say You?
Hmm which leads me to the point that studies are actually the most important thing for students in the world today.
According to the report by TIME magazine (latest issue), half the population in the USA has annual income of less than 40000 USD. 90% has less than 100000 USD annually. The richest people of the population owns a large amount of wealth and of cause the disparity is worse in developing countries.
The conclusion from the report is that the group of people who has more knowledge actually earns more money and does less work.
This means that, in realistic terms, people with higher qualifications in their studies(one way to let people know you are knowledgeable) actually get to bum around doing less while getting higher pay!
The other group of people gets to slog their entire lives away and realise that they are always not earning enough to pay their bills or afford a higher standard of living.
I figure if the USA is as such, it would not be any much different for the rest of the industralized countries, including Singapore.
Hope this post makes you want to study harder?
What say you people? :p
According to the report by TIME magazine (latest issue), half the population in the USA has annual income of less than 40000 USD. 90% has less than 100000 USD annually. The richest people of the population owns a large amount of wealth and of cause the disparity is worse in developing countries.
The conclusion from the report is that the group of people who has more knowledge actually earns more money and does less work.
This means that, in realistic terms, people with higher qualifications in their studies(one way to let people know you are knowledgeable) actually get to bum around doing less while getting higher pay!
The other group of people gets to slog their entire lives away and realise that they are always not earning enough to pay their bills or afford a higher standard of living.
I figure if the USA is as such, it would not be any much different for the rest of the industralized countries, including Singapore.
Hope this post makes you want to study harder?
What say you people? :p
空悲切！
Tough tough tough.
Think by the time i am effectively bilinggual, i should either be driven crazy by adapting too much.
I really hope teaching can be more simple sometimes. When you have accomplished something for the students, some other areas seemed to be lacking.
When it is the opposite way round, it makes you wonder why are you a teacher in the first place.
A hard dichotomy to mend.
Think by the time i am effectively bilinggual, i should either be driven crazy by adapting too much.
I really hope teaching can be more simple sometimes. When you have accomplished something for the students, some other areas seemed to be lacking.
When it is the opposite way round, it makes you wonder why are you a teacher in the first place.
A hard dichotomy to mend.
01 November 2006
Being a Chinese Teacher
In the end the English is more preferred more than the Chinese Language! Am I a failure or what?
My job as a Chinese teacher demands me to be Chi-Na-lized in the most invasive of ways, trancending my administrative work, CCA and even my daily undertakings in my interaction with people in the school and beyond.
Much as i would like to "Chinese-lize" everything that comes in my path, it is almost next to impossible if this is the only way to change the culture in the school.
We talk about bad results for the Chinese Language and i am seemingly the only one who is responsible for the inculcation of culture in the school?
Makes it seemed to be that i am the sinner when it comes to the less than satisfactory results on show between the ranking boards each incoming year.
What makes a successful teacher then? What is the expectation of a teacher who has to handle all other areas not related to Chinese in the first place? Is it too much to ask for? Is it even required?
Who comes help when the teacher encounters obstacles in his job? Money as in salary as the only available answer?
Then i should be grossly underpaid.
My job as a Chinese teacher demands me to be Chi-Na-lized in the most invasive of ways, trancending my administrative work, CCA and even my daily undertakings in my interaction with people in the school and beyond.
Much as i would like to "Chinese-lize" everything that comes in my path, it is almost next to impossible if this is the only way to change the culture in the school.
We talk about bad results for the Chinese Language and i am seemingly the only one who is responsible for the inculcation of culture in the school?
Makes it seemed to be that i am the sinner when it comes to the less than satisfactory results on show between the ranking boards each incoming year.
What makes a successful teacher then? What is the expectation of a teacher who has to handle all other areas not related to Chinese in the first place? Is it too much to ask for? Is it even required?
Who comes help when the teacher encounters obstacles in his job? Money as in salary as the only available answer?
Then i should be grossly underpaid.
29 October 2006
蒙胧
假期中大家都做了些什么？
至于我，昨天在家看了一些 dvds，然后好像看了些书，之后的记忆就非常蒙胧了。
顿感好像非常颓废的生活，也浪费了不少的时间。
有时候，当生活脚步突然放缓，人会感到有些不知所措。你是否曾经感同身受？
至于我，昨天在家看了一些 dvds，然后好像看了些书，之后的记忆就非常蒙胧了。
顿感好像非常颓废的生活，也浪费了不少的时间。
有时候，当生活脚步突然放缓，人会感到有些不知所措。你是否曾经感同身受？
21 October 2006
2007
忙碌的一年又匆忙逝去，教学又已告一段落。
本以为可以松一口气，却为下一学年的事项搞得不可开交。2007年将会怎样一番风景？10月的普通水准会考将大幅度影响学校的活动与教学编排。
明年将充满挑战，我们是否都能克服重重的难关？
本以为可以松一口气，却为下一学年的事项搞得不可开交。2007年将会怎样一番风景？10月的普通水准会考将大幅度影响学校的活动与教学编排。
明年将充满挑战，我们是否都能克服重重的难关？
18 October 2006
我的华文
突然间觉得自己好像又开始荒废了华文。
忙着批改考卷的期间，真是一件读物也不曾拿起。唯一与华文联系的唯有阅读报章这一项而已。
今日学一字
“趸"
dun3
就是"整数"或"整批"的意思
哈哈……宗旨是……不要把学习搁置一旁，否则将失去一种文化与传统。
还记得华文的"华"，代表的就是"花"，即是美的意思吗？
切勿丧失优美的文化产物！请务必精益求精！
忙着批改考卷的期间，真是一件读物也不曾拿起。唯一与华文联系的唯有阅读报章这一项而已。
今日学一字
“趸"
dun3
就是"整数"或"整批"的意思
哈哈……宗旨是……不要把学习搁置一旁，否则将失去一种文化与传统。
还记得华文的"华"，代表的就是"花"，即是美的意思吗？
切勿丧失优美的文化产物！请务必精益求精！
08 October 2006
04 October 2006
一种憧憬
You know, today i was standing in the classroom doing my invigilation when i suddenly have this rendition of how the kids will be like when they should grow up someday. You look at a face and you try to imagine them on their wedding day, with their wives, and how they would have looked on their big days. Their parents would be smiling... and everyone would be very happy attending their wedding days... and then it led to me thinking... what could the school have done to contribute to that? Or on a smaller scale, what can teachers do?
03 October 2006
02 October 2006
Taj Mahal
Oh cool... haha finally can upload my own videos taken at india! Actually truth is i had been lazy la... nowadays teachnology really advanced hor... can do a lot of things... Just brought along my CASIO Exilim and everything is done nicely! scary!
01 October 2006
29 September 2006
时不够用
可怕的学生是否就是幼小心灵对制度的呐喊与反抗？
排名，考试，文凭，功名利润……社会对成功的定义是先考得好成绩，然后才踏出下一步。
有一张像样的文凭，平步青云便不是难如登天。但是却有人说，把孩子变成书呆子，那么到了商场打拼也只是送羊入虎口而已。所以我们的学生在争取顶尖的考试成绩以外，还必须在课外活动熬出一个春天来。
于是时间似乎变得奇快无比，每天似乎都有做不完的事物，而之前的"钱不够用"逐渐转变成"时不够花"。
面对沉重生活压力的孩子于是纷纷采取了斗争，大人们就说他们目无尊长，都是一些不合群的失败品。
但试问，我们大人有曾经问问他们："你的童年是否快乐？"
排名，考试，文凭，功名利润……社会对成功的定义是先考得好成绩，然后才踏出下一步。
有一张像样的文凭，平步青云便不是难如登天。但是却有人说，把孩子变成书呆子，那么到了商场打拼也只是送羊入虎口而已。所以我们的学生在争取顶尖的考试成绩以外，还必须在课外活动熬出一个春天来。
于是时间似乎变得奇快无比，每天似乎都有做不完的事物，而之前的"钱不够用"逐渐转变成"时不够花"。
面对沉重生活压力的孩子于是纷纷采取了斗争，大人们就说他们目无尊长，都是一些不合群的失败品。
但试问，我们大人有曾经问问他们："你的童年是否快乐？"
Why Students Don't Do Well
Was chatting with some of the teachers in the staff room when the topic of students working hard for their studies came springing up again... u know, the usual... why are students irresponsible and so on. .. compare to last time how come so different..
Then it occurred to me: could it be due to the more and more competitive society nowadays? People has less time and thus parents become more inadequate, children sensed that parents are always not around and begin to think that they are not important at all.. thus they do not work hard, thinking no meaning out of all these.. .and thus u have "bad" students!
haha just a theory.. just a thought.. nothing is confirmed... i am just making my own hypothesis :p
Then it occurred to me: could it be due to the more and more competitive society nowadays? People has less time and thus parents become more inadequate, children sensed that parents are always not around and begin to think that they are not important at all.. thus they do not work hard, thinking no meaning out of all these.. .and thus u have "bad" students!
haha just a theory.. just a thought.. nothing is confirmed... i am just making my own hypothesis :p
Struggle
We hope to see the unit improving as from the end of the exams and onwards... it was a tough time of adapting to the 5 day work week but i think we are gradually getting used to it.
Its been trying and it will carry on to be.
School has been a mad rush, and everyone seems to be losing grips on themselves. Today Mr Kwok says the chick has to struggle out of the egg shell itself in order to survive. Yet we all seem to feel that many students are still inside their egg; did they still not realise? Or are they just simply refusing to excel?
Its been trying and it will carry on to be.
School has been a mad rush, and everyone seems to be losing grips on themselves. Today Mr Kwok says the chick has to struggle out of the egg shell itself in order to survive. Yet we all seem to feel that many students are still inside their egg; did they still not realise? Or are they just simply refusing to excel?
23 September 2006
Being a CI
If you ask me what is the one thing that will ensure that our unit becomes strong as it was again. The only answer would be time and commitment from the people who are leading it.
Many a time we overlook the most important thing: spending time with the people of whom we teach.
