Tuesday 31 December 2013

Back to school errr...teachers!


No, not students but you, yes you! Teachers! Ready for school tomorrow? Going back to school after the long holidays can be exciting, nerve racking and hectic depending on the situation. It can turn out to be the most critical and the most stressful. For a senior teacher like me , I will probably tweak a few things and make small adjustments to my teaching but the younger teachers may revamp their approach totally. It doesn't matter who you are. Some sort of transitioning is in order in the new academic term. Probably these tips will help:

  • Reflect on the past
Experience is the best teacher. There were times I needed to just throw out those lofty ideas that didn't work and opt for more practical and impactful ones. Never be afraid to try a new approach but remember that sometimes you need to tweak it to suit your students. Good and bad experiences are needed to guide us as teachers. Your teaching experience begins in the first five years of your teaching career not in university! Someone may argue with me on this but universities or teacher-training colleges prepare you with much of the theory. It is in a real school that you're posted to will you experience it firsthand what it means to be a teacher. It is in school that you marry the theory and the practice!

  • 2014 is a new year
Don't come to school with preconceived notions. No labeling of students from their past behaviour is necessary. Your students deserve a clean slate.  Remember that every student is unique and deserves our attention. Teachers should avoid making judgements on their students and worse to share that information with another teacher who will be handling the class.

  • Set your goals
Every teacher should have a set of expectations or goals that they want their students to reach. Goals are something both teachers and students can work towards. You can also set the goals with your students. Having a shared set of goals will push both teacher and students to work harder to obtain those goals.And remember that these goals can change as you progress, which is natural. I remember a former teacher in my secondary years saying "I have high expectations of you." That made me feel good! I felt the teacher had confidence in me and the remark motivated me to study.


  • Set the tone
If you want your students to respect you, you must first set the tone for the entire school year. And the most important thing is respect is often won or lost in those few days of school. A teacher must seize the opportunity to establish a rapport with his students but at the same time show them who is in charge. A teacher who hopes for all of his students to like him is not being realistic. Use the first few weeks of school to drill your students with class procedures, classroom instructional language, expectations and goals. There is nothing wrong starting out as a disciplinarian and then slowly easing off throughout the year.  Remember that education is a marathon not a sprint!

  •  Be prepared
Teachers must always be prepared. They must allocate time for lesson-planning. I have seen many who simply pick the coursebook and go to class everyday. Young teachers need more preparation time than veteran teachers simply because veteran teachers have the experience. Therefore take time to prepare that handout or to change teaching materials if the need arises. Teaching is essentially not a 7.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. job. It takes a lot of time to prepare before a teacher can really launch off!

  • Declutter your table!
Whoever said a messy table shows you're a creative person must be nuts! Logically speaking, it is hard to find that stapler or notes if your table is cluttered! Surely there are better ways to measure creativity. I work well with a clear table and space. I need acres and acres of table because space allows me to think clearly- as simple as that.


  • Love children
Always love children! If you don't have this quality or ability then you shouldn't be a teacher. Teaching can be easy if you don't want to care so much about your students. By giving them that handout or doing an activity, teachers may feel they have done a good job but our students need more than that. They need that personal touch from us.



Teaching is a special job. It requires special people to do the job! You are special!




The Thinking Teacher


Do we need new year resolutions?






It's that restless feeling you have when the new year ushers in right? I have the same feeling too despite that fact that Maal Hijrah was when I formed my resolutions. Do we need resolutions really? That's a resounding YESSS for someone like me although I forget the resolutions somewhere in the middle of the year :) I think I will print them and paste them somewhere visible so I'm reminded of them everyday :) Lets' see, this new year I'd like to....

  •  TAKE CARE OF MYSELF
If I can't commit to caring for myself, what good am I to my loved ones or my career? I will go back to the gym people, yes back to the gym! I will also make small changes to my lifestyle like taking the stairs when about (my son will laugh at me for saying this), and park my car slightly further away from the intended stop. Eating well? Makes sense this. Meng Huat watsapped (is there such a term) me just now with this message "Eat less and exercise more!" How apt! Yes, I need to replace comfort foods with healthy snacks and meals. I do get hungry often though...

Alleviating stress is an important agenda and my timetable and responsibilities next year are just perfect (I hope I'm not speaking too soon). It is as if Allah knows that I need to pay more attention to my health. Since I have cervical spondylosis aka neck athritis, health is my first priority. If this means rejecting extra projects, then I will do so. The fortnightly physio must continue and medications must be taken in the right doses.

  • STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES
We are pulled in many directions and rarely stop to recharge. This is so true isn't it? Planning ahead will be wise to redress the balance. I plan to spend more time with family and to take long walks (more like long drives- I do a lot of thinking in the car mind you) and perhaps carve out one day a week just for me-time!

  •   TRAVEL
My next travel destination is Turkey in sya Allah. Hoping to save enough to travel annually :) My previous trip to Spain and Morocco was simply unforgettable! It doesn't have to be faraway places as long as I can visit castles, historical buildings, parks...

  • TO BE A SOCIAL WORKER
May I realise that dream to do social work in 2014! For a start I have signed up with Islamic Relief Malaysia


But my most important wish of all is to be a better Muslim. Ya Rabb grant me patience and understanding in dealing with my daily life. Grant me a big heart to forgive and forget. Grant me the discipline to uphold my night prayers as I once did. You have shown me that You listened to my night virgil prayers when I was successful in my Special Grade C application. But I'm beginning to be indisciplined now...Grant me the strength to wake up at 3.00 a.m. once again to kneel before you and ask for Your mercy and love.



 Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, “The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer.” [Muslim] 





The Thinking Teacher


Friday 27 December 2013

Feeling upbeat about 2014 academic year!



Center: The Principal, En Mohd Noh Mohd Yusof flanked by our new PK HEM (Cik Noraazizah) and PK Koko (En Mazlan)



Funny how some meetings are conducted. Our second meeting today only required me to listen, listen and listen :) The day before yesterday, we had our first meeting and tomorrow will be the Curriculum Meeting . More listening strategies will be adopted I guess. Someone said to me once, having too many meetings is "the recipe for failure" based on the Germans' experience of losing the world war. I wonder if there is any truth in this...

I look forward to 2014 and teaching! I want to do a better job than I did last year especially with the PBS classes and I pray for better health.


A note on PMR 2013:
  • SASEM's PMR: GPS 1.13 
  • English Language: GPS 1.23 
  • Anugerah Cemerlang Sekolah Yang Mencapai ETR
  • Anugerah Emas (Kehadiran Pelajar)
Congrats to SASEM and all English teachers. This is what Allah has decided for so Alhamdulillah!



The Thinking Teacher

Sunday 1 December 2013

Johor English Teachers (JET)

Hi all,
I'm inviting you to join this group in facebook. All welcome! Just find us on fb and join the group :)






 



The Thinking Teacher