A Challenge Letter to the Teacher teaching the Unteachables

To the teacher teaching us... the Unteachables,

Here is a warning.

We will test your patience,
You will have to repeat your instructions a dozen times,
Most of the time you will need to write the instructions clearly,
one by one on the board because it is hard for us to concentrate
on lengthy verbal language.
And our attention priority is anything but you.
If you shout at us, it will fall on our deaf ear,
because we are used to adults screaming and talking in loud voices to us.

Beware.
We will push you to the limits,
With our ignorance about our future and education because
no matter where we go, we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Why bother caring then?
We will leave our books at home as we don't see the need to burden our body with the extra weight consisting of alien words and pointless terms.
Your blood will boil with our refusal to do your task and homework
as we don't have the ability to do it well.
The empty pages of our books are the evidence of our scream of failure.
It is easy to make it seem like we refuse to do it.
Between being labeled as stupid and incompetent we are rather labeled as rebellious.

Teacher,
we will challenge your authority, your decision, your reputation and your belief,
because we want to see what you will sacrifice to defend yourself.
You see, we have been failed before.
People who we thought we can trust failed us.
People who we thought we can depend on choosing something else over us.

Teacher,
Before you can teach us the ABCs,
you need to teach us how to be teachable.
You need to teach us to not give up even when we can make sense only two words in a whole text.
You need to teach us what is right and wrong because now the line is very blurry.

So, Teacher,
We will push, test and challenge you to the breaking point.
However, Teacher,

Please hold on.
Don't ever break.
Don't ever crumble.

No matter how many mistakes we made,
Do not give up on us.

Because in our confusing world called life we need someone who is strong enough to hold on.
We need someone calm enough to face the storm,
So we know we can trust our lives in your hand.
So we know we are safe to be whoever we want to be.


                                                                                 Sincerely,
                                                                                The Unteachable students from your class.


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Note from the author:
Since becoming a teacher I am much interested to know what goes on inside my student's mind. Hence, I tried to see things from their perspective to understand them.
This imaginary challenge letter is my effort to understand my student's world.

Igniting the Fire Within

A normal conversation in school.

Teacher M: Do you know student X? He is hopeless. He just comes to school to play and make fun of the teachers.

Student B: Teacher, do you know student X? He is very rude and naughty. No teacher likes him.

Student X: Teacher, I am stupid why should I bring books to the class? I only come to school to play.

*******************************************************

Every human has their reason and motivation to live. The power that pushes them to wake up every morning and face the world and all the thing it offers; good and bad. This motivation is our fire. It is our responsibility to keep our fire burning bright and strong.

However, as we keep this fire burning, there will be someone or something that is trying to splash water on our fire to put it out.

This is very true especially now when I am working as a teacher. As a new teacher I go into school with a fire burning bright blue. Motivated to meet new challenges everyday, a bit scared of the unknown but mostly excited to hone my skill as a teacher.

And every now and then, I am reminded again and again that there are students with their flame for learning extinguished. Everyday I meet people or circumstances who spray water on my burning flame. If I keep myself near this demotivating water, there is a risk that my own fire of motivation will be extingush. 

It is heartbreaking and sad to see students with no or weak fire to learn inside them. It is impossible for me to keep fanning and adding fuel to each of their fire so I will just focus on being their fire starter. Each day I walk into the classroom, I will try my best to keep sending sparks to ignite their fire, their passion for learning, their flame of motivation to be a better individual everyday.

At the end of the day, I want my student to have an eternal flame for learning and progress. This flame will help to carry them forward into a bright future.

Are you tough enough to be in a challenging environment that test you to the limit?

Are you motivated enough to keep your flame of passion burning bright and strong despite people throwing water at you?

If the answer is YES, then JOIN us.

Join us in the front line as the fire starter. 

Become a teacher and be the guardian of the fire of learning and progress.

What the world needs? A second chance.

The wait was long and sometimes I wonder where hope is. And yet here I am. In school.

I received the message to be prepared for posting on an average Tuesday morning. As I get settled in the school I realized that I need a battle plan.