We care about skills and standards and we spend a lot of time on structure and know-how. But at the end of the day, it is the very spirit that counts.
Do not come back as a CI with the only thought as to pass down your skills but rather to ensure that the very spirit of what is human and love of being in the unit is ever continued.
Love your cadets, tell them the meaning of love and with that all other things will flow.
Many a time we overlook the most important thing: spending time with the people of whom we teach.
We care about skills and standards and we spend a lot of time on structure and know-how. But at the end of the day, it is the very spirit that counts.
Do not come back as a CI with the only thought as to pass down your skills but rather to ensure that the very spirit of what is human and love of being in the unit is ever continued.
Love your cadets, tell them the meaning of love and with that all other things will flow.
Info for the 71st Batch CI Course!
"71ST BATCH NPCC CADET INSPECTORS' BASIC TRAINING COURSE
I am pleased to inform you that NPCC HQ is organising the above-mentioned course. The details of the course is as follows:
Course: 71st Batch Cadet Inspectors' Basic Training Course (Residential)
Duration: Friday 08 December 2006 - Saturday 23 December 2006 (including a 4-Day-3-Night ATC at Pulau Ubin) "
haha and thinking back i think i was from the 49th batch... old already :p
I am pleased to inform you that NPCC HQ is organising the above-mentioned course. The details of the course is as follows:
Course: 71st Batch Cadet Inspectors' Basic Training Course (Residential)
Duration: Friday 08 December 2006 - Saturday 23 December 2006 (including a 4-Day-3-Night ATC at Pulau Ubin) "
haha and thinking back i think i was from the 49th batch... old already :p
21 September 2006
3G Rocks
This is my very treasured piece of Teacher's Day gift from my beloved class! haha i know very 肉麻 but bear with me la.. haha!
Another part of my personal life shared? :p
Another part of my personal life shared? :p
20 September 2006
Mission Impossible
Today yet again another brush with some of the infinite problems that we have to face everyday.
There are people who insist that interest should be the top of the agenda when we are talking about character building and the teaching of values. What interest should we talk about when there is even no responsibility in the first place?
But then environment and culture does play a very important part in the shaping of hearts and minds, and it is the very thing that we hope to be instilling in the students' minds.
Having the heart to do things is just not enough.
It's the shaping of the environment.
It's tough.
It's requiring more than just the effort of 1 or 2 persons.
It takes identification of the same goals.
It takes an awful long amount of time.
But it is possible.
There are people who insist that interest should be the top of the agenda when we are talking about character building and the teaching of values. What interest should we talk about when there is even no responsibility in the first place?
But then environment and culture does play a very important part in the shaping of hearts and minds, and it is the very thing that we hope to be instilling in the students' minds.
Having the heart to do things is just not enough.
It's the shaping of the environment.
It's tough.
It's requiring more than just the effort of 1 or 2 persons.
It takes identification of the same goals.
It takes an awful long amount of time.
But it is possible.
19 September 2006
A Challenge to Ourselves
During activity today i wanted to bring the remaining sec 3s out for a run. 15 were gathered and the last i looked back, there were only 5 who came back to the finishing point.
Then reality seems to ask me: is the unit as good as it should be? What are we producing in the calibre of our cadets?
Are they determined?
Can they take hardships?
I took a piece of paper and i gave it to the squad nco and told him: this is our target before the year of 2006 is over -- complete the PE running route as a squad.
Can we do it?
Then reality seems to ask me: is the unit as good as it should be? What are we producing in the calibre of our cadets?
Are they determined?
Can they take hardships?
I took a piece of paper and i gave it to the squad nco and told him: this is our target before the year of 2006 is over -- complete the PE running route as a squad.
Can we do it?
17 September 2006
RunForHope 06
This is the finishing point after the long and wet 9km run! Shiok! oh ya.. .forgot to mention that there were a lot of people who joined the run.. hundreds... maybe even thousands! ... then after that MQ and I were discussing if we should join the full marathon.. . but then shall have to train if we do sign up! maybe run around the school or something... anyone up for grabs for the full marathon? :p
RunForHope - Terry Fox Run 2006
Haha this is the rainy Terry Fox Run. Could not take much of the scenery during the run as it was raining cats and dogs! Quite heavy so i had to deposit everything at the counter and start running 9km with my colleague cum good friend! Was quite a good run, and the feeling was great. Then after the run had to tremble in the cold cold wind... reminds me of the time when i went waterfall trekking with my Uni days OG.. haha... Now thinking of Standard Chartered Marathon... haha... 蠢蠢欲动！
16 September 2006
Teachers and Students
Can't believe i slept my saturday away! haha
auntie came and asked me," today is saturday leh, how come you not park-tawing? How come your cousin is at home too?"
Haha i seriously don't know.
Must have over-exerted yesterday. And failed to plan for saturday. And talked too much with friends over school yesterday.
And much more work to be completed.
Yes, teachers have their woes too. Students just feel that teachers come to school and teach and give homework.
And torture them.
Or suck at teaching.
But i feel every accomplishment of the teachers is the sacrifice of his or her personal life. So don't blame a teacher who is not caring, or not caring enough. Because most of the time, pardon me for being overly blunt, many students do not appreciate. (not all, some of you guys are great!)
It's always a gamble if the teacher is willing to sacrifice, and sometimes demoralizing when students do not reciprocate.
Give them a sign sometimes will ya?
auntie came and asked me," today is saturday leh, how come you not park-tawing? How come your cousin is at home too?"
Haha i seriously don't know.
Must have over-exerted yesterday. And failed to plan for saturday. And talked too much with friends over school yesterday.
And much more work to be completed.
Yes, teachers have their woes too. Students just feel that teachers come to school and teach and give homework.
And torture them.
Or suck at teaching.
But i feel every accomplishment of the teachers is the sacrifice of his or her personal life. So don't blame a teacher who is not caring, or not caring enough. Because most of the time, pardon me for being overly blunt, many students do not appreciate. (not all, some of you guys are great!)
It's always a gamble if the teacher is willing to sacrifice, and sometimes demoralizing when students do not reciprocate.
Give them a sign sometimes will ya?
The Intricate Balance
A very long day today, with fumbling with the reports slips and the lessons going on at the same time yet having also the Parent-Teacher Meeting session.
I had to run around the office talking to teachers for the PTM and also to understand more from them and how i can help better as a form teacher.. knowing their backgrounds and so on.
So practically i felt that there wasn't even much time to breathe the entire day. There was this sense of dread and stress, that it would not be possible to capture the relevant data and stuff...
1110 spelt the end of lessons and i had to go down to the canteen to meet Yoshi, as he had purposefully came down to school to visit me -- i mean i have grown to appreciate the fact that it takes a lot on the students to come down and visit an ex teacher, and thus i should make every effort to at least talk to him. But alas there wasn't enough time... felt a little apologetic though... but then bell rang before i could finish lunch (morever the elders always like to say 吃饭皇帝大！), so in the end i had to finish lunch whilst talking ...
Met a lot of parents and in midst of all those talking, its seems to me that society nowadays is so stressful and busy that parents often do not have enough time or the chance to do qualitative things with their children. Sometimes a child who does not do well may have some kind of communicative problems with his parents? Or if a child does not do well, is it because he is not in sync enough with his parents' desires for him to do well? What part does the environment play for this same child to want to do well for his studies or when we come down to things at its rawest form, there is something lacking which is causing results that do not meet expectations?
The session really bring me many thoughts each time .. .not to mention the length of it. When i ended at around 5 plus, i realised my entire level was already bare, with the auntie staring me with seemingly grudging eyes as usual.
And then went down and found out that CCA was still on! Thus began another part of my work (sometimes wonder how much a teacher can do when he is faced with so many things and yet have to be at his best every single time -- are we humans?) Saw a bit of some scenes that i wasn't very happy with and decided to do something about it. Sometimes plain talking does not get the point across to the leaders.
Being a leader is more than just standing in front of the juniors and be just looking smart. It takes more than appearance and presentation skills to impress and impart knowledge. If there is no resolve and determination to complete tasks and responsibilities, then it would all come to naught at the end of the day.
Thus i have to try to do something.. sometimes u figure that success and failure does not seem any important at all when you have at least tried to do your part. But however it also means no senseless blind trying. It must be with purpose and meaning and it must be done with such resolve that the idea will go across.
Don't ask me how it can be done as i do not know how to impart such skills, but at the end of it all i guess sincerity and heart is very important and only with the former can then let us achieve what we have set out to do in the 1st place.
To conclude, some article in the papers argued that demand and support must be given in measured proportion; all demand and no support will give rebellious kids but whereas all support and no demand will spoil them.
Balance is the key.
I had to run around the office talking to teachers for the PTM and also to understand more from them and how i can help better as a form teacher.. knowing their backgrounds and so on.
So practically i felt that there wasn't even much time to breathe the entire day. There was this sense of dread and stress, that it would not be possible to capture the relevant data and stuff...
1110 spelt the end of lessons and i had to go down to the canteen to meet Yoshi, as he had purposefully came down to school to visit me -- i mean i have grown to appreciate the fact that it takes a lot on the students to come down and visit an ex teacher, and thus i should make every effort to at least talk to him. But alas there wasn't enough time... felt a little apologetic though... but then bell rang before i could finish lunch (morever the elders always like to say 吃饭皇帝大！), so in the end i had to finish lunch whilst talking ...
Met a lot of parents and in midst of all those talking, its seems to me that society nowadays is so stressful and busy that parents often do not have enough time or the chance to do qualitative things with their children. Sometimes a child who does not do well may have some kind of communicative problems with his parents? Or if a child does not do well, is it because he is not in sync enough with his parents' desires for him to do well? What part does the environment play for this same child to want to do well for his studies or when we come down to things at its rawest form, there is something lacking which is causing results that do not meet expectations?
The session really bring me many thoughts each time .. .not to mention the length of it. When i ended at around 5 plus, i realised my entire level was already bare, with the auntie staring me with seemingly grudging eyes as usual.
