Finally!

Finally, Mama has finished marking and keying in the marks for the form 4 papers! What a relief to finally being able to blog, to read and to do anything Mama likes for the next 5 days. And after this, starting 24th November till 24th December Mama will be quite busy again.

Let's see, Mama has a lot of pictures to upload and stories to tell and Mama will try to do all those in these few days..

But before that, let's celebrate!

Still Busy

Sorry, the blog has to take the back seat since Mama is up to her neck with SPM trial exam scripts.

Snooze Class

Why do I keep dozing off in class?

We are going to be talking about what makes a good student, and what makes a bad student. In my personal experience, I believe a student who is full of energy and well attentive will do their best. Here is how to pay the most attention during class during your school career.

So many people I know aren't able to stay up for long periods of time during a class session at school, whether it be high school, or college. They just don't seem like they are able to stay focused, or just end up falling asleep during a lecture, or note taking. So I was thinking to myself what makes people stay awake, and what makes those other people in class fall asleep, so I came upon a short list of things that will help you stay more attentive during class.

First thing you want to do is stay well hydrated. When you drink water, it fuels you throughout the day. Make sure to drink not when you actually are thirsty, but before then. Sometimes, even though I don't like to say it, coffee in the morning helps people stay focused. But that normally causes people to just crash later because of the caffeine. So make sure if you have coffee, that you only have a class or two, and don't have to pay attention all day long. Otherwise your last classes will suffer.

So the day before did you get a good nights rest? If you didn't, and can't stay focused the next day, maybe that might be one of your problems. The body regularly go through R.E.M. sleep, (rapid eye movement), you go through phases of this throughout the night, which science had lead us to believe it is a step in recovering our lost energy, and charging our bodies up for the next days activities.

If you only get 4 or 5 hours of sleep, as opposed to someone who gets 8 or 9 hours of sleep, guaranteed that person will be more attentive in class than you are, unless of course that other person doesn't care about education, then that is an exception.

Eating breakfast is another big issue. Too many teenagers and young adults do not have breakfast, which will speed up your metabolism, which will make you have more energy, which will ultimately lead to you being able to focus better with your school work.

Sitting up straight is also one of my big ones. If I end up slouching through half the class, I get drowsy and sleepy and don't really retain information, even though I do watch what the professor does and I take notes. Make sure to sit up straight, and it will really make you force yourself to pay more attention, and retain more information.

Taken from : http://voices.yahoo.com/how-stop-dozing-off-during-class-3083460.html?cat=7

Silent Saturday

Senamrobik 1Murid 1Sukan 1Malaysia

Today like other nearly 4 million students nationwide, Mama's school has the Senamrobik
1 Murid 1 Sukan 1 Malaysia (1 Student 1 Sports 1 Malaysia Aerobics). According to the newspaper and the news, this program will be in the Malaysia Book of Records.

After the usual Asma-Ul-Husna, the National and State Anthem thingy, the principal gave a little speech about the significance of the event and he praised the students and teachers for their support of the programme. After that, we started the Senamrobik with a trained instructor at the helm. A few teachers went on the stage, to join the Principal and the Senior Assistants. The principal motioned to Mama to join, but Mama shook Mama's head and pointed to Mama's camera. A good excuse for A Great Escape, huh?

A Great Teacher

Congratulations on your retirement, Kak Hasnah

Over the last 3 years you have been a great colleague and friend by contributing ideas and suggestions to Mama. When Mama first came to this school, you were one of the few senior teachers who opened their welcoming arms to this new colleague. It's tough being in a new school, and the school is bigger than Mama's previous one and of course with more students and teachers too. And you helped Mama with Mama's new responsibilities because Mama had to learn it from scratch.

During the farewell assembly this morning, the Ustaz broke down while saying the Du'a and this made Mama's eyes welled up too. Mama and the others were glad that the surprise we planned for you went well. Your husband was sporting enough to show up at the assembly and sang 'Happy Birthday' while both of you cut

the cake together.

The hugs and kisses you get from friends are expected.
You have been teaching here, at this school, for 25 years...

Now, a new phase of your life is beginning. It is the time you have been waiting for, to spend more time with your beloved husband and family, especially with your only grand daughter.

We wish you a happy and fulfilling retirement. You will be greatly missed.

Oh My English!