New information was pouring in like water and some time I fear I will drown. Every day I met new 'aliens'. Weird and sometimes illogical things do exist. In the form of documentation, procedures, format, tradition, irrational expectation and poor planning.

Students came to school regardless of their life outside of school. As the school is situated in a village, the society is quick to label the student as unmotivated especially the male students.

The way I see it is they are shy students with limited knowledge of how big their world can be. Their priority in life currently is to make friends and play and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe that with the correct platform, opportunity, and encouragement I don't think they are lesser than any other students in any part of the country.

I want to believe that these students have so much untapped potential and have the ability to chance to be better once they put their mind to it.
They should have a second chance.

Feelings through placement period

These days,
I walk around with my head hanging low,
Heart sinking deeper and deeper by day,
oh, where should I get the courage to go on?

searching in my bag of feelings,
scared one day I reach the bottom,
oh hope, where are you?
come, sit by my side
I need a light because my path gets dark.
darker and darker by day,

oh, where did it go wrong?
Did I take a wrong turn?
Am I on the wrong road after all?
oh, where is the rainbow after the rain?

it is funny when I can't think of good things,
all I can think is despair.
Maybe today is a blue day,
A day to reflect on sadness.

Still, I wish I wish a rainbow will come tomorrow.
Stil I wish for the impossible to come true.

POW Week: I hope the wait will be short and the meeting come faster

Is it a pau?..no it is POW week or known as Placement Orientation Week.

Basically, what it means is that for the whole week we are just waiting for the 'golden' letter from the PPD/MOE. This letter is our ticket to enter the school we will be placed for 2 years.

                                                 The anticipation of receiving the letter at any day.

                                                  Imagining myself receiving the letter.


It is a ticket for the land of dreams (education/endless lesson plans/late-night/paperwork/exam).
It is a ticket to a realm of infinite possibility (student's result, observation, replacement class).
It is also a ticket for selfless people aiming to end the education inequity.

However, the letter didn't arrive as soon as we expect it to be. Instead of going to school on the 2nd January 2018 we were told the letter will arrive at the earliest on 22nd. Imagine the magnitude of this latest news. There were many reactions to this news. Some are depicted as below.

                                                 The I-am-just-gonna-stare-at-the-screen.

                                              The I-need-liquid-to-wash-down-this-news.

                                                 The I-need-to-take-this-news-with-drama

                                        As I am cool-headed this is how I took on the news.

This fact only starts to sink in for me the next day, as it means I have to travel back home while waiting for the letter. This also means increase money spent with no salary.

What am I feeling amid all these?
I am feeling NERVOUSCITED.
I am nervous due to the changes and uncertainty but also excited about the possibility of the future.

 So, let's just deal with it.




Thankfully, with the help of my friends and previous employer, I was able to secure an accommodation and work.

I believe there will be a rainbow after the rain. (If there isn't...I am gonna make one!)

Kem SKORlah Week 3: Week of celebration, appreciation and goodbye

It's week 3 guys!
It is the time our hard work for these past 6 weeks paid off.

We have seen real progress made by the students. The once shy and unconfident students took the center stage to perform in English, ask question and clarification in class, presented in front with clear and loud voice and mingle around with their classmates. I also saw some students who still shied away from the opportunity to speak in public so I hope they will be able to gather their courage and jump to the next opportunity they encounter.

Among the highlights of the week:

                                           Interviewing the principal for Student Project

                                          Getting student's opinion on the School Canteen

                      It is heartwarming to see group members started to work well with each other

                                       Some of the Sky High class performing in Moana choir.

Sky High class goal. All students to achieve Level 3 in reading, speaking and writing by the end of KemSKORlah.

Yes, we do aim high and I always expect the best from my students. But I also know that I am teaching a  human, not a computer. There were times my students were not able to achieve my success criteria and not paying attention in class but I know they are trying. They just need more time and I need to have a lot more patience.

Flowers bloom at different times, my students will also bloom when the time is right for them.

Give me some sunshine,
Give me some rain,
Give me another chance,
I want to grow up again.

Other than celebrating the achievement and noting down the students' achievement this week is also about appreciation. In the business of things, it is easy to forget to properly thank those who have helped me and also teaching students the spirit of appreciation.