And then went down and found out that CCA was still on! Thus began another part of my work (sometimes wonder how much a teacher can do when he is faced with so many things and yet have to be at his best every single time -- are we humans?) Saw a bit of some scenes that i wasn't very happy with and decided to do something about it. Sometimes plain talking does not get the point across to the leaders.
Being a leader is more than just standing in front of the juniors and be just looking smart. It takes more than appearance and presentation skills to impress and impart knowledge. If there is no resolve and determination to complete tasks and responsibilities, then it would all come to naught at the end of the day.
Thus i have to try to do something.. sometimes u figure that success and failure does not seem any important at all when you have at least tried to do your part. But however it also means no senseless blind trying. It must be with purpose and meaning and it must be done with such resolve that the idea will go across.
Don't ask me how it can be done as i do not know how to impart such skills, but at the end of it all i guess sincerity and heart is very important and only with the former can then let us achieve what we have set out to do in the 1st place.
To conclude, some article in the papers argued that demand and support must be given in measured proportion; all demand and no support will give rebellious kids but whereas all support and no demand will spoil them.
Balance is the key.
13 September 2006
Meaning of Health!
OK la i think i still can run a little distance. Now that i am permanently taken off the hook for the national IPPT exams, doing exercise has sorta become something precious to myself.
Thanks to my slipped disc, i guess i grow to appreciate health more than ever.
Was tempted to join a friend in the Standard Chartered Marathon though i know i cannot. So shall be just contented to my 5km runs instead.
Do jio me for a run at school sometime ya? (but run very slow la... have to take care not to cause further injury mah) :p
Thanks to my slipped disc, i guess i grow to appreciate health more than ever.
Was tempted to join a friend in the Standard Chartered Marathon though i know i cannot. So shall be just contented to my 5km runs instead.
Do jio me for a run at school sometime ya? (but run very slow la... have to take care not to cause further injury mah) :p
12 September 2006
Terry Fox Run
Oh ya i was told to share more of my private life! Haha okie will be trying to go to the Terry Fox run this sunday morning with MQ and do our bit for charity, and maybe to taste the 9km sun and sand route too!
MQ says he has not been running and also not such a long distance and as for me, hope the back of mine can be accomodating enough :p
So now happy of personal life sharing?
Haha actually is no personal life so how to share? LOL
yaya i know... get a life! haha...
MQ says he has not been running and also not such a long distance and as for me, hope the back of mine can be accomodating enough :p
So now happy of personal life sharing?
Haha actually is no personal life so how to share? LOL
yaya i know... get a life! haha...
Love Our Unit
Today i asked the sec 3s if they dare to rate their own lesson plans, on giving effective instructions when it comes to teaching.
Nobody said a word.
Some part of me says "this is bad" when this kind of silence takes place. We learn obedience. We learn respect. But it also means that we lose creativity and the passion to excel.
That was something i wanted to inculcate in the people just now. There was an absence of passion, of that zeal to exceed and excel, of creating and in total control of a session of learning that would seemed out of the world in experience. Of joy and fun when learning takes place, of that desire to invent and discover.
Are we losing the touch of passion? Systems overly controlled?
We complain when the environment becomes too comfortable for growth and we gain much inertia when it comes to change. But sometimes it only takes that moment of resolve to overcome the odds.
They say a single spark can light up an entire plain, so awaiting is what i will do to see that new spark rise!
I am hopeful!
Nobody said a word.
Some part of me says "this is bad" when this kind of silence takes place. We learn obedience. We learn respect. But it also means that we lose creativity and the passion to excel.
That was something i wanted to inculcate in the people just now. There was an absence of passion, of that zeal to exceed and excel, of creating and in total control of a session of learning that would seemed out of the world in experience. Of joy and fun when learning takes place, of that desire to invent and discover.
Are we losing the touch of passion? Systems overly controlled?
We complain when the environment becomes too comfortable for growth and we gain much inertia when it comes to change. But sometimes it only takes that moment of resolve to overcome the odds.
They say a single spark can light up an entire plain, so awaiting is what i will do to see that new spark rise!
I am hopeful!
06 September 2006
钱
谈钱伤感情。
为什么如此？其实我想不是钱的问题。
也许因为钱可以决定我们的生死，所以钱已不再是钱那么简单了。如果钱就那么容易下定义，为什么常有为了钱而手足相残的悲剧？
怎会有争家产的新闻？六亲不认？
那就是社会。
为什么如此？其实我想不是钱的问题。
也许因为钱可以决定我们的生死，所以钱已不再是钱那么简单了。如果钱就那么容易下定义，为什么常有为了钱而手足相残的悲剧？
怎会有争家产的新闻？六亲不认？
那就是社会。
Chung Cheng
这就是中正总校的湖景。
很漂亮是吧？难以想像一间校园竟有如此景致？
不禁让人深省，学校应该是怎么样的一个地方 －－ 排名？奖状？考试？
热忱？知识？学习做人？
那以后的学校是否也该注重建筑特色？
很漂亮是吧？难以想像一间校园竟有如此景致？
不禁让人深省，学校应该是怎么样的一个地方 －－ 排名？奖状？考试？
热忱？知识？学习做人？
那以后的学校是否也该注重建筑特色？
05 September 2006
03 September 2006
假期感言
明天将又是一个繁忙的一天。
早晨须要到中正总校上课，然后晚间与朋友吃饭。一位教师朋友向我投诉，说自己的假期几乎全部用在补课与课外活动上。他羡慕地对我说：‘你真幸福！’但其实我又何尝不想利用一些时间帮助学生把功课做得更好呢？
可惜的是现在的人都不重视华文。今天报章说道华文老师应该做汉语的监护人，可是却没有多少本地人愿意肩负这样的使命。
我想不是不愿意，只是现在的环境允许我们这样做吗？政策是否对我们有利？在这样的环境下打拼，是不是逆水行舟？
也许我是身在福中不知福，有假期却还在这里埋怨自己无法看到的愿景 :)
早晨须要到中正总校上课，然后晚间与朋友吃饭。一位教师朋友向我投诉，说自己的假期几乎全部用在补课与课外活动上。他羡慕地对我说：‘你真幸福！’但其实我又何尝不想利用一些时间帮助学生把功课做得更好呢？
可惜的是现在的人都不重视华文。今天报章说道华文老师应该做汉语的监护人，可是却没有多少本地人愿意肩负这样的使命。
我想不是不愿意，只是现在的环境允许我们这样做吗？政策是否对我们有利？在这样的环境下打拼，是不是逆水行舟？
也许我是身在福中不知福，有假期却还在这里埋怨自己无法看到的愿景 :)
许许多多的祝福
教师节前夕收到了好些同学的祝福与礼物。今天竟然有好多毕了业的同学回来探望……感觉非常的窝心。
与大家谈了不少的话，谈梦想、谈期盼、谈在初级学院的生活……时光真是如光箭般快速地闪过。才一转眼，大家都已是毕业了的学生。
今年的级任班也特别有心，竟然出乎意料地为老师准备了许多的零食与礼物。但，最喜欢的还是他们亲笔写的祝语 －－ 看了真是会让人欣喜若狂！
谁说男生就不会表达谢意呢？
与大家谈了不少的话，谈梦想、谈期盼、谈在初级学院的生活……时光真是如光箭般快速地闪过。才一转眼，大家都已是毕业了的学生。
今年的级任班也特别有心，竟然出乎意料地为老师准备了许多的零食与礼物。但，最喜欢的还是他们亲笔写的祝语 －－ 看了真是会让人欣喜若狂！
谁说男生就不会表达谢意呢？
30 August 2006
29 August 2006
Passion and Comfort Zones
What was school about today? Coming in early in the morning to print the Teacher Pen Pic document and trying hard to complete the CA2 scripts for the students in case holidays come. Guess i am probably not going to finish them in time although it would have already been done if i can just sit down and mark the moment i reach home and not do anything else.
But that was hypothetical. Tough for a normal human being to do the life-reducing maneuvers.
So as usual, i try to do the things that would not be life-reducing and trying my best to mark the assignments... made the 2 sec 3 classes do some exercises (wonder if i can ever find time to mark them) and then it was going home time.
Talked with colleagues over many things at work, how to instill discipline and make students achieve better results. It's indeed tough running a school nowadays, with the many awards and agendas running amok in the system. Passion clashes with comfort zones and you might just end up offending the whole world in your pursuit of excellence. Guess it is just not easy to even do the right thing.
And then we are young as we thought ourselves to be and thus my only conclusion is still to do all that i can within my own limits. Strengthening my own circle of influence is better than trying to enlarge it since i do not have the ability for the latter.
But then again, many things are easy to say but hard to execute. Can only hope for the best!
But that was hypothetical. Tough for a normal human being to do the life-reducing maneuvers.
So as usual, i try to do the things that would not be life-reducing and trying my best to mark the assignments... made the 2 sec 3 classes do some exercises (wonder if i can ever find time to mark them) and then it was going home time.
Talked with colleagues over many things at work, how to instill discipline and make students achieve better results. It's indeed tough running a school nowadays, with the many awards and agendas running amok in the system. Passion clashes with comfort zones and you might just end up offending the whole world in your pursuit of excellence. Guess it is just not easy to even do the right thing.
And then we are young as we thought ourselves to be and thus my only conclusion is still to do all that i can within my own limits. Strengthening my own circle of influence is better than trying to enlarge it since i do not have the ability for the latter.
But then again, many things are easy to say but hard to execute. Can only hope for the best!