There's a sitcom of the edutainment type that has finally come to town. ASTRO (our satellite TV station) has been giving us short clips on it and Mama has watched a few episodes. Mama's verdict? This programme teaches you how to use certain expressions properly and correcting the mistakes most Malaysians make when they converse in English. In short, Manglish.. (mangled English?).. Hahahaha..
Anyway, jokes aside, this gives a glimpse of what Malaysians do, especially the learners of English language when they converse or interact with others. It's hilarious but Mama does believe that you learn better with humour thrown in once in a while. The best thing of all, the station also provides a website for this, where you can watch the sitcom and there are also some interactive exercises that you can practise on.
Today, during the extra class, Mama brought along the laptop to key in some data to be sent to the Ministry of Education. After Mama finally finished her non-teaching task, Mama asked the students whether they had taken Mama's advice and tried out the exercises on the website. Some of them did, but most of them didn't so Mama grumbled a bit and said, 'You can spend hours chatting and commenting on posts on Facebook but could not spend a few minutes doing the exercises???'.
So there we were, trying the exercises together and when Mama looked at the pictures, taken (candidly) by one of the students

, Mama realised that for all the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs of being a teacher, this kind of moment is priceless.
As Mama looks back over nearly twenty years of teaching, Mama recalls innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. All of those dissolved when Mama looks at the innocent faces of Mama's students and is reminded of the faces of Mama's students who have walked in and out of Mama's teaching years.
The website's address : http://www.astro.com.my/ohmyenglish/

CPT & PSELT

When PTK (Penilaian Tahap Kompetensi) or Competency Level Evaluation is abolished, Mama was one of the thousands of teachers (and other government servants) who shouted for joy. Yeah, exams are for students who are still at the prime of their lives; they can absorb new things like sponge unlike us, the old-timers. Well, you can't teach old dogs new tricks, right?
 When we heard that we had to sit for two tests this week, Mama and friends were aghast. What? After years of teaching and they still doubt us? Mama doesn't blame the DPM (Deputy Prime Minister)for his concern though. Looking at the dismal results of English in the major public exams, it is no wonder he's stressing that the issue of maintaining and sustaining quality standards for teaching this subject is his key concern. The first test we sat was the Cambridge Placement Test.
 (From http://www.cambridgeesol.org/placement/
 The Cambridge Placement Test is an online adaptive test of Listening, Reading and Language Knowledge. It has been designed to be short and flexible to meet the needs of users who want to place English language learners at all levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) from Pre-A1-C2 in a wide variety of contexts.
 Score CEFR
level 90-100 C2 (Mastery)
        75-89 C1 (Effective proficiency)
        60-74 B2 (Vantage)
        40-59 B1 (Threshold)
        20-39 A2 (Waystage)
       10-19 A1 (Breakthrough)
         0-9 Pre-A1
 The second test (or rather self-assessment) was Pedagogy Standards for English Language Teaching. We have to answer series of questions based on our teaching skills and methods in classrooms.
 http://www.thesundaily.my/news/72109

 PSELT has identified six key areas of a teacher’s professional practice namely language proficiency, curriculum application, lesson planning, methodology, classroom management and assessment. An instrument consisting of 127 items has also been developed allowing teachers to conduct self-evaluation exercise. The standards can assist teachers in identifying their own strength and weaknesses, design learning goals and devise plans to achieve the goals. These standards also serve to inform the Education Ministry in planning, designing and implementing teacher development programmes.

Well, Mama had been assigned to invigilate and help the English Language teachers in Mama's department. But before Mama could do that, Mama had to sit for the test first. At the beginning there were some stressed souls, walking into the room but later all of us began enjoying ourselves answering the questions.

Goodbye and Thank you...

-We live in a society which generally undervalues the importance of teachers - they who are responsible for our most precious resource. Nothing can be achieved without people - and it starts with the children...
One of the English Language teachers spent her last day of teaching last Tuesday. Kak Sah taught the afternoon session (the form one students) so Mama rarely had the chance to know her well since Mama came to this school 3 years ago. However Mama knows she was a very dedicated teacher, and a very humble one too. Like others before her, we held a farewell ceremony at the school hall. Usually the teachers would deliver their final speech but Kak Sah adamantly refused to although a teacher had volunteered to prepare the speech for her. At first, Mama was quite perplexed why a teacher would be frightened to speak on stage because teachers usually are at ease speaking to and teaching their students and public speaking would not be a problem to them. Then Mama realised that a classroom and stage (with fellow teachers watching ) are totally different scenario altogether.
Sitting behind her during the ceremony, Mama thought "Will I be able to emulate her examples? Can I similarly embrace the challenges (that seem to be tougher) awaiting the teachers nowadays? I hope I will. I think I can."
And so today we say goodbye and thank you ...
embrace the knowledge that you,
have left a lasting legacy,
you have shaped and moulded brilliant minds,
you have guided compassionate souls and generous spirits ...
All of whom will create the cornerstones of the tomorrows still to come.

