Super Nervous First Maths Formative Exam!

I couldn’t sleep well since the last two days, before 7.3.2012.

I was very nervous because the first school formative exam fall on the 7th of March and my Maths paper was on the day. The feeling was like allowing your child to ride on the bicycle for the very first time. You will worry whether will they fall? And if they fall, what should you do? Should you pull them up? Or let them to stand up on their feet by themselves? What if they hate riding a bike after the fall and never wanting to try again? And what should you do if they are too good in it and requested to ride a motorbike instead?

 

There were so many ‘what-if’ questions the night before 7.3.2012 and I ended up not knowing what to do, except praying to God for whatever He think is the best for all these children and me.

 

The very next morning, I was inspired to make posters for my 3 Maths class students (I still have this spontaneous ability which have pros and cons.. =.=). Initially, I didn’t know what to write to my students. Should I write as a message from the teacher (me) or should I write on behalf of them? After taking nearly half an hour sitting in front of my teacher’s table, I saw my hand with a black marker pen in it started writing animatedly. Teachers who passed by my table which was located at the back of the staff room were curiously and came near me.



One of the teacher surprisingly asked, “Tan, are you going to teach later?”

I smiled, looked at her and replied, “No lar. Just writing a few words for the students”.

“Wow… You know, you don’t have to do such things to them. I’m afraid they wouldn’t appreciate your effort”, she replied and left after I returned her with a smile.



She could be right and wrong but that is not my main concern.
So, these are my posters for each class. 1Sp2 is the best class, 1SP3 is the better class and 1SP4 is the good class – in term of Maths performances.

I don’t know how much my students appreciate and understood the message from my motivational posters. I don’t know even if these posters work. What I actually want most is to show my moral support and motivate all of them who have been working hard throughout the 3 months to give their best in the 1 hour with 38 questions paper. To those who didn’t even do and turn in my homework, these posters will remind them to work harder after this because there is a Maths teacher who care for them all the time *fingers crossed*

 

Did you spot my infamous dinning room clock? >.<

I pasted 1 poster in each classes on the whiteboard and made them read aloud together with me before the exam begin. I even placed my emm… house’s clock in front of the classroom with the hope that they can keep track on their time because to answer Maths questions, one  really needs good time management.

Hahaha… I STOLE CLOCKS from MY HOUSE, could you believe it? =P

So, the exam begun at the dot of 5.40pm and the corridor were full of bags, books and surrounded with the sound of the winds. I had never seen the school in such a quite state when more than 600+ students were in the buildings.

  

I adore seeing my students in such a serious mode. I could see they were trying their best and attempted each questions quite well.

 

While waiting nervously for the time passes, I walked along the corridor and snapped a few photos:

The school has the best sunset scenery

 

In the end of the exam, I have students who came and told me how easy-peasy the paper was. Next, I have students who told me they knew the answers and I even have students who frankly told me, “Susah lah cikgu! I sure failed one. Matilah ku”.

The student in brown and yellow shirt (on the most right) was smiling because he told me that he could answer the paper.. I hope he is right =)

That is how my first experience as teacher, seeing my students fought in the battlefield. Also, it is my first time being scolded by my mum for stealing all the clocks from home. Lolx…

 

P/s: Ranjeetha (one of the 50 Teach For Malaysia Fellows) found the idea of  pasting a poster to each class is a good idea to motivate students and she might do it tomorrow. Let’s pray for a good effect for these children =)

P/s/s: Now, it is time to mark theirs papers.. aja aja fighting!

Cute Little Ellane ♥

I guess, lately I am more adjusted with my new teaching life. Or should I say, I am learning to be less stressful towards my new job? There are still a ton of things which need to be worked on but I also realized that my inner child wants to be nurtured. Therefore, photography came into the picture.

Just last Saturday, Calv and I visited Steve and his family to celebrate their new born. I brought my DSLR along, hoping that I will get a chance to get help from the-sifu (Steve is an expert). I am still a very new DSLR owner. Thus, there are still a lot more to be learned from all the experts =)

I was pretty shy at first to bring out my new toy because I didn’t feel it was a good time to disturb the hosts of the event. However, I was wrong when Calv managed to find a right time and broke my shy-ness away. I couldn’t tell why but I am a pretty shy person.

 

Anyway, I managed to get Steve’s help with the DSLR setting and have her cute daughter as my model after that. She is seriously cute and adorable!

 

I love the bokah effect.

Two cute ponny tails.

The best cheeky smile of Ellane =D

Ellane and her dad’s DSLR.

Mummy was dressing Ellane up.

 

I like my first photo album collection so far. What do you think?


One of the reasons that I like the most is the ability to snap some of the very precious moments – especially on Ellane’s facial expression because she moved so fast and my camera barely focused on her!

Photography is a real fun and therapeutic activity for me. I would love to do as much as I can in the near future. I wonder, can I snap my students when they are having their first formative exam tomorrow? =P

P/s: More to come!

Today and Tomorrow

 

One day, we will transform into a beautiful, gorgeous butterfly.
Keep believing in ourselves. We will, one day…

10 New Promises A Soon-To-Be Transformational Teacher Made For Herself.

#1 Rest More Cikgu Telur
First of all, I would want to promise myself that I will own more resting time starting from next Monday after finishing all my lesson planning for the new week and month. I don't want to stay up late or wake up too early to spend long hours on daily planning. It’s tiring. I need to be more effective in order to treat myself and my students better. Those panda eyes should be get rid of immediately!