27 August 2006
Teacher's Day
一年一度的教师节即将来临！
朋友问我，学生有表示吗？我说今年两位毕了业的学生竟提早一周向我传达了教师节的祝福。还有学生对我说在庆祝活动当天会回来找我。
我想身为一名教师，最重要的并非是否收到最昂贵的礼物。记得我的老师曾对我说，如果你想要在短期内就看到自己是否能够的到所付出的回报，那么你将会非常失望；因为真正的回报往往要到了多年后才能看得清。
所以这次的祝福对我来已经是最好的礼物了。
朋友问我，学生有表示吗？我说今年两位毕了业的学生竟提早一周向我传达了教师节的祝福。还有学生对我说在庆祝活动当天会回来找我。
我想身为一名教师，最重要的并非是否收到最昂贵的礼物。记得我的老师曾对我说，如果你想要在短期内就看到自己是否能够的到所付出的回报，那么你将会非常失望；因为真正的回报往往要到了多年后才能看得清。
所以这次的祝福对我来已经是最好的礼物了。
22 August 2006
Right or Wrong?
Somehow i have the impression that nowadays, students are not paying attention in class during lesson and they think that it is perfectly fine.
If a teacher does his or her duty, the student will just give a very nonchalent or negative response. Let's take for example that a teacher is going through a passage and asked a particular student to carry on reading from where his classmate has stopped. -- The former is not able to read and attempts for the teacher to guide him to the exact spot of reading.
Teacher gets the impression that he is not listening, and asks him to stand up and wait for redemption.
He stood up and walks around!
Teacher asks him to quit walking around and stand properly with 2 legs and hands behind his back as it is a punishment for being inattention. He carries on behaving the way he was.
Teacher raised his/her voice, he responds with a simple one-worded answer, "what?"
Although it was looking quite innocent as was written in his face, was that an innocent mistake?
Baffling are students nowadays... ...
If a teacher does his or her duty, the student will just give a very nonchalent or negative response. Let's take for example that a teacher is going through a passage and asked a particular student to carry on reading from where his classmate has stopped. -- The former is not able to read and attempts for the teacher to guide him to the exact spot of reading.
Teacher gets the impression that he is not listening, and asks him to stand up and wait for redemption.
He stood up and walks around!
Teacher asks him to quit walking around and stand properly with 2 legs and hands behind his back as it is a punishment for being inattention. He carries on behaving the way he was.
Teacher raised his/her voice, he responds with a simple one-worded answer, "what?"
Although it was looking quite innocent as was written in his face, was that an innocent mistake?
Baffling are students nowadays... ...
24 July 2006
A Friend Who'd Passed By
Some part of me was made to think of a dear friend who had left us at the day when the caring teacher awards were announced.
When we were all fresh and new from NIE, it never occurred to me on how a teacher could have sacrificed for a class that she barely even knew. Staying back almost everyday when exams were near was something i could have never perceived then.
A good deed? A sincere will to do good from the heart?
A tribute to you, my dear friend.
When we were all fresh and new from NIE, it never occurred to me on how a teacher could have sacrificed for a class that she barely even knew. Staying back almost everyday when exams were near was something i could have never perceived then.
A good deed? A sincere will to do good from the heart?
A tribute to you, my dear friend.
03 July 2006
Passing Out Parade 2006
This year was sorta messy for me... having to coordinate the Marist Youth Day with my form class duty as well as managing assignments all at once. In the end i did not even go one round the stalls to buy or look at anything.
By the time i was done with the arrangement of the assignments, it was time for lunch and then the big O level oral exams.
Again another excruciating 3 hours of pain, or deciding peoples' futures and then the rush to be back at school for the passing out parade for the sec 4s.
this year was kinda different.
we actually spent a lot of time on the photograph-taking session and much lesser time on the concert itself.
could also sense the feeling of pride and happiness and sadness.. .and could sense the sincerity in the planning of the event also.
was glad that it was a great event to end the day with, although the body has been through 16 hrs of non-stop work and responsibility. The sec 3 dance item was very nice, the speech by the outgoing chairperson was touching and the ending talking session was nicely done.
but though the heart might wish for many things, reality may not turn out as forth.
wonder how things are going to be done when school reopens on tuesday, when OC is out for reservist, adjutant is out for oral exams and the rest of the TOs are not really familiar with the newly established SOPs.
lets hope all will turn out fine.
By the time i was done with the arrangement of the assignments, it was time for lunch and then the big O level oral exams.
Again another excruciating 3 hours of pain, or deciding peoples' futures and then the rush to be back at school for the passing out parade for the sec 4s.
this year was kinda different.
we actually spent a lot of time on the photograph-taking session and much lesser time on the concert itself.
could also sense the feeling of pride and happiness and sadness.. .and could sense the sincerity in the planning of the event also.
was glad that it was a great event to end the day with, although the body has been through 16 hrs of non-stop work and responsibility. The sec 3 dance item was very nice, the speech by the outgoing chairperson was touching and the ending talking session was nicely done.
but though the heart might wish for many things, reality may not turn out as forth.
wonder how things are going to be done when school reopens on tuesday, when OC is out for reservist, adjutant is out for oral exams and the rest of the TOs are not really familiar with the newly established SOPs.
lets hope all will turn out fine.
08 June 2006
Our New Generation of People
It started with a post in the papers today... whereby 吴庆康 was talking about a little girl who was asking her dad to treat her to a meal of a burger which costs 100 dollars.. then dad was persuaded again to buy her desserts of the same value after the meal...
that got to him (吴庆康) thinking that nowadays pple are seemingly spending more on meals and so on but yet may not get what they wanted in the first place. He claimed that he went to a exclusive yuppy club in HK and paid 400 sing dollars for 4 dishes for lunch and still ended up feeling hungry and dissatisfied.
He says our people of today are getting more and more choices... and perhaps in a way, are we all too fortunate to be this way? Buying branded bags for 1000 dollars and claim that its the quality that matters and so on ? He said that he realised he belonged to the older era the moment he got shocked by the long queue of pple who wanted to buy a gucci or prada bag.. .
In some ways i think i do agree... but are we losing more than we are gaining?
Like for eg today i went to attend the SPF-NPCC Badge ceremony at New Town Secondary School and realised that out boys are not as good when it comes to social skills... in some ways the attainment of pinnacle achievements is a great thing but at the end of the day ... does it really reflect the desired qualities of things?
I do wan to state that i am proud of their achievements but sometimes i cannot help but feel tat our new generation of people seems more deprived in some fundamental areas... .
and that really makes me very baffled...
that got to him (吴庆康) thinking that nowadays pple are seemingly spending more on meals and so on but yet may not get what they wanted in the first place. He claimed that he went to a exclusive yuppy club in HK and paid 400 sing dollars for 4 dishes for lunch and still ended up feeling hungry and dissatisfied.
He says our people of today are getting more and more choices... and perhaps in a way, are we all too fortunate to be this way? Buying branded bags for 1000 dollars and claim that its the quality that matters and so on ? He said that he realised he belonged to the older era the moment he got shocked by the long queue of pple who wanted to buy a gucci or prada bag.. .
In some ways i think i do agree... but are we losing more than we are gaining?
Like for eg today i went to attend the SPF-NPCC Badge ceremony at New Town Secondary School and realised that out boys are not as good when it comes to social skills... in some ways the attainment of pinnacle achievements is a great thing but at the end of the day ... does it really reflect the desired qualities of things?
I do wan to state that i am proud of their achievements but sometimes i cannot help but feel tat our new generation of people seems more deprived in some fundamental areas... .
and that really makes me very baffled...
02 June 2006
The Meaning of Love
I do see a lot of meaning in the chinese verse... but it is not easy to effectively translate it into english and still get the same feeling.. such is the beauty of the Chinese Language!
Some background info -- the verse was written by this taoist nun, Li Mo Chou, who was nicknamed 赤炼仙子... that means blood fairy -- someone who is as beautiful as is bloodthirsty.
the story is written by Louis Cha, 金庸, in the story of 神雕侠侣, "The Return of the Condor Heroes"
Here's a feeble attempt to explain the previous post:
Ask the world what is the meaning of love,
until such lengths that follows one even in death?
A pair of swallows which flies the world over,
with many cold winters that age out their feathers.
Joy in reunion,
Sorrow in parting,
there are many who dwell so hopelessly into them.
With parting words i give to the gentleman, though many thousands of miles the clouds may cover,
through the seemingly thousands of mountains and snow,
where can a single shadow head forth?
Some background info -- the verse was written by this taoist nun, Li Mo Chou, who was nicknamed 赤炼仙子... that means blood fairy -- someone who is as beautiful as is bloodthirsty.
the story is written by Louis Cha, 金庸, in the story of 神雕侠侣, "The Return of the Condor Heroes"
Here's a feeble attempt to explain the previous post:
Ask the world what is the meaning of love,
until such lengths that follows one even in death?
A pair of swallows which flies the world over,
with many cold winters that age out their feathers.
Joy in reunion,
Sorrow in parting,
there are many who dwell so hopelessly into them.
With parting words i give to the gentleman, though many thousands of miles the clouds may cover,
through the seemingly thousands of mountains and snow,
where can a single shadow head forth?
12 May 2006
04 May 2006
Meaning of Doing Something
Sometimes you get questioned for the certain things that had done with your life, with the everyday undertakings that was carried out.
You begin to ask yourself if things should be changed when they begin to conflict with the interests of the people around you.
Sometimes working hard for a job does not mean that it will pay off, yet at times working hard means immense gratification.
Office can be a lot of politics sometimes... even in teaching... a harmless comment can mean a lot to people, and history will mean labelling.
Impression counts and work becomes all meaningless if you respond to them positively. So i choose to be apolitical. I choose to remain silent. Let people talk all they want and i will live life the way i want it to be. No interfering, no committment. Do what a teacher is supposed to do, not what a manager is wanting to see.
Teach and influences young souls, about life about meanings in life... one day, maybe i will see the results, or maybe i won't.
Take the days as they come and take them in stride. Pain and suffering, happiness and hope.
That's what doing something meaningful is all about.
You begin to ask yourself if things should be changed when they begin to conflict with the interests of the people around you.
Sometimes working hard for a job does not mean that it will pay off, yet at times working hard means immense gratification.
Office can be a lot of politics sometimes... even in teaching... a harmless comment can mean a lot to people, and history will mean labelling.