Thank you, Kak Sah...

Gotong Royong

As promised in previous entry, Mama will blog a bit about the recent activity in Mama's school last Saturday. We had the Program Jiwa Murni (Pure Heart Program) which was actually an euphemism for Gotong Royong. It went well, to our relief. It seemed that almost all teachers and students were so caught up in beautifying and cleaning the school compound and the classrooms that some of them were willing to continue this Wednesday. The main focus last Saturday was on the 'taman-taman' (parks), the classrooms and the noticeboards.The school prefects helped the teachers in charge of the noticeboards, the members of the clubs and societies helped their advisors with the parks and the rest of the students helped their class teachers to decorate and make their class more attractive and cheerful. When Mama went around the school to see the progress (and of course to take pictures), Mama could see they were enjoying themselves. And to end such a good day, the teachers had brought some food from home to share with their students and also with colleagues. Yeah, we Malaysians eat a lot. All the time. Enough said.

Meanie Mama

Pity them. Mama knows they meant well and this is the way they showed their appreciation to Mama but well, Mama had to be mean (as usual). Mama loves taking pictures of people, places and anything that take Mama’s fancy. Everybody at school knows that Mama carries her ‘point and shoot’ camera in her handbag all the time. And when there are special occasions at school or if we celebrate something, Mama will make sure Mama is always available to take pictures and Mama knows the students (and even some teachers) wait eagerly for the pictures to be uploaded to Mama’s Facebook.
Well, Mama digress. Today Mama’s school had the Jiwa Murni / Gotong Royong Programme. What is Gotong Royong some of you might ask. According to Wikipedia:
Gotong-royong is a conception of sociality familiar to large parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. The phrase has been translated into English in many ways, most of which harken to the conception of reciprocity. "gotong royong [is] cooperation among many people to attain a shared goal."[1]

Today at Mama’s school, the students, teachers and the workers all work hand in hand to spruce up the school either in the classrooms or outside where the ‘taman-taman’ ( gardens) are. Saturday is the weekend but since we had one whole week of holidays for the Chinese New Year celebration, we had to come to school on two Saturdays. And today is the first Saturday.
So being an ardent photographer , Mama went from class to class and from ‘taman’ to ‘taman’ to take pictures of the activity. Mama will write about this in Mama’s other entry, if time permits. When Mama reached her form 5 class (this year luckily Mama get to teach only one exam class), Mama was greeted warmly by the few students who were hard at work cleaning and beautifying the class. One girl eagerly held Mama’s hand and led Mama to another girl who was working on the materials to be put up at the back of the class. She was so excited to show Mama what they had created for the English subject section. Mama was surprised when Mama saw that they had printed Mama’s picture and put it along with other English Language stuff. Mama said “ oh, this one ‘tak lulus tayangan’ and took the manila card with Mama and sort of ‘ran away’ with the stuff.
When Mama ran into the class teacher later today she asked Mama about the material. Mama just smiled sweetly and said the same thing, ‘ Sorry Tie, ‘tak lulus tayangan’. When Mama opened Mama’s Facebook this evening, quite a few of them wrote in asking Mama to return the stuff. And Mama just clicked ‘Like’ and wrote ‘ Sorry. Tak lulus tayangan’.
Well, Mama was mean but Mama meant well, didn’t Mama?

BR1M

Remember Mama's previous blog entry about the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) and people will receive the financial assistance in the form of cash vouchers? The BR1M initiative is an effort under the Cost of Living National Key Results Area (NKRA) aimed to alleviate the financial burden of the middle to low-income households.

Mama has written about the distribution of the forms sometime in December 2011 and there were some funny episodes about people who came for the forms.

