An Unconventional Teacher

morning … went to do the weekly wet-marketing, bringing Mag and Er to the nearby pasar. I guess few of the aunties’ stall could recognise me by now. "lau she" … they called me. Errr … sound weird being called ‘teacher’ by aunties whom i do not teach!! Even when my students address me that way, i feel ‘awkward’? Hmm … i should be used to it after 18 years of teaching? In fact i started teaching(giving tuition) since i was form 5/6, to my neighbours’ kids. BUt, officially i started teaching in Stamford in 1990, APRIL. Currently i m into my second year with Sinaran. I do like it here … maybe just that my passion for Maths is waning … or is it teaching?

Anyway, Happy ‘lau she’ day to me! Hehe

To Orange

Comment : I do not disagree that academic results is VERY important to success. BUT, it all boils down to what you term SUCCESS as. If success = money, , status, power …. then, yes. MAYBE you might turn out to be a doctor/specialist or whatever highly-demanded desgination BUT even that does not guarantee money, status or power you crave for. You see, as human we will become GREEDIER. Your human/inhumane values changed as you ‘move-up’. From a naive you, you might turn into a cunning person, playing the tune according to the society, in the name of SUCCESS. Look how innocent/naive you were when you were 5 yrs old? Today you hv mastered the skills of giving excuses or blaming, no longer NATURAL(with your emotions), etc etc … what we all ADULTS condone. We hv ‘accepted’ lies or bribery as part of our lives(to certain extend). How many of us talk about HUMAN values these days? Hmm…

It is an interesting debate … i attended one by my students before … speaking about the pros/cons of EDUCATION TO THE ROAD OF SUCCESS. It is debatable. Because most PARENTS(subset of a society) seeing RESULTS is important, it makes ME very stupid if i say RESULTS is not everything. It is like we all going out and tell people that MONEY is not everything. It is important but not EVERYTHING? Tell that to anyone these days … MONEY is THE ONLY thing in their lives!! RESULTS is the ONLY THING in students lives!! When the students graduated, MONEY, STATUS and POWER take over! And the cycle continues …

To me EDUCATION is the most important part of growing up. Education starts when we were 2 yrs old … and it starts from home. Nothing to do with exams, it is all pleasure of learning. Learning process is education. Failing a Maths exams is education. Playing a volleyball game is education(winning or losing is part and parcel of playing) — how you take it and such. Can students stand up and tell me they ENJOY going to school as they find the subjects they are learning in school are interesting and widening their knowledge? I could continue to open-up a debate on how INCORRECT our society sees EDUCATION. Our students no longer enjoy learning in schools anymore(compares to 20/30 yrs ago!). Teachers NO LONGER enjoy teaching in schools. To them, it is like ‘no choice’, or it pays for my living or got longer holiday ma? Teachers stand up … tell me that you LOVE EDUCATION, you teach because you ENJOY seeing the youngsters learn some knowledge from you. You are proud and touched as today is teacher’s day — to recognise your teachings!! Arrghh … i m very doubtful about the sincerity of my UNEDUCATED society — students and teachers alike. At least i cant proudly say that i do enjoy what i m doing! Not many in working adults enjoy what they are doing, fyi. It is like not many students enjoy what they are learning from school. Or am i wrong? Hmm …

For your info, i was fascinated with Maths and Geography … so, i studied the universal Maths,  … and global world’s geography!! I do not really bother much about the syllabus(till one month before PMR/SPM/STPM exams). I studied for knowledge … while failing in my school’s exams! It is NOT wise, obviously. That is plain STUPID, many reminded me. But i think i enjoy studying more than some of my friends who get all the ’A’s?! I dont feel stress doing Maths 4hours/day?! Hehe …

—–pause—- Hmm … i better put a pause here, otherwise i could be VERY cheong-hei la. Haha

Sutera

I played badly last night … 168, 200 and 154. The third game cost the team to lose two valuable points. Hmm … hope i could redeem myself next week. As we drew 2-2, the top team(KS’s) lost 0-4 to the Sukma’s youngsters. So, we should be climbing back to no 1 spot!! Yeah …

你是我所有的回憶 - 齊豫 <— what a beautiful song! Tell me, HOW many teachers do you know who enjoy songs, keep up with the latest of songs while appreciating this old classic? And i m not even chinese-ed. I self-learned Mandarin!! Today, i could read simple characters!! Enjoy …

(李泰祥 曲﹐侯德建 詞)

雨在風中 風在雨裡
你的影子在我腦海搖曳
雨下不停風 風吹不斷雨
風靜雨停 仍揮不去想念的你
看小雨搖曳 看不到你的身影
聽微風低吟 聽不到你的聲音
眼睛不看 耳朵不聽
你是我所有的回憶….

"You are all my memory is"

The rain is in the wind, the wind is in the rain
Your figure is waving in my mind
Rain couldn’t calm the wind, wind couldn’t stop the rain
When wind diminishes, rain ceases, you are still in my mind…
Watching the drizzles falling, can’t see you…
Listening the wind humming, can’t hear you…
Won’t look, won’t hear
All my memory left is of you

(Translation: Wendy Wang)