Impression counts and work becomes all meaningless if you respond to them positively. So i choose to be apolitical. I choose to remain silent. Let people talk all they want and i will live life the way i want it to be. No interfering, no committment. Do what a teacher is supposed to do, not what a manager is wanting to see.
Teach and influences young souls, about life about meanings in life... one day, maybe i will see the results, or maybe i won't.
Take the days as they come and take them in stride. Pain and suffering, happiness and hope.
That's what doing something meaningful is all about.
01 May 2006
Bought a book, "Paradise Lost". "失乐园" （几米）
There was this part about a boy and a flower that suddenly popped out from his head. He did not like it but in the end he had to grow and adapt to it.
The flower had her goods and bads and the boy had to put up with it. He groused and he proclaimed his dislikes. And finally once he made the flower lose her sense of worth.
Slowly she withered and there was nothing the boy could do about it.
Eventually she died.
The boy was devastated.
And the story goes on... (this was when i decided to buy the book... maybe will update if you are interested to find out what happened in the end after i have read it... )
:)
There was this part about a boy and a flower that suddenly popped out from his head. He did not like it but in the end he had to grow and adapt to it.
The flower had her goods and bads and the boy had to put up with it. He groused and he proclaimed his dislikes. And finally once he made the flower lose her sense of worth.
Slowly she withered and there was nothing the boy could do about it.
Eventually she died.
The boy was devastated.
And the story goes on... (this was when i decided to buy the book... maybe will update if you are interested to find out what happened in the end after i have read it... )
:)
20 April 2006
19 April 2006
Religious and Moral Education Programme
Today i asked 3G to write the assignment that was supposed to be graded and reflected on their report book. The requirements were creativity and clarity of theme.
So in a bid to create some creative sparks, i decided to write my own RME assignment on the white board.
(The 7 habits of highly effective people)
My sense of being proactive is that sometimes we must make things happen. If not we would just dispair with failures and setbacks. In order for life to have meaning, we must try to foresee what we are going to be on the day that we die.
The class thought that i was being too philosophical when i wrote this: "当你出生的时候，大家都因为你的到来而感到高兴，而当你死去的时候，大家却会为了你的离去而感到痛楚。"
How many of us actually think ahead of our own lives? How to we go on and know that we are always on the right track? I guess that the answer will always be ahead of us, no matter how much planning we can do.
We could die tomorrow? We could die even the next minute.
Enjoy life the way it is... and be not afraid to take risks and be happy or sad if time and situation permits it. Climb a mountain, say hello to the girl you always like... tell a friend that you treasure him/her ... the sky's the limit!
So have you also began with the end in mind already?
So in a bid to create some creative sparks, i decided to write my own RME assignment on the white board.
(The 7 habits of highly effective people)
My sense of being proactive is that sometimes we must make things happen. If not we would just dispair with failures and setbacks. In order for life to have meaning, we must try to foresee what we are going to be on the day that we die.
The class thought that i was being too philosophical when i wrote this: "当你出生的时候，大家都因为你的到来而感到高兴，而当你死去的时候，大家却会为了你的离去而感到痛楚。"
How many of us actually think ahead of our own lives? How to we go on and know that we are always on the right track? I guess that the answer will always be ahead of us, no matter how much planning we can do.
We could die tomorrow? We could die even the next minute.
Enjoy life the way it is... and be not afraid to take risks and be happy or sad if time and situation permits it. Climb a mountain, say hello to the girl you always like... tell a friend that you treasure him/her ... the sky's the limit!
So have you also began with the end in mind already?
12 April 2006
Some updates...
Oh well ... came back from conducting napfa test in school as a SBJ scorer; partly because i have to replace Miss Aida as she had a paper due tomorrow. So in the end lessons got cancelled and well... i went back home late again.
Decided that i should go for my overdue run... and clocked 34 mins 22 secs and 96 split. I always wonder how long the distance was that i had covered from such a timing.
Then it was off home to read the overdue zaobao papers and subsequently dinner... watched a little bit of american idol, with 2 issues of Time magazine... was going to read the National Geographic but decided that i had enough for the day.
Wanted to start marking but was too tired... so ended up doing brainless thing like blogging my photographs taken with an outing with my beloved cousins!
check the url:
ms4c05.blogspot.com
roger and out!
Decided that i should go for my overdue run... and clocked 34 mins 22 secs and 96 split. I always wonder how long the distance was that i had covered from such a timing.
Then it was off home to read the overdue zaobao papers and subsequently dinner... watched a little bit of american idol, with 2 issues of Time magazine... was going to read the National Geographic but decided that i had enough for the day.
Wanted to start marking but was too tired... so ended up doing brainless thing like blogging my photographs taken with an outing with my beloved cousins!
check the url:
ms4c05.blogspot.com
roger and out!
01 April 2006
留下来的力量
最近级任班常常有人留下来。
有人说这是无谓的。有人说我太过于牺牲自己了。
其实对自己这样的行径，我也有些百思不解。直到最近想起了一位逝世的同事兼好友，我才恍然大悟：原来我的目的是想向她致敬。
有时无条件付出的力量才是最大的。
有人说这是无谓的。有人说我太过于牺牲自己了。
其实对自己这样的行径，我也有些百思不解。直到最近想起了一位逝世的同事兼好友，我才恍然大悟：原来我的目的是想向她致敬。
有时无条件付出的力量才是最大的。
Free time for blogging
A parent came up to me in the subject combination talk and asked if the ratio of male to female teachers was too low.
Apparently it was and he asked if it was possible to increase that ratio.
He says boys at secondary tend to be more shy to female teachers, and thus they will grow closer to male teachers. He told me that it was the case for himself when he was younger.
Education and so on.. doing things together...
But i guess things are not as it was in the old days. I think the parent must have had a terrific time with his teachers, male or female.
Should i pass on his message to the school management? Or should i not do it, since i already know the answer --- things are not in our control all the time.
MOE short of teachers and bla bla bla... then in the end MOE still boasts high rate through its statisitcs and so on... haha...
I got a friend who asked if i am an opposition supporter but in the end i say i am not. I added that voting is secret. In fact i hate it when there are more oppositions rising up. That means i have more election duties to do. Or a higher chance of being arrowed, be it in my ward or other.
Apparently it was and he asked if it was possible to increase that ratio.
He says boys at secondary tend to be more shy to female teachers, and thus they will grow closer to male teachers. He told me that it was the case for himself when he was younger.
Education and so on.. doing things together...
But i guess things are not as it was in the old days. I think the parent must have had a terrific time with his teachers, male or female.
Should i pass on his message to the school management? Or should i not do it, since i already know the answer --- things are not in our control all the time.
MOE short of teachers and bla bla bla... then in the end MOE still boasts high rate through its statisitcs and so on... haha...
I got a friend who asked if i am an opposition supporter but in the end i say i am not. I added that voting is secret. In fact i hate it when there are more oppositions rising up. That means i have more election duties to do. Or a higher chance of being arrowed, be it in my ward or other.
28 March 2006
怎么又停电了？
最近学校总是老爱扮演停电的计量。上周陈老师说这是 30 年来的第一次，耀杰说这是三天来的第二次。
听说只有新能源 (power supply aka the then-PUB )的分站（sub-station）才能够解决这样的电源短路问题（power trip）
我们年代的人可真是见识广阔啊……
听说只有新能源 (power supply aka the then-PUB )的分站（sub-station）才能够解决这样的电源短路问题（power trip）
我们年代的人可真是见识广阔啊……
27 March 2006
Some phrases that really got me thinking recently... ...
When one door closes, the other one opens.
人生本来就是很多无奈，而活得快乐就是把它给看清楚了。
虽是无奈，但却是美丽的。
人生本来就是很多无奈，而活得快乐就是把它给看清楚了。
虽是无奈，但却是美丽的。
Debrief Follow Up
A friend told me that i got too high expectations.
Kids at our age of 15s and 16s should only remember about the laughters and the joys, and that i should not force my perspectives on them.
Afterall i am the best judge on whether i have put in my best.
If they learn, its their fortunes. If they don't its still their lives.
Ultimately i also cannot be absolutely sure that whatever i have done is the best for all of them.
I guess we all make mistakes. I guess the results do not really matter anymore if intentions were well meant.
Yet i will still feel sad if there were failures, or disappointments when it can be better done. Only this, i cannot forsake, for it would make a different me if it was otherwise.
Another friend told me, its better to live life without expectations.
My answer is a short but meaningful one is what i would prefer.
Kids at our age of 15s and 16s should only remember about the laughters and the joys, and that i should not force my perspectives on them.
Afterall i am the best judge on whether i have put in my best.
If they learn, its their fortunes. If they don't its still their lives.
Ultimately i also cannot be absolutely sure that whatever i have done is the best for all of them.
I guess we all make mistakes. I guess the results do not really matter anymore if intentions were well meant.
Yet i will still feel sad if there were failures, or disappointments when it can be better done. Only this, i cannot forsake, for it would make a different me if it was otherwise.
Another friend told me, its better to live life without expectations.
My answer is a short but meaningful one is what i would prefer.
My own debrief on the campcraft competition
Still it bothers me after many days. I guess its not something that anyone can make a definition about, whether we are successful or we are not.
As a teacher, i guess its not totally appropriate to immerse myself in the training in the very 1st place (whoever made this unspoken rule), yet there are still people who does this.
The heart worries when promises are made and you dun see them fulfilled. So rather than to see training going to waste, it was our own bodies of which we put to the test.
However at the end of it all, i am sad to say that everything ended with a treat of ice-cream and a hasty retreat of people.
Made me ponder: have my efforts all went down the drain?
Did we do it totally wrong?
It really feels very very sad when your efforts are down the drain, especially when there's no visible reward to the taking. Last time when i was in the team, i had the trophies to look forward to.
Now i guess its naught.
It shall take yet another big jump to be able to pull myself up again, just like when i see people leave, because they cannot agree, or people who treat you like strangers when they see you on the street.