Anyway, the handing over of the RM500 1Malaysia People’s Assistance (BR1M) to households earning a monthly income of RM3,000 and below began nationwide last week.
Mama's school was picked as one of the distribution centres (again!) and Mama was one of the committee involved. There were criticisms about how the elderly and the physically-challenged people suffered in long queues and how the crowd became uncontrollable with long queues and such at previous distribution centres. Thus we were advised to make sure that everything went well and without any complaints from the public.
The distribution at Mama's school was yesterday, for 966 successful applicants.We were supposed to start at 2pm but when Mama reached school at 1.50pm there was already quite a crowd at the hall. The funny part is, many parents of the students were there too although they did not receive any letters or calls. They claimed the teachers told their children to inform the parents about the distribution. Hahaha, such the power of money. If we send them letters about PTA meetings or Parents' Day, only half would turn up.
As expected, there were also some elderly people who could barely walk.It was really hard for them to move around but the recipients could not be represented by others. There were long queues at all 10 counters we prepared beforehand according to their serial numbers. Luckily there was no untoward incidents and the weather was good yesterday.Besides the crowd was orderly and they queued! (and not crowding the counters in a rush)

Busy

As expected, once school starts the new term, Mama again becomes a very busy career woman. Busy with the school programs, with preparation for classes and others. And not to forget the meetings. Last week was full with meetings and this week too it seems that the whole week is lined up with meetings. *Sigh*
At the moment Mama is planning to create a blog especially for Mama's students. A blog where they can find samples of essays which they can copy and use as references when they are required to write one. Yes, Mama knows that there are countless websites or blogs which serve this purpose but sometimes the content is a bit 'high-level' for Mama's mediocre performance students. However, just like this blog, Mama is trying to find or allocate a special time of the day to do this. Let's hope that Mama will be able to do that soon.

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Wordless Wednesday 5

Back To School!!!

The new school term starts tomorrow and another year of teaching, scolding and piles of work is waiting. Well, it's all in a day's work for Mama.

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PMR Results

From Wikipedia: Penilaian Menengah Rendah (commonly abbreviated as PMR; Malay for Lower Secondary Assessment) is a Malaysian public examination taken by all Form Three students (15 year olds) in both government and private schools throughout the country. It was formerly known as Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP; Malay for Lower Certificate of Education). It is set and examined by the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate (Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia), an agency that constitutes the Ministry of Education.
This standardised examination is held annually during the first or second week of October. The passing grade depends on the average scores obtained by the candidates for this examination.
The results are released in late December every year to all candidates through the relevant schools. The grades ranges from A (excellent) to E (failure), or even T for non-attendance (Tidak hadir). The grading scores may be slightly readjusted based on general performances.

Today Mama went to school to see the PMR results. It was a long wait. Mama arrived at school around 9am and the results came in around 12pm. The teachers (as you can see from the photos) were nervous ( More than the students, I think!!). The best students (the straight As and the ones who scored 7As and above went on the stage to get their result slips) from the principal. The teachers' fears were founded afterall.It seems that this year the performance of Mama's school has declined slightly. The number of straight As students is also fewer compared to last year's. Well, colleagues and staff, be prepared for visits from the PPD (District Education Office), JPN (State Education Department) and KPM (Ministry of Education) officials next year. Time to pull up our socks!

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1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) Programme

Last Saturday Mama had to report for duty at school along with several other teachers and support staff. The reason? We have to distribute the BR1M forms to people living/staying/working/holidaying near our school. BR1M is the short form for Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (1Malaysia People's Aid) The people started trickling in since 8am and when Mama finished her shift at about 2pm, people were still coming in droves. The Malaysian government is giving the one-off RM500 monetary aids to people / families earning less than RM3000 per month and the response was overwhelming. On the first day itself (Saturday), almost 1000 forms were distributed at Mama's school and imagine how many forms had been given away to people throughout the country?

It was fun watching the people and they came from all walks of life. One elderly single mother repeatedly thanking Mama after Mama helped her filling up the form (She was illiterate) and one elderly couple also sought Mama's help (They could not read the questions clearly due to old age thus needed Mama's help too). In Mama's opinion, these are the people who really need the aid.

We were tickled (and Mama was a bit shocked too at this man's audacity) when a man came and asked for 3 forms. He has 3 wives (and how on earth he manage to support the wives if he earns less than 3K permonth unless the wives support him? Hahaha) and each wife has to fill in the forms separately.

All in all, things went smoothly on that first day and until today people still came to Mama's school either to get the form or to hand in the completed ones. You see, the penghulu or the village head was there too to accommodate these people (To validate the completed forms).