You Never Know How Close You Are

 

| Nothing could be worse than the fear that one had given up too soon, and left one unexpended effort that might have saved the world.

Jane Addams

 

P/s: In a nutshell, don’t give up until you have achieved your dreams!

The Journey Has Just Begun

It’s officially my 3rd week of teaching life, ever since my 2 months of training at IAB, Genting Highlands with other 49 miraculous  Teach For Malaysia fellows and amazing training teams. My journey to end the educational inequity has just begun.

 

It sounds ‘whooaa’ isn’t it?

 

I am not sure how close am I in achieving this HUGE mission because my biggest concerns now are about myself, my students and my school. Those common worries of mine are often sound like this:

 

• How far have I adapted to the new working environment?
• How much have I learned from other experienced teachers?
• How effective is my class management?
• How much can I make my students learn and understand now just academic lessons, but humanity as well?

 

My life now is hard, tough and challenging. Well, I’d prepared myself for these ever since I’ve made up my mind to join Teach For Malaysia, last September. I thought, hey. I am still young and I want to do something big, something meaningful and beneficial to the society. Now I get the chance and I am here, working as a 2 years teacher at a secondary school with 100+ staff and 8 classes (35 X 8=280 students).

    A photo & photo frame gift from Reid. It is not placed on my working table.
Thank you Reid~

 

There were ups and downs in my every teaching day, just like any other teacher in any school. I get to understand why my teachers behave and act at certain ways. Also, I am good at predicting reasons behind no-bringing-books-to-class, late for class after recess and the talkative-phenomenal among the students. Guess, my ability now to understand both teachers’ and students’ shoes will help me in facing, dealing and solving some important but neglected issues such as the liveliness in class, effective lesson planning, strategic cultural management and etc.

 

Just last Friday, I was pretty down because I felt that things that I’d done for the classes in the past 2 weeks were unproductive and meaningless. As my mind was fighting over the down feeling, unexpectedly, a student called me and handed me her artwork. It’s a picture of me. She gave it to me with a smile before leaving the class.

 

 

It’s just simply melted my heart though at this point, I still don’t know what I’ve done for her or them. Somehow, my student’s effort has motivated me to work harder and smarter for them, for my family and for myself despite the hardships. I know I will because I want and I can.

 

 

I don’t know where I am now but I know where I am leading to – to embrace one’s uniqueness and transform one’s life (including mine) to the better.

The 25 Smiling Faces at SMK Ampang Pecah

I miss all the 25 smiling faces at SMK Ampang Pecah.

My mind kept on thinking about them although it has been almost a month I left the school. Teach For Malaysia organized a summer school program called Kem Skorlah on last Nov-Dec 2011. We, the 50 fellows were divided into 2 groups and I was being placed at SMK Ampang Pecah for 4 weeks, teaching Mathematic for Form 4.

 

 

I would say that I am blessed to be placed at this school with my other 25 lovely kids. Oopss, i mean students :)


They were energetic, funny, sincere and most importantly forgiving. I must admit that I did a lot of mistakes back in Kem Skorlah including called wrong names, unstructured Bahasa Melayu and making funny voice, yet they laughed, forgive my mistake and move on… *touched*

I am not an experienced teacher but they are willing to give me a chance/chances to try, learn and execute my crazy plans. Lol.. Could you imagine that a Maths teacher bring a Panda muppet and taught Straight Line (y=mx+c) in class? Or opened the Angry Bird games in the beginning of the class, handing out Angry bird question and taught Angle Elevation and Deviation? Or telling The Smurf story to teach 3 Dimension and Planes chapter?

 

If you were there, I believe you would laughed at my students’ reactions. Hahaha.. now I couldn’t stop smiling while recalling their surprised faces. Probably they have never experience a Maths teacher bringing all those crazy concept… they were like… @_@


Oh my.
I miss them and I wonder how are they at the moment. School has started and they are now officially a Form 5 students. I hope they will work hard and try their best in achieving their dreams. Remember your dreams?

My dear A5 students,
If you are reading this, remember that teacher is always here praying for your success. Pay attention in class. If there are areas that you don’t understand, seek for your teacher’s or friends’ help. You can drop me an email or comment in this blog if you need any help. For now, enjoy your school. Miss you and remember our Tepuk A5 ^_^

Again, I Want, I Can, I Will.

Say Hello To Cikgu Telur

The time has arrived.
Ms Telur is going to teach in another few hours.

OMG!
I am so nervous yet excited… >.<!

I have done shopping for my new writing tools. Stuff like 6 different color of refillable marker pens, timer, manila card, stick-it-notes, stamps and etc.

Besides, I have planned my lesson planning for 3 different classes which I will attend later. However, there are still doubts of executing the plan because as I have been informed, there will be an orientation session for the new Form 1 students. Indirectly, it means no class will be conducted until it ends.

Well, for the safe side, I just prepare whatever I can, just in case the students come in and I have something to do with them.

Oh dear!
I should be sleeping by now but my heart is pumping really fast. My nervousness can be sensed by looking at how unorganized this post is blogged. Well, I can’t care much at this moment. I just want a corner to do self-therapy so that it allows me to sleep better after this.

Btw, I am a Form 1 teacher for 3 Mathematic classes and 5 Civic classes.
Let see what I will do for my 8 wonderful classes in the first week.

Before ending this post, I would like to share a few photos which were taken secretly by my instructor, Reid back in SMK Ampang Pecah. Thank you Reid for all these memorable photos. I can feel and listen to our passions in fighting for inequity in education - I Want, I Can, I Will.

 

 

 

One day, all children in Malaysia will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. Yes, they will.. *hopeful*

P/s: Readers, please bless me with your encouragement and positive vibes. I need all of them. Thank you~

The Long-Lost Eggie

I haven’t blogged for nearly 2 MONTHS!
How possible can it be? I have never abandoned my blog these long.
Are you guys still with me?

 

No wonder I feel something is missing until I return to my blog and start blogging on this very new page. I miss this quiet corner of mine. I haven’t done a proper reflective moment ever since I participated in this Teach For Malaysia training program at Institute Aminuddin Baki at Genting since early November. And now, I am longing for one.

 

My life is now on a fast lane. Learning and executing what had been learned need to be done at certain period of time (before next year). Everything is planned accordingly in an effective and meaningful way. It is a hectic schedule and I am under pressure and stress. But the good thing is, we have fun time that can balance up our fast lane life here.

 

Besides, the power of collaboration among the 50 fellows here are incredibly awesome. We helped and support each other every morning, every afternoon, every night and midnight since the first day of TFM training. Not to forget, the supportive TFM teams behind the scene in trying very hard to keep our lives here as happy as possible.

 

A photo of me with Brian who is sitting beside me (now). Similar shirt!

 

I would love to write more but it is 12pm now.
I should keep my Cultural Management and Lesson Plan going before next class at 1.30pm. We were being informed that there will be a surprise party tonight and it will be the most unforgettable moment for all of us. Emm… I wonder what could it be?

 

Well, I shall check it out later.

P/s: Christmas is around the corner and I had already received a present from my secret Santa. He/She says I am a good girl and thus, I have a present. Weeeeeeeeeeee…..
However, I still don’t know who my Santa is… @_@

 

P/s/s: Btw, my camera has been robbed. No more latest photos at the moment T.T