Sometimes giving yourself means more than expecting an immediate reward, and i guess i must be like a phoenix, setting myself ablaze when all seems hopeless and start anew.
Yet how many times can i set myself ablaze before i am totally cold and broken?
As a teacher, i guess its not totally appropriate to immerse myself in the training in the very 1st place (whoever made this unspoken rule), yet there are still people who does this.
The heart worries when promises are made and you dun see them fulfilled. So rather than to see training going to waste, it was our own bodies of which we put to the test.
However at the end of it all, i am sad to say that everything ended with a treat of ice-cream and a hasty retreat of people.
Made me ponder: have my efforts all went down the drain?
Did we do it totally wrong?
It really feels very very sad when your efforts are down the drain, especially when there's no visible reward to the taking. Last time when i was in the team, i had the trophies to look forward to.
Now i guess its naught.
It shall take yet another big jump to be able to pull myself up again, just like when i see people leave, because they cannot agree, or people who treat you like strangers when they see you on the street.
Sometimes giving yourself means more than expecting an immediate reward, and i guess i must be like a phoenix, setting myself ablaze when all seems hopeless and start anew.
Yet how many times can i set myself ablaze before i am totally cold and broken?
26 March 2006
In the Dead of the Night
Certain Songs touched you when it is in the dead of the night and you are still up, doing supposedly nothing at all.
Life seems to be coming to a blank and life seems to be such to be easier to make some meaning out of it sometimes.
Happiness should be little to be worth treasuring? Sadness aplenty so we can understand the importance of bliss?
The pursuing of a dream that seems insurmountable?
Songs in the background:
Corrinne May -- Free, Journey, Will You Remember Me,
Life seems to be coming to a blank and life seems to be such to be easier to make some meaning out of it sometimes.
Happiness should be little to be worth treasuring? Sadness aplenty so we can understand the importance of bliss?
The pursuing of a dream that seems insurmountable?
Songs in the background:
Corrinne May -- Free, Journey, Will You Remember Me,
The Results of Months of Training
Thie year's competition was a complete disaster for many schools. Many who used to train very hard did not make it to the finals and yet many more who trained so hard were not able to get even a good placing in the competition.
Ask what were the exact things the committee wanted, and it would be quite confirmed that nobody really know what was expected except perhaps for functionality and campcraft skills.
Just talk about the ability to house 9 persons sleeping in the competition, i think only 2 schools fulfilled the criteria. Yet the ranking was not reflected in that way.
And these are just some of the many other things that i am feeling so frustrated over. At the end of it all, it seems that luck could perhaps be the biggest player.
So why are we training so hard for? Glory when we do not know how to achieve it besides putting in our efforts?
If today's judging was fair and transparent, how is it that we are not able to list out our mistakes clearly besides guessing? How is it that the chief judge could announce "ease of entry" only when everything has ended?
So many days of our lives, so much sacrifices.
And when we thought that at the end of it all, we could at least leave with the thought that at least we have tried our best and that we are just not as good, we leave with so many doubts and unjust feelings.
When we thought that perhaps we could be at least closely bonded and maybe even set a good start for everlasting friendships, we were seemingly given a nil for an answer.
What happened to everyone when everything came to an end? Why was there no opening of hearts? Why were people anxious to leave?
Because we cannot swallow our defeat? We cannot show our feelings?
We don't care?
Were our efforts come to waste? Or was it just me?
Ask what were the exact things the committee wanted, and it would be quite confirmed that nobody really know what was expected except perhaps for functionality and campcraft skills.
Just talk about the ability to house 9 persons sleeping in the competition, i think only 2 schools fulfilled the criteria. Yet the ranking was not reflected in that way.
And these are just some of the many other things that i am feeling so frustrated over. At the end of it all, it seems that luck could perhaps be the biggest player.
So why are we training so hard for? Glory when we do not know how to achieve it besides putting in our efforts?
If today's judging was fair and transparent, how is it that we are not able to list out our mistakes clearly besides guessing? How is it that the chief judge could announce "ease of entry" only when everything has ended?
So many days of our lives, so much sacrifices.
And when we thought that at the end of it all, we could at least leave with the thought that at least we have tried our best and that we are just not as good, we leave with so many doubts and unjust feelings.
When we thought that perhaps we could be at least closely bonded and maybe even set a good start for everlasting friendships, we were seemingly given a nil for an answer.
What happened to everyone when everything came to an end? Why was there no opening of hearts? Why were people anxious to leave?
Because we cannot swallow our defeat? We cannot show our feelings?
We don't care?
Were our efforts come to waste? Or was it just me?
23 March 2006
20 March 2006
Sentimentalism
okok so i shall not complain too much on the blog... if not people dun wan to read anymore.
today was yet another day of campcraft training, and suddenly i had this thought in my mind: what if i was 50 years old and still training yet another campcraft team? scary thought isn't it?
then mr thodey's words came to my mind again when we were complaining about the vendor at the batam staff retreat. He actually said that i am the kind who will be in teaching forever!
haha another scary thought.
I often thought to myself, if teaching wasn't the way that i can feel for today and tomorrow, i will leave the service.
I still feel overwhelming thoughts when i see students write about their lives, either with me or without me. As long as i was part of their lives and that i have made a difference, i will feel a surge of immense satisfaction throughout my soul.
The kind of feeling that makes you euphorical.. .similar to drugs? Only if i know what's it like.. .yet you feel sober at the same time and most of all, life begins to feel all meaningful again.
Sometimes i long for time to stop, for all the happy memories to freeze in time and space; certain photographs make me want to cry and certain pictures gets me all moody all in an instant.
Maybe that is sentimentalism.
today was yet another day of campcraft training, and suddenly i had this thought in my mind: what if i was 50 years old and still training yet another campcraft team? scary thought isn't it?
then mr thodey's words came to my mind again when we were complaining about the vendor at the batam staff retreat. He actually said that i am the kind who will be in teaching forever!
haha another scary thought.
I often thought to myself, if teaching wasn't the way that i can feel for today and tomorrow, i will leave the service.
I still feel overwhelming thoughts when i see students write about their lives, either with me or without me. As long as i was part of their lives and that i have made a difference, i will feel a surge of immense satisfaction throughout my soul.
The kind of feeling that makes you euphorical.. .similar to drugs? Only if i know what's it like.. .yet you feel sober at the same time and most of all, life begins to feel all meaningful again.
Sometimes i long for time to stop, for all the happy memories to freeze in time and space; certain photographs make me want to cry and certain pictures gets me all moody all in an instant.
Maybe that is sentimentalism.
17 March 2006
这阵子... ...
里总是说我爱谈生活的大事，完全没有提到自己的私生活。
回想起来，我好象没有什么私生活，除了偶尔的电影与朋友吃饭外，剩余的时间几乎都是穿梭于学校和住处之间。
忙碌的工作常常让我对待玩乐感到力不从心。从前爱看电视节目，打电动，现在却只能沦落到看书和跑步。
记得前几天，我还向老朋友投诉，说那架两个月前买的 Sudoku 游戏机现在却只在家里堆积灰尘。
这样的生活到底是幸福还是遗憾呢？
回想起来，我好象没有什么私生活，除了偶尔的电影与朋友吃饭外，剩余的时间几乎都是穿梭于学校和住处之间。
忙碌的工作常常让我对待玩乐感到力不从心。从前爱看电视节目，打电动，现在却只能沦落到看书和跑步。
记得前几天，我还向老朋友投诉，说那架两个月前买的 Sudoku 游戏机现在却只在家里堆积灰尘。
这样的生活到底是幸福还是遗憾呢？
12 March 2006
幸福
我好喜欢参加婚礼。看到了别人的幸福，那真是一种很好的感觉。
星期六时候，我的一位同事踏上了红地毯。悦耳的音乐中，大家心里都应该是欢喜非常的。那种感动，那种幸福的憧憬也再次获得了肯定。
你心里的幸福又是什么呢？
星期六时候，我的一位同事踏上了红地毯。悦耳的音乐中，大家心里都应该是欢喜非常的。那种感动，那种幸福的憧憬也再次获得了肯定。
你心里的幸福又是什么呢？
11 March 2006
Love
Read on a magazine that love is made up of chemicals produced by the human body; passion versus bonding.
When we have a lot of drive and energy, the passion chemicals are the ones at work. Bonding does not necessarily comes with passion.
Which is why we could love something so much in an instant and yet hate it in another.
That is if you love something in the first place.
But what if you do not love something anymore? How about passion and bonding?
When we have a lot of drive and energy, the passion chemicals are the ones at work. Bonding does not necessarily comes with passion.
Which is why we could love something so much in an instant and yet hate it in another.
That is if you love something in the first place.
But what if you do not love something anymore? How about passion and bonding?
05 March 2006
End of Yet Another Busy Week
Time flies and i am actually going to start a brand new week. Felt like nothing has been done and yet i am here again, blogging.
Tuesday the 28th of Feb was the start of the OC Modular conducted at NPCC HQ and went on for a whopping 4 days at the very ulu Choa Chu Kang Home Team Academy. Then when it all ended, it was to be a very long journey home to prepare for the Sec 1 Orientation Camp for the cadets in school.
To make the long story short, the camp ended with a success supposedly and i was actually very glad that many CIs and old boys came back to help. Managed to complete 2 classes of the CA paper throughout one night of marking cum meeting session. (the 3rd stack was completed in between breaks at the course)
So in the end i did not actually sleep for more than a day during the camp. Everything ended around 4pm and i had to stay behind to complete the marks entry till 5 plus. By the time i reached home, i was so tired that i could not even bother to take dinner le.
Slept around 7pm till 8am this morning, and went for the Chinese Quiz Competition from 12 to 430pm into the afternoon. Completed a stack of compo and here i am, blogging. Wonder how this new week is coming to be .... ...
Tuesday the 28th of Feb was the start of the OC Modular conducted at NPCC HQ and went on for a whopping 4 days at the very ulu Choa Chu Kang Home Team Academy. Then when it all ended, it was to be a very long journey home to prepare for the Sec 1 Orientation Camp for the cadets in school.