 

#2 Remember my students’ names
I am still having a terrible time on remembering my students’ names – about 240+ of them. Each day, I need to ask my students for their name (again, and again). This is already the 8 weeks and I could only remember 10% of the names, 40% of the faces. Omigosh! Since small, I am bad in remembering names. It seems like names don’t stick in my brain. That’s also why I am bad with history and biology because there are too many names and terms to be remembered >.<

 

My current initiative is to ask them write down and decorate their names and ambitions interestingly on a piece of A4 paper. Then, the name tag will be place on their own table.

I wonder, do you have any secret that work for you and you would want to share? Please do.

#3 Understand my students’ dreams
In this particular first year, I wish to be able to understand as many of my students’ dreams. I want to know them personally as a person and their goals in life so that I am able to offer my help and service better. I believe that knowing one’s life purposes and goals in life are essential because that is what keep us in purpose and alive.


We want to know what we are capable of, what make us thick and how we can contribute back to the society. Thus, I hope to be able to reach as many students as possible. I realize, many of my students at the age of 13 have little awareness on what they want in life and dreams (this happened to me too back in those ages). Maybe they are still young but this is a good time to expose them to the bigger picture for their own benefit. I am teaching Maths and Civic and I had done this activity to all my classes. Would want to discover more whenever there are chances.

 

#4 Be more religious.
I promise to be more religious towards completing my Teacher’s Lesson Record Log Book starting from today. I will write my brief lesson plans as early as possible (because normally I write my lesson plans in another format). I will wrap it up and add some spices in so that it is no longer in green I want it to be pink!

#5 Get involved with more students in different classes.
I would love widen my ‘friendship circle’ with more students from other classes and forms in the coming days. I realize I could have the chance and opportunity while I am patrolling students’ disciplines during recess or relief absence teacher’s class. Or maybe during school activities too like co-curriculum and sport activities.

#6 Be a student’s tracker expert!
As a Teach For Malaysia fellow, we need to track students’ academic performance in class as often as possible (better for daily). We will key in their result on every successful Independent Practice session (where students attempt question by themselves after the lesson to test their understanding). I need to learn and pick up so that I could key in the data instantly.

 

#7 Plan more interesting activities for Maths Club!
I am assigned as one of the Maths Club supervisors. We need to think and plan activities for the club. So far, I had done a funny yet interesting games to my students. It was about determine the perimeter of the school hall using the items you picked. Lol.. one of the students picked a clipboard and the group had to use the item and make calculation. So cute but then, it is still related to Maths especially reflecting on the ancient days when ruler and length unit had not been introduced. Anyway, hahaha.. they are  still funny! What a good cikgu, laughing at her own students =D =D =D

They enjoyed the activity and I am glad to know it. Thus, now I need to plan more fun activities for the club. Emm.. idea.. idea….



#8. Wear more cute stuff?
I am a bit doubtful to type this but then… well.. ok.. I am gonna write this. I am gonna wear more cute stuff to school because, eventually students like to describe me as ‘comel’ (cute). I don’t know why but they will express the word doubtlessly.  If that is the case, I am gonna wear more cute stuff like this?

Bought by Calv at Jonker Street. I still have a pair of pandas and owls.
Kawaii neh~
^_^

#9 Do more market survey.
Yes, I should do more market survey to gain inspiration and ideas for my lesson in class. I want to connect my students with the picture of the real world. This can help to cultivate their creative and critical mind. So yes, let me do the tough job.

Example:
Why do we learn circles and radius? (Can you guess the answer?)

     

And how and why does sales work? =))

If you have any great, awesome and useful idea for the children, do share with me here! I would really appreciate your help =D

 

#10 Stop admiring the sky.
I had been warned not to admire the sky anymore because.. emm…. i am not gonna say it. Just see the picture I took when I was on the way back to home. The full-of-hope-sky-picture =P

All right. Time to learn to obey my #1 promise.
Wish me have another meaningful lessons for the children tomorrow. Thank you.
Good night everyone <3

I Want To See More ‘ColorBlind’

I don’t know why there were tears in my eyes when I was watching this short videoclip. It was shared by one of my friends, Soon Seng in an online group discussion.

 

 

This somehow remains me of that particular class where students are so bothered by their classmates’ skin color and ended up into fights – almost everyday.

 

I was being scheduled to make replacement (relief class) to the class today and I found myself repeating the same yelling, “Stop fighting! STOP!”

They were fights between the Indian and Chinese students. A Chinese student who were trying to make fun of me questioned in Mandarin, “Teacher, why are there so many Indian students in our class?”

 

It just struck me. I don’t know what to answer and I only managed to reply, “All of you are special and you guys can learn a lot from each other”. Well, my words were falls on deaf ears. He just laughed and ran away with his buddies.

 

Probably the idea was too abstract for a 13 year old kids to understand. I don’t blame them. I don’t blame the parents nor teacher neither. I understood the history of our country, as well as the diversity and political issues. There are unique, complex and tricky.

I don’t know how much I can do for these children especially in term of cognitive and moral developments before I leave the school in 2 years. At the moment, I can only plant as much seeds as possible to these vast ground and water them as often as I can with a big hope that one day, they will understand and grow as a wise, humane person.

 

I want to see more of this in our younger generation.

 

All of us are like a big family despite of colors. Wait, what color do I mean? Rainbow?

 

Would that be possible?