Cuti datang lagi (~_~)
It feels extremely good to lay on your bed. Being on my precious bed and having no one around enable me to reflect. Yeah, it may sound a little bit too academic to say that Im reflecting now but that is exactly what Im doing since this morning. And to be honest, Im having bundles of fun!
Looking back to past weeks, I realise that Ive been doing a lot and applying a number of teaching approaches and strategies which I believe suit the learners well. I teach them the way I want my teacher to teach me, deal with them the way I wish my teacher deals with me and help them the way I hope to be helped when I was in school. To be honest, I want to give them world.
They are motivated students who are eager to learn. However, I am just a practical teacher who just start realising the fact that it is not solely about getting a good TESL degree but it is the matter of how much you're willing to give your best and sacrifice your time, energy and money for your students.
The best example of me sacrificing my time for my students was on the day in which my supervisor, Sir Foozi, was coming to observe my teaching. I wasnt well-prepared to be observed. My lesson plan wasnt ready whatelse my teaching materials. I was walking from the canteen when I met my students. I had something to ask the class' treasurer but instead of me doing the asking, the class did the asking and begging. The issue was they really wanted to play volleyball but the PJ's teacher wasn't in. All they needed was a replacement teacher. And there I was. Looking at their faces, I didnt have the courage to say no. Though I had loads of work waiting on my table, I chose to spend my 80minutes watching them playing volleyball.
More, having a 'practical' label means that you're willing to be a 'kambing hitam'(my boy said this to me on my first week of my practicum). And hell yeah, my friend, Natra, and I have to do damn lot of works. We can complain but handsome words doesnt cook rice, isn't? The works need to be settled and instead of wasting time complaining, it is better to get our jobs done.
At times, I do feel exhausted and tired (I even thought of giving up teaching) but my students never fail to make my day. Their motivation to learn, their hard work, their funny talks make me feel recharged.
Let me share with you some of my students talk:
Situation 1
T: Ok class. Off you go to gotongroyong. Well, I wish you luck. (me smiling)
St 1: Teacher, where are you going?
T: Have some drink.
St 2: Can I buy you drink?
T: (smiling whilst arranging my papers)
St 3: Can I treat you a drink?
T: Ok then. How about Starbucks?
St 3: No teacher. I treat you aiskrim dua kupang.
Situation 2
T: Miss Wan is a bloated lady. Can you guess what is bloated?
Sts: (many guessed it wrong.some had already gave up)
St 1: Beautiful teacher. Miss Wan is beautiful.
T: Awwwww. Thank you.
Situation 3
T: Ok, Shafiya wrote 'not my cup of tea'. Wooo
St 1: What's the meaning teacher?
T: Ok Shafiya, what's the meaning?
Shafiya: Not my taste teacher.
T: Ok, not my tasteeee.
During the production stage. Students were directed to sit in groups. As when it is a group work, students were being students, they walked around the class and teased each other. They produced a lot of noise and the most was made by a group of boys teasing Shafiya and below is how I deal with noise.
T: Hey Hazim, if you really like her and want to tackle her, dont do this. Be a man. Be a man.
Class: Woooo
Shafiya: Eh, not my cup of tea.
T: Wahh.
Boys: Not my cup of tea also!
St 1: But Miss Wan is my cup of tea.
Situation 4 (in Bilik Tayangan):
T: (Talking to individual students on their essays)
Sts: (Make some noise)
St 1: Shhh. Teacher, these boys are so noisy.
T: Oh, it's okay. Just try not to kill each other k?
Sts: (Switched on TV and watched Astro Disney silently)
Situation 5 (Asking students to take out their books)
T: Where is your book boy?
St 1: Sorry teacher, my book is absent.
St 2: My book is not absent. I put it under my table.
St 3: In my table la.
Then I started teaching and asked students to copy something from the board.
T: Are you done copying?
St 1: Yesss.
T: (Erase the board then) Who said 'yes' just now?
St 1: (smiling)
T: Isn't you are the one who said that your book is absent? So how could you say yes? (Smiling because I knew he copied nothing from the board)
St 1: (start copying)
Situation 6 (Asking students to copy things from board and realised that some students were writing on papers)
T: Where's your book?
St 1: Forget teacher.
T: Sigh. You are such a forgetful boy. But hey, how could you do this to me? You are my representative. How could you (Sobs).