To make the long story short, the camp ended with a success supposedly and i was actually very glad that many CIs and old boys came back to help. Managed to complete 2 classes of the CA paper throughout one night of marking cum meeting session. (the 3rd stack was completed in between breaks at the course)
So in the end i did not actually sleep for more than a day during the camp. Everything ended around 4pm and i had to stay behind to complete the marks entry till 5 plus. By the time i reached home, i was so tired that i could not even bother to take dinner le.
Slept around 7pm till 8am this morning, and went for the Chinese Quiz Competition from 12 to 430pm into the afternoon. Completed a stack of compo and here i am, blogging. Wonder how this new week is coming to be .... ...
27 February 2006
To Explain Y I Am So Busy Everyday
明天就是 OC Modular Course 的第一天，没想到在警团 14 年后，我还是逃脱不了这个厄运。现在是整理制服的时间，搞了老半天，一件衣服都准备不好。还是批了一整天的卷纸，回到了家真的已是疲惫不堪。
It doesn't help that i got people who can score zeros or even fail a simple spelling test. 可能大家可以说："我们都不够时间复习啊！"
但明天就是 CA1 了，才开始想复习也未免有点太迟了吧？
It doesn't help that i got people who can score zeros or even fail a simple spelling test. 可能大家可以说："我们都不够时间复习啊！"
但明天就是 CA1 了，才开始想复习也未免有点太迟了吧？
26 February 2006
候车记
站在巴士站里等候车子的到来，恍然间发现眼前的景色是平静的。蔚蓝的天空覆盖着绒绒的云朵，而这些白色的棉花底下却伫立着一条孤独的地铁航线。小草在凉头的风中起舞，与身旁的大柱子相比，它显得婀娜多姿，甚至是欢愉的。一只爪哇鸟跃进了大柱子的空隙，然后隐匿其中。也许是喂食去了……也许是休息了……
城市的喧嚣，仿佛都被这副美丽的图画给完全驱散得无影无踪。
城市的喧嚣，仿佛都被这副美丽的图画给完全驱散得无影无踪。
21 February 2006
Achievements...
Somehow i am harbouring the thought that passionate teachers will never last through the service.
As i am sitting at my work table in the office, this seems to fill up all my thoughts.
Today i am being asked to produce an entire stack of materials for Chinese O Level examinations. And to make matters worse, all the work has to be completed within a month, right after the March holidays, for which monday to wednesday must be spent at Batam.
Han asked me to conduct extra trainings for the cadets on thursday and friday. I have a lot of overdue assignments. I have 3 classes of workbooks on my table now. I have not stopped marking since 3pm.
i will not leave the office until the papers are marked and marks recorded and the workbooks finished for the sec 2s. I will finish my RME journals before i go. And students are still not submitting the journals.
It upsets me but yet i cannot scold them for the journals if they feel its an unimportant subject.
I spent the whole evening trying to summarise "The Clash of Civilizations" on the religion issue as i thought it might be useful to them. So that they will not feel that being sensitive to religion is a shallow thing to do.
tomorrow there are students supposed to see me for re-test because they refuse to study even if time was give to them upright. I want them to see the point of working for their results.
They are seeing a teacher who will not give up even if it means that they do.
i am putting Serene's gift which says "Never Say Die", a stand which is supposed to encourage myself.
I wanted to talk to the NCOs on the sec 1 camp and the way they have been running activities.
The exco was chosen without my knowledge and i was supposed to comment even if they choose someone who is not from the campcraft team.
i am supposed to pay competition fees for the chinese quiz competition.
i keep having the thinking that people are seeing me as a slacker-teacher.
Is the desire to do my best so hard to achieve?
As i am sitting at my work table in the office, this seems to fill up all my thoughts.
Today i am being asked to produce an entire stack of materials for Chinese O Level examinations. And to make matters worse, all the work has to be completed within a month, right after the March holidays, for which monday to wednesday must be spent at Batam.
Han asked me to conduct extra trainings for the cadets on thursday and friday. I have a lot of overdue assignments. I have 3 classes of workbooks on my table now. I have not stopped marking since 3pm.
i will not leave the office until the papers are marked and marks recorded and the workbooks finished for the sec 2s. I will finish my RME journals before i go. And students are still not submitting the journals.
It upsets me but yet i cannot scold them for the journals if they feel its an unimportant subject.
I spent the whole evening trying to summarise "The Clash of Civilizations" on the religion issue as i thought it might be useful to them. So that they will not feel that being sensitive to religion is a shallow thing to do.
tomorrow there are students supposed to see me for re-test because they refuse to study even if time was give to them upright. I want them to see the point of working for their results.
They are seeing a teacher who will not give up even if it means that they do.
i am putting Serene's gift which says "Never Say Die", a stand which is supposed to encourage myself.
I wanted to talk to the NCOs on the sec 1 camp and the way they have been running activities.
The exco was chosen without my knowledge and i was supposed to comment even if they choose someone who is not from the campcraft team.
i am supposed to pay competition fees for the chinese quiz competition.
i keep having the thinking that people are seeing me as a slacker-teacher.
Is the desire to do my best so hard to achieve?
12 February 2006
泪光
又是一个让人感动的时刻。
震耳欲聋的掌声与欢呼声在校长竭力宣布成绩的当儿，完完全全地笼罩着我的心房。那种声音是发自内心的；经过了无比的考验与辛劳，尝到的成功又是什么滋味？
我的眼角泛出了泪光，但这泪水却是欢愉的。
震耳欲聋的掌声与欢呼声在校长竭力宣布成绩的当儿，完完全全地笼罩着我的心房。那种声音是发自内心的；经过了无比的考验与辛劳，尝到的成功又是什么滋味？
我的眼角泛出了泪光，但这泪水却是欢愉的。
08 February 2006
This is a Super Long Posting
I cannot believe that i just woke up, all the things are not done and here i am .... blogging.
237am.
I thought i was late for school. Again. In fact many of my friends who are teachers often have this phobia. I gather we are all stressed up for work. And far-fetched as it seems from this, i just feel teachers are too overtaxed with work. I saw a forum posting in the MOE feedback forum that a teacher "daringly" posted a comment. He said that there is often a high turnover in the number of people teaching every year. He was really concerned about the retention of quality teachers in the service due to the fact that the recent increase in numbers was a result of an economic slump and that an exodus will occur once it picks up.
And of cause the reply from the senior management was a good one.
Not that i am against the government, but i do not feel any sense of joy when i read the reply, which was full of statistics to show proof of what is good.
Statistics?
They do not mean much to me when i am just a small teacher who is hard at work at the lowest level of the hierarchy. When i read the figures, they do not even make any sense. What is important to me now is if i can finish my work on time, whether i am shortchanging my students and whether i can even do my job as a teacher.
The fact is that more often than not, they are shortchanged.
Just take the day that have just passed: I woke up at around 5am and started a frantic preparation to get out of the house. Hoping that i can mark a few workbooks in school after my one day mc, i was stopped short in my work with the administration for the Chinese Quiz competition. Then it went on... much to my frustration .. till 735am, when it was almost time for assembly. My work was cut short short in other words.
Then it was a day of facing students.. which was not exactly a very good experience as i prepared the materials, under stress of very liimited time and at the end of it all, their response was not as what i expected. I think my form class did try but interest was something u could see if it was there. Then 3C whereby the same few people showed me their defiance by sleeping and talking while lesson was going on.
I mean, not that i am expecting perfection, but can't they see the fact that i am really trying hard? Can they not see that i have even went to the point that chinese almost becomes english when lessons were going on? Can they not see that i was trying to make lessons understandable, when it is not even my fault that chinese is a subject that we all have to study?
Then it was 2G with all the stupid questions... "teacher if we write one word less than 500 will we be punished?", "teacher can we interview u for our IPW project?", "teacher can i do my homework at home and not now?".......... and yet i have to put my frustration away when they do come and asked advice on how to do their work. i have to pretent that i am very patient when i was almost exploding inside from all the nonsense. I have to be nurturing, because if i do not, they would feel that this teacher is just going to scold them. I don't want to ask this teacher anymore. And in the end it is just my fault again.
Coming back to the office, and finally i thought i could at least mark a little work. I made a cup of tea (tat was lunch) and the time was already 2pm. A colleague suddenly came over and asked me to discuss with the vendor about the school's cultural immersion program. I told her that i have to go soon as there was the classification shoot later and she told me that it would only take a while. And believing her, i left the cup of tea on the table.
It went until 235pm when i saw Yew Kiat walked past to change into his uniform. So i had no choice but to excuse myself.
Imagine the anger in me when i walked back to my table and i saw that my tea was spilled all over and although the culprits were cleaning it as i arrived, i could not help but feel an overwhelming surge of anger upon myself.
"we were about to write sorry on your table!" quipped one of them.
I was so angry!
I packed my stuff, and cleaned the table again. Tea was all over the undersides of the cups, the workbooks was stained (how was i going to explain to the students) and another unknowing colleague asked me to relay a message through the staff room door.
After the banging and throwing of stuff (i know it is very spoilt of me to do that, maybe even dangerous), i stormed out of the office to go downstairs for the bus.
Reached HQ at 1510 hrs and was immediately bombed with duty as range safety officer. In a weak moment of desperation i asked, "start already ah?"
"if not wait till when?" was the reply.
I can only manage a weak smile.
Then there were many unhappy things happening in the range, people were complaining about the selfishness of some schools, and there was even a foreign school joining us for the shoot whereby we have to serve them. There was no closure, there was not even a single attempt to recognise us for our efforts. I hear Yew Kiat's grousings and much as i want to support him, i felt that there was no point in my doing so. Nothing would change and there was nothing that we could do to change that.
There was still the sec 4s to talk to after that infamous incident but there was simply no time. I asked Yan Han if he had talked to them and he said he was planning to do it during dinner with them. He asked me if i wanted to go along but i said no. My gut tells me that it wasn't a good time. Or maybe because i was not concerned enough?
