Sunday, March 12, 2006
Animal farm
It's been a long while since I last blogged. But since there's a breather now, I shall take the opportunity to do some updates.
I still stick to the philosophy that kids need and want to know that you sincerely care for them. And I think that is key to winning them over to your side and getting them to cooperate with you.
I tested this again with my Sec Ones. Bunch of animals, I tell ya. It's like walking into a zoo! (Just that you dun have to fork out $20!) Teachers are also animal trainers, I would say... =) Especially when the whole class is chaotic during groupwork. But at least they completed their jobs... so I was nice. Anyway my patience was really tested by a pair of very distracted, heck-care kids. I used the soft approach, but they climbed over me. So I resorted to threatening.
Eg. "If you don't see me after school today, you will hear your name over the PA system."
Reason: They were incorrigible. Supposed to see me for remedial on Monday... but they didn't turn up the whole week till I resorted to this on Thursday.
Eg. "If you don't finish your work, you can stay back and accompany me after school."
Reason: ALL the groups had finished drawing their maps, but theirs was blank. And in a group of 4, only the 2 poor little boys were working. The 'tai-tais' were gossipping away as if they had hired the boys to work for them! Gets on my nerves! When their behaviour continued even after school, I sent the 2 boys home and left the tai-tais to fend for themselves. When they still took their own sweet time, I resorted to their Netball teacher, who had a good talk with them. And miraculously, the map was drawn in less than 10 minutes! And I got one of them into the staff room for a 1-on-1 rememdial. I was nice to her. Seriously. No blood was involved. Heh. And she even thanked me and said bye afterward! Hah! I score!
An another girl who was kachiao-ing her fren during my remedial... I made her do my worksheet even though she din need to. She was super pissed off. I din care. C'mon... if you have the time to kachiao your fren, you might as well join your fren for remedial. She cursed and swear and threw tantrum. I was calm. I told her firmly. "You can curse and swear all you like, but I don't care, you'll still have to do my worksheet." In the end, I made her do 1-on-1 with me too. When she was in the staffroom, I told her nicely that I just needed to know if she knew how to do it. Once she proved it to me, she could leave. She failed. So I taught her, and I think she appreciated it. So I win. Hah!
But I must say I was really quite furious with them. But all I did was crush the paper and throw it into the bin. That had a nice calming effect I must say. Heh. But on hindsight, I'm glad I was firm and didn't compromise my values. Thank you God for giving me the courage and the conviction.
Anyway, so that was school.
I still stick to the philosophy that kids need and want to know that you sincerely care for them. And I think that is key to winning them over to your side and getting them to cooperate with you.
I tested this again with my Sec Ones. Bunch of animals, I tell ya. It's like walking into a zoo! (Just that you dun have to fork out $20!) Teachers are also animal trainers, I would say... =) Especially when the whole class is chaotic during groupwork. But at least they completed their jobs... so I was nice. Anyway my patience was really tested by a pair of very distracted, heck-care kids. I used the soft approach, but they climbed over me. So I resorted to threatening.
Eg. "If you don't see me after school today, you will hear your name over the PA system."
Reason: They were incorrigible. Supposed to see me for remedial on Monday... but they didn't turn up the whole week till I resorted to this on Thursday.
Eg. "If you don't finish your work, you can stay back and accompany me after school."
Reason: ALL the groups had finished drawing their maps, but theirs was blank. And in a group of 4, only the 2 poor little boys were working. The 'tai-tais' were gossipping away as if they had hired the boys to work for them! Gets on my nerves! When their behaviour continued even after school, I sent the 2 boys home and left the tai-tais to fend for themselves. When they still took their own sweet time, I resorted to their Netball teacher, who had a good talk with them. And miraculously, the map was drawn in less than 10 minutes! And I got one of them into the staff room for a 1-on-1 rememdial. I was nice to her. Seriously. No blood was involved. Heh. And she even thanked me and said bye afterward! Hah! I score!
An another girl who was kachiao-ing her fren during my remedial... I made her do my worksheet even though she din need to. She was super pissed off. I din care. C'mon... if you have the time to kachiao your fren, you might as well join your fren for remedial. She cursed and swear and threw tantrum. I was calm. I told her firmly. "You can curse and swear all you like, but I don't care, you'll still have to do my worksheet." In the end, I made her do 1-on-1 with me too. When she was in the staffroom, I told her nicely that I just needed to know if she knew how to do it. Once she proved it to me, she could leave. She failed. So I taught her, and I think she appreciated it. So I win. Hah!
But I must say I was really quite furious with them. But all I did was crush the paper and throw it into the bin. That had a nice calming effect I must say. Heh. But on hindsight, I'm glad I was firm and didn't compromise my values. Thank you God for giving me the courage and the conviction.
Anyway, so that was school.
# posted by Banana Saviour @ 6:06 PM 
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heh dear..
one thing u have to bear in mind is that as a trainee, we have the luxury of time to do 1to1. but when we become trained animals trainers, we may not have the luxury anymore. :)
one thing u have to bear in mind is that as a trainee, we have the luxury of time to do 1to1. but when we become trained animals trainers, we may not have the luxury anymore. :)
Yeah true.... but the basis of it all is that the kids need to know that we care, that's why we are making them do the things they don't particularly desire to do. Kids can be sensible, I think. Most are, anyway! Heh.
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