Module for 'Catch Us if You Can'

In the process of writing a module for my students to use next year. They will be the first batch taking SPM and that means a lot to SASEM! I hope I can finish in time so that all fifth formers will be able to use it from January. However, I have been under the weather the whole of last week- low blood pressure (I probably over exerted myself playing badminton with the students in Khalifah Hall...) dizziness (thanks to Azhar for sending me home on Thursday. All I did was sleep sleep and sleep..) and now an itchy throat! With my lappy now trying to work on that module. Pray that I can finish my job :)

The Thinking Teacher

Memorising essays?

I was slightly bothered by my students' comments on a suggestion that they memorise essays for the SPM. I've heard of such an idea for some time now but I have never asked my students to memorise essays for the SPM. Memorising chunks or interesting phrases and expressions is still palatable but memoring full essays? The idea was to learn the essay (one of two) by heart and to 'adjust' the content for open-topics or the narrative. We are all familiar with topics such as 'Friends' (open topic) and a story ending with say, "...If only I had listened." The advice my students got was to memorise an essay and to make the necessary editing to fit the title. This is because, according to my students, who had listened to the talk,  in the SPM assessment, the content does not matter. What matters is the language...

Here's my two-cents on the matter:

i)  This 'method' is probably best suited for weak to very weak students who can hardly write but there is a danger in that the student's real language is easily traced to Directed Writing.Through this method, teachers hope that these students will at least gain some marks.

ii) Yes, the main concern in Paper 1 is language. But if your Directed Writing is a 'C' band and your Continuous Writing is 'A' due to memorising, it will still cost you dearly. Experienced examiners will be able to trace this easily. 

Exams do cause teachers to look for desperate measures to make sure students pass English.  But if everyone follows this method, what will happen to the standard of English in the country? Isn't it already low? Meanwhile I have some damage control to do with my classes :)

The Thinking Teacher

TRO cervical spondylosis?

This is not some mellifluous term...or some cryptic puzzle to crack- this is a medical condition. Last week the MRI and x-ray scan showed that I have TRO cervical spondylosis. Small wonder I've been experiencing the symptoms lately: dizziness and lost of balance when walking (and sometimes driving), headaches, numbness on the fingers and pain in the upper right back and neck. "It comes with age," said Dr Neo, the Consultant Otthopaedic Surgeon in Utama specialist hospital. There is no cure. I just have to learn to ease the pain. After a jab and some medication, I reached home at Mahgrib in time for breaking fast that day. Thanks to Dr Zainudin (Poliklinik Intan) for suspecting it first and advising me to do MRI. Well, am glad that I finally know what the problem is. It's been nagging me for a year. Now at least I can move ahead and find out the best ways to handle the matter. Insya Allah am positive I will be fine :)

A much welcome break...thank you God. I need this time and space to think, think and think...wow that's a lot of thinking to do :) 

Selamat Hari Malaysia!

 


The Thinking Teacher

Teacher Talk (28)

From:
To: Rahmah Sayuti <rahmahs@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 1, 2012 8:51 AM
Subject: Reading stance among students

Salam Rahmah, I used to follow your blogs.  I believed your teaching experiences will answer my questions that always spin in my head.   I read  a numbers of journals and I found that students when it comes to English literary text, they don't adopt the aesthetic reading stance which is necessary in order to understand the poem or novels.  I think most of them with technology at the finger tips especially blogs make them demotivated to read or depends on blog in terms of reading. It is not that I'm against the blogs, but more to confirm my findings with the current trends of malaysian students.  What do you think about this?

Thanks,
***

The Thinking Teacher