Frankly speaking, i do not know.
So we started walking to the exit of HQ, and in a moment of luck, we saw 2 of the PL teachers getting into their car. And we were offered a ride home.
Finally a change of luck! (i thought) And when we got into the car, i was stung by a wasp. :(
Numbness came and i thought i was going to get into a seizure. Then they adviced me to go and see the doctor but the usual melocholic me told them that it was better off dead. So i don't have to go school tomorrow.
And finally dinner at home. i think i am at least fortunate to have auntie cooking dinner for me.
715pm.
The day did not stop a single second since 5am.
And i slept the moment i got into my bedroom. I thought a short nap would do some good before i mark the many overdue assignments and tests. Long overdue in fact.
And the nap came to 237am.
And instead of marking, i am blogging.
Why am i blogging? I think i am shortchanging the students again. But am i being shortchanged too.............
Guess its back to marking... before i embark on yet another crazy day, where official work is detailed to at least 430pm....
Will it ever stop?
237am.
I thought i was late for school. Again. In fact many of my friends who are teachers often have this phobia. I gather we are all stressed up for work. And far-fetched as it seems from this, i just feel teachers are too overtaxed with work. I saw a forum posting in the MOE feedback forum that a teacher "daringly" posted a comment. He said that there is often a high turnover in the number of people teaching every year. He was really concerned about the retention of quality teachers in the service due to the fact that the recent increase in numbers was a result of an economic slump and that an exodus will occur once it picks up.
And of cause the reply from the senior management was a good one.
Not that i am against the government, but i do not feel any sense of joy when i read the reply, which was full of statistics to show proof of what is good.
Statistics?
They do not mean much to me when i am just a small teacher who is hard at work at the lowest level of the hierarchy. When i read the figures, they do not even make any sense. What is important to me now is if i can finish my work on time, whether i am shortchanging my students and whether i can even do my job as a teacher.
The fact is that more often than not, they are shortchanged.
Just take the day that have just passed: I woke up at around 5am and started a frantic preparation to get out of the house. Hoping that i can mark a few workbooks in school after my one day mc, i was stopped short in my work with the administration for the Chinese Quiz competition. Then it went on... much to my frustration .. till 735am, when it was almost time for assembly. My work was cut short short in other words.
Then it was a day of facing students.. which was not exactly a very good experience as i prepared the materials, under stress of very liimited time and at the end of it all, their response was not as what i expected. I think my form class did try but interest was something u could see if it was there. Then 3C whereby the same few people showed me their defiance by sleeping and talking while lesson was going on.
I mean, not that i am expecting perfection, but can't they see the fact that i am really trying hard? Can they not see that i have even went to the point that chinese almost becomes english when lessons were going on? Can they not see that i was trying to make lessons understandable, when it is not even my fault that chinese is a subject that we all have to study?
Then it was 2G with all the stupid questions... "teacher if we write one word less than 500 will we be punished?", "teacher can we interview u for our IPW project?", "teacher can i do my homework at home and not now?".......... and yet i have to put my frustration away when they do come and asked advice on how to do their work. i have to pretent that i am very patient when i was almost exploding inside from all the nonsense. I have to be nurturing, because if i do not, they would feel that this teacher is just going to scold them. I don't want to ask this teacher anymore. And in the end it is just my fault again.
Coming back to the office, and finally i thought i could at least mark a little work. I made a cup of tea (tat was lunch) and the time was already 2pm. A colleague suddenly came over and asked me to discuss with the vendor about the school's cultural immersion program. I told her that i have to go soon as there was the classification shoot later and she told me that it would only take a while. And believing her, i left the cup of tea on the table.
It went until 235pm when i saw Yew Kiat walked past to change into his uniform. So i had no choice but to excuse myself.
Imagine the anger in me when i walked back to my table and i saw that my tea was spilled all over and although the culprits were cleaning it as i arrived, i could not help but feel an overwhelming surge of anger upon myself.
"we were about to write sorry on your table!" quipped one of them.
I was so angry!
I packed my stuff, and cleaned the table again. Tea was all over the undersides of the cups, the workbooks was stained (how was i going to explain to the students) and another unknowing colleague asked me to relay a message through the staff room door.
After the banging and throwing of stuff (i know it is very spoilt of me to do that, maybe even dangerous), i stormed out of the office to go downstairs for the bus.
Reached HQ at 1510 hrs and was immediately bombed with duty as range safety officer. In a weak moment of desperation i asked, "start already ah?"
"if not wait till when?" was the reply.
I can only manage a weak smile.
Then there were many unhappy things happening in the range, people were complaining about the selfishness of some schools, and there was even a foreign school joining us for the shoot whereby we have to serve them. There was no closure, there was not even a single attempt to recognise us for our efforts. I hear Yew Kiat's grousings and much as i want to support him, i felt that there was no point in my doing so. Nothing would change and there was nothing that we could do to change that.
There was still the sec 4s to talk to after that infamous incident but there was simply no time. I asked Yan Han if he had talked to them and he said he was planning to do it during dinner with them. He asked me if i wanted to go along but i said no. My gut tells me that it wasn't a good time. Or maybe because i was not concerned enough?
Frankly speaking, i do not know.
So we started walking to the exit of HQ, and in a moment of luck, we saw 2 of the PL teachers getting into their car. And we were offered a ride home.
Finally a change of luck! (i thought) And when we got into the car, i was stung by a wasp. :(
Numbness came and i thought i was going to get into a seizure. Then they adviced me to go and see the doctor but the usual melocholic me told them that it was better off dead. So i don't have to go school tomorrow.
And finally dinner at home. i think i am at least fortunate to have auntie cooking dinner for me.
715pm.
The day did not stop a single second since 5am.
And i slept the moment i got into my bedroom. I thought a short nap would do some good before i mark the many overdue assignments and tests. Long overdue in fact.
And the nap came to 237am.
And instead of marking, i am blogging.
Why am i blogging? I think i am shortchanging the students again. But am i being shortchanged too.............
Guess its back to marking... before i embark on yet another crazy day, where official work is detailed to at least 430pm....
Will it ever stop?
06 February 2006
Then & Now
I think i have many regrets when it comes to playing the role of training officer in Marist NPCC. It cannot be what it seemed to be in the old days when there were lots of time to share and teach, or to be a good example as a leader.
Teaching has it's pains and added onto the burden is the age that creates the generation gap between cadets and officer.
Passionate is the desire but yet mediocre is the performance. What is nurturing when quality time cannot be spent? Time gives experience but so does it alienates generations of different people.
The flame of the past versus the spirit of today?
Teaching has it's pains and added onto the burden is the age that creates the generation gap between cadets and officer.
Passionate is the desire but yet mediocre is the performance. What is nurturing when quality time cannot be spent? Time gives experience but so does it alienates generations of different people.
The flame of the past versus the spirit of today?
29 January 2006
Loss yet again
Its been 5 years since i lost my mother and today i am made to think about her again when my auntie talked to me over the issue.
She was talking to me about religion and how it would help my mother and so on... then a part of me started thinking that ... maybe nothing was real and that religion was actually to help us overcome our grief more effectively amongst many other things.
But then that was only a guess.
Then i saw online accounts of Jasper and Serene... and suddenly it ached me again to know i have yet lost 2 more people who somehow touched my heart.
Sometimes life can be that much tough to handle .... ...
She was talking to me about religion and how it would help my mother and so on... then a part of me started thinking that ... maybe nothing was real and that religion was actually to help us overcome our grief more effectively amongst many other things.
But then that was only a guess.
Then i saw online accounts of Jasper and Serene... and suddenly it ached me again to know i have yet lost 2 more people who somehow touched my heart.
Sometimes life can be that much tough to handle .... ...
28 January 2006
Efforts Repaid?
Today has been a very happy day.
Ex-students have came back to visit me and i have got gifts for the CNY from some of them even, even though some were just mandarin oranges.
Then i was commented to be teaching well in the subject by another student.
Though simple words and actions, they were really a big boost on my morale as i can finally proved that what i had chipped in was worth the effort.
I think i am ready to move on!
Ex-students have came back to visit me and i have got gifts for the CNY from some of them even, even though some were just mandarin oranges.
Then i was commented to be teaching well in the subject by another student.
Though simple words and actions, they were really a big boost on my morale as i can finally proved that what i had chipped in was worth the effort.
I think i am ready to move on!
23 January 2006
胡思乱想
要写作却不知道要写一些什么。最近生活过得不是很好。工作上除了忙，还是忙。
每天接近十四个钟头的工作时间几乎是疯狂的。为什么同事们大多数都是晚来早走，而我却是早来迟归？沉重的压力好像让我开始胡思乱想，以为学生心里都把我看成一个懒惰的老师。
于是我还是拼了命地苦干实干，希望不辜负他们。但这样的生活又能够持续多久？
每天接近十四个钟头的工作时间几乎是疯狂的。为什么同事们大多数都是晚来早走，而我却是早来迟归？沉重的压力好像让我开始胡思乱想，以为学生心里都把我看成一个懒惰的老师。
于是我还是拼了命地苦干实干，希望不辜负他们。但这样的生活又能够持续多久？
21 January 2006
16 January 2006
A Moment of Recollection
Nows the hour to be marking or sleeping already but yet my mind trails off into the distance.
The buzz of the msn and some chats with a few frens and old boys, the thing that really caught my eye on the many nicknames on the chat console was "the spitfire days".
Reminiscence of the old days... those were the days... many of us do want to linger and maybe not come into the present. The old days always seemed sweet and full of joy and fun. Great friends, good life and the best of all a time to remember.
The buzz of the msn and some chats with a few frens and old boys, the thing that really caught my eye on the many nicknames on the chat console was "the spitfire days".
Reminiscence of the old days... those were the days... many of us do want to linger and maybe not come into the present. The old days always seemed sweet and full of joy and fun. Great friends, good life and the best of all a time to remember.
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