Hence, in the check-in session, we have a 1:1 conversation with our home group student. I realized how important it is to let the students know that their presence is being appreciated as well as their effort in the class.

               Student's drawing to show how they have been included during KemSKORlah

                                                Our appreciation tree grew so big.

                                                       How my student sees me.

Throughout PSP week these colorful notes of encouragement, gratitude, apologies and constructive criticism have helped me grow.


One take away from the appreciation session is that we not only have to properly appreciate all people who have helped us but also to remember others that we didn't say our appreciation to. Because everyone needs to feel appreciated.

At the end of the week, we need to do this one last thing. We need to say goodbye. There were many different goodbyes.

                                           Some are happy goodbyes..we will meet again

.                                            Some are sad goodbyes...we will meet again too

Regardless of the different goodbyes, I realized that for some goodbyes are harder. However, for me, all goodbyes mean 'Till I see you again'.

That is all from me. Until I write again, Bye!



                                   

I love KemSKORlah...I really love KemSKORlah

I love KemSKORlah (lead)
I love KemSKORlah (all)
I really love KemSKORlah (lead)
I really love KemSKORlah (all)

Some may argue that the cheer was sung out of tune but, I think it achieved its purpose.
By the end of the 2nd week, it is impossible to unhear this cheer made famous by our beloved principal of KemSKORlah, Jessica.

The first week flew so fast.
I still remember how nervous I felt conducting the first lesson.

But, however nervous I felt. I must remain professional. I must stay calm. I am a teacher. I eat confidence for breakfast.

Later, during homeroom session, I found out that I was not the only one feeling nervous the first week.
The students were nervous as well.
They worried what kind of teacher they will get.
They were also worried about whether they can make any friend.
Boy, I was glad we started off in the same boat.

With the 2nd week, the nervousness was replaced by the stress of 'PERFECT' lesson plan.
I learned later on that the perfect lesson plan only exists in LaLa land.
As a teacher, I wanted to give the best lesson to my student and at times packing so many things to teach in one lesson because everything seems so important for them to know.

I still need a long way to master the art of effective but simple lesson plan. Often times, I envisioned the lesson plan will be completed in 3 hours but soon it is already 10.20pm and I need to rush to the print room before it closes.

                                             To the print room!!

Right around this time, my charming house guest from the land of Far Far Away, Fiona will make a comment that I look close to 80 years old. If she made her late-night visit around 12pm I will pass my 100 years by then.

FYI, Fiona if you are reading this, now I feel like I am 20 years old (flip shawl).

Our class name is Sky High and we proclaim the class as our kingdom. The ruler of Sky High kingdom consists of my amazingly royal colabs.
The ever-resourceful Princess Eileen and our singer/guitarist/FAB prince Gee Keat.
I know it sounds cheesy but..what the heck! It's our class.
By the way, I have taken the role of the queen.

                                             The Sky High kingdom..the kingdom of smiles

            Staying true to the kingdom concept, any request to go out during the lesson needs a passport.
                           (please note the 9 kingdom rules all citizens and rulers need to obey)

Introducing our colorful Parking lot which is full only after mandatory instruction to put on questions. Finally, we were able to get into the minds of our students. Hence, we started the week with a pep talk session during homeroom to answer the students question eg: how to become confident speaker, what did we study and where and a special request for guitar session.

Week 2 also saw the student project in full motion. Fall in love with the team (Fantastic Ten) who came up with comic strip concept to present their ideas. Tried to lead the project by guiding them to come up with their own ideas and solution for the environmental problem. I guess I need more practice in team building (note the obvious gap).

It was a stressful week indeed with the constant rush to finish lesson planning, managing the class, observation and debrief, PLC, breakout, and social sessions. It was easy to lose myself and got caught up in the whirlwind of things.

So, I learned it is important to take a break, to slow things down a notch and just enjoy simple moments with gratitude.

                                                    What does double rainbows mean?

                                        Writing on the foggy window while the sun is rising.

The rest of the class went for a selfie/groufie session with the HongKong visitors but these two stayed with me. 

When other fellows stayed within the country for the weekend, decided for a trip to SG.
And that is how Week 2 ends.