On the next day, he was among the first to submit his work.
Aren't they lovely?
Looking back to past weeks, I realise that Ive been doing a lot and applying a number of teaching approaches and strategies which I believe suit the learners well. I teach them the way I want my teacher to teach me, deal with them the way I wish my teacher deals with me and help them the way I hope to be helped when I was in school. To be honest, I want to give them world.
They are motivated students who are eager to learn. However, I am just a practical teacher who just start realising the fact that it is not solely about getting a good TESL degree but it is the matter of how much you're willing to give your best and sacrifice your time, energy and money for your students.
The best example of me sacrificing my time for my students was on the day in which my supervisor, Sir Foozi, was coming to observe my teaching. I wasnt well-prepared to be observed. My lesson plan wasnt ready whatelse my teaching materials. I was walking from the canteen when I met my students. I had something to ask the class' treasurer but instead of me doing the asking, the class did the asking and begging. The issue was they really wanted to play volleyball but the PJ's teacher wasn't in. All they needed was a replacement teacher. And there I was. Looking at their faces, I didnt have the courage to say no. Though I had loads of work waiting on my table, I chose to spend my 80minutes watching them playing volleyball.
More, having a 'practical' label means that you're willing to be a 'kambing hitam'(my boy said this to me on my first week of my practicum). And hell yeah, my friend, Natra, and I have to do damn lot of works. We can complain but handsome words doesnt cook rice, isn't? The works need to be settled and instead of wasting time complaining, it is better to get our jobs done.
At times, I do feel exhausted and tired (I even thought of giving up teaching) but my students never fail to make my day. Their motivation to learn, their hard work, their funny talks make me feel recharged.
Let me share with you some of my students talk:
Situation 1
T: Ok class. Off you go to gotongroyong. Well, I wish you luck. (me smiling)
St 1: Teacher, where are you going?
T: Have some drink.
St 2: Can I buy you drink?
T: (smiling whilst arranging my papers)
St 3: Can I treat you a drink?
T: Ok then. How about Starbucks?
St 3: No teacher. I treat you aiskrim dua kupang.
Situation 2
T: Miss Wan is a bloated lady. Can you guess what is bloated?
Sts: (many guessed it wrong.some had already gave up)
St 1: Beautiful teacher. Miss Wan is beautiful.
T: Awwwww. Thank you.
Situation 3
T: Ok, Shafiya wrote 'not my cup of tea'. Wooo
St 1: What's the meaning teacher?
T: Ok Shafiya, what's the meaning?
Shafiya: Not my taste teacher.
T: Ok, not my tasteeee.
During the production stage. Students were directed to sit in groups. As when it is a group work, students were being students, they walked around the class and teased each other. They produced a lot of noise and the most was made by a group of boys teasing Shafiya and below is how I deal with noise.
T: Hey Hazim, if you really like her and want to tackle her, dont do this. Be a man. Be a man.
Class: Woooo
Shafiya: Eh, not my cup of tea.
T: Wahh.
Boys: Not my cup of tea also!
St 1: But Miss Wan is my cup of tea.
Situation 4 (in Bilik Tayangan):
T: (Talking to individual students on their essays)
Sts: (Make some noise)
St 1: Shhh. Teacher, these boys are so noisy.
T: Oh, it's okay. Just try not to kill each other k?
Sts: (Switched on TV and watched Astro Disney silently)
Situation 5 (Asking students to take out their books)
T: Where is your book boy?
St 1: Sorry teacher, my book is absent.
St 2: My book is not absent. I put it under my table.
St 3: In my table la.
Then I started teaching and asked students to copy something from the board.
T: Are you done copying?
St 1: Yesss.
T: (Erase the board then) Who said 'yes' just now?
St 1: (smiling)
T: Isn't you are the one who said that your book is absent? So how could you say yes? (Smiling because I knew he copied nothing from the board)
St 1: (start copying)
Situation 6 (Asking students to copy things from board and realised that some students were writing on papers)
T: Where's your book?
St 1: Forget teacher.
T: Sigh. You are such a forgetful boy. But hey, how could you do this to me? You are my representative. How could you (Sobs).
On the next day, he was among the first to submit his work.
Aren't they lovely?
Enjoy today. In case if tomorrow never comes.
