Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Intangible vs Tangible feelings
Know the naggy feeling of feeling anxious, yet too busy to sit down and 'attend' to it? Coupled with the desire to produce results by striving for the very best yet tied down to the emptiness of your treasure bag of ideas? It makes my heart beat faster. It makes my brain work overtime, even when I'm sleeping. It makes my tummy empty. (Is my tummy linked to my treasure bag of ideas??)
It's a period of experimentation with the different pedagogies, and a continuous battle of wits. Me? Witty? NO! I am SILLY! (As stated in Johari window... Heh.)
A brief update about the situation.
Sec 1s: Very fun. I have the freedom to try out anything and anything with them. (As ridiculous as can be...) And they are with me. So it's just awesome! =)
Sec 2s: I have had but 1 lesson with them. But here, I have the freedom to try out anything and anything with them as well. I hope to continuously interest them and have loads of fun. But it's tough filling the shoes of a popular and capable ct.
Sec 3s: I had only 1 class with them as well. But unfortunately, I allowed it to ruin my day yesterday. I went in with the intention of befriending them, by having fun with them, by inspiring them, by making them interested. But they kinda tested me till I found it off-limits. So I was kinda upset with them, cos I had to resort to unhappy methods. I dislike this. Why can't we just have a fun, fulfilling time together?
Anyway, the task at hand now is to experiment with ways to interest the latter group. It's tough cos the system that is in place for them is there for a reason, yet it isn't the most sound pedagogy ever. And I don't fancy it myself. I'll have to tread on thin ice to find my own pedagogy that will possibly work. And classroom management! Man... I think that is a scale up for me! Micro-management is probably the way to go. I'll figure it out... somehow... hopefully before March!
K enuff whining. I am not about to sink. I'm gonna fight! "Hai-ya!!"
Things to reflect on:
1) Ever felt bad for the rest of the class who want to concentrate, yet it's impossible cos of several cartoon-ey figures acting up?
2) Ever felt your heart sinking when you are marking a test and marks just fly out of the window unnecessarily?
3) Teaching is like watering a plant. You need to water it, fertilize it, transplant it, prune it and in the process, weed it. If we look into the future, we will have hope. Be optimistic and enthusiastic over each class.
4) Persevere even when the going gets tough. Only through trials and tribulations will we be toughen and grow. All things happen for a reason. Only by persevering through the toughest times can we say that we have succeeded.
5) How do we want to make an impact? Character development? Pedagogy? Whatever.... focus on it and make an effort. We can make an impact even though it's just 10 weeks. This is a challenge I need and want to take up myself. How will we know we have made an impact? When the kids miss you when you are gone, I guess. But not just in the popularity arena, the short-term effect. I'm referring to us being pleasantly etched in their memory. I think that is one thing that motivates me.
6) When things go wrong in the class, it's not us. It's the kids. And they are not problem kids. They are kids with problems. They are kids, but we are adults. We should be the more rational ones. Don't be afraid of them. They are just kids.
Okie, enuff said. Good luck to all!
It's a period of experimentation with the different pedagogies, and a continuous battle of wits. Me? Witty? NO! I am SILLY! (As stated in Johari window... Heh.)
A brief update about the situation.
Sec 1s: Very fun. I have the freedom to try out anything and anything with them. (As ridiculous as can be...) And they are with me. So it's just awesome! =)
Sec 2s: I have had but 1 lesson with them. But here, I have the freedom to try out anything and anything with them as well. I hope to continuously interest them and have loads of fun. But it's tough filling the shoes of a popular and capable ct.
Sec 3s: I had only 1 class with them as well. But unfortunately, I allowed it to ruin my day yesterday. I went in with the intention of befriending them, by having fun with them, by inspiring them, by making them interested. But they kinda tested me till I found it off-limits. So I was kinda upset with them, cos I had to resort to unhappy methods. I dislike this. Why can't we just have a fun, fulfilling time together?
Anyway, the task at hand now is to experiment with ways to interest the latter group. It's tough cos the system that is in place for them is there for a reason, yet it isn't the most sound pedagogy ever. And I don't fancy it myself. I'll have to tread on thin ice to find my own pedagogy that will possibly work. And classroom management! Man... I think that is a scale up for me! Micro-management is probably the way to go. I'll figure it out... somehow... hopefully before March!
K enuff whining. I am not about to sink. I'm gonna fight! "Hai-ya!!"
Things to reflect on:
1) Ever felt bad for the rest of the class who want to concentrate, yet it's impossible cos of several cartoon-ey figures acting up?
2) Ever felt your heart sinking when you are marking a test and marks just fly out of the window unnecessarily?
3) Teaching is like watering a plant. You need to water it, fertilize it, transplant it, prune it and in the process, weed it. If we look into the future, we will have hope. Be optimistic and enthusiastic over each class.
4) Persevere even when the going gets tough. Only through trials and tribulations will we be toughen and grow. All things happen for a reason. Only by persevering through the toughest times can we say that we have succeeded.
5) How do we want to make an impact? Character development? Pedagogy? Whatever.... focus on it and make an effort. We can make an impact even though it's just 10 weeks. This is a challenge I need and want to take up myself. How will we know we have made an impact? When the kids miss you when you are gone, I guess. But not just in the popularity arena, the short-term effect. I'm referring to us being pleasantly etched in their memory. I think that is one thing that motivates me.
6) When things go wrong in the class, it's not us. It's the kids. And they are not problem kids. They are kids with problems. They are kids, but we are adults. We should be the more rational ones. Don't be afraid of them. They are just kids.
Okie, enuff said. Good luck to all!
# posted by Banana Saviour @ 7:57 PM 
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