Return to NUS
Decided to go to NUS today to meet Yongkai for lunch at the same time paying for my replacement of student card. I couldn't believe i brought back my KCL student card and left my NUS student card in London. Oh well, it just shows how reluctant i am to come back to NUS. =(
Indeed i lost my orientation in school... haha... i forgot all my usual shortcuts.
Anyway, i was really sad that no one asked me if i am a freshie. But Yongkai got all the attention cos he seemed so blatantly fresh. Do i really look that old? Oh gosh... is it that obvious i am a stalemate and no longer fresh? Sigh.. my heart felt so heavy then. However, just when i was heading to the bus interchange to take a bus home, this girl came up to me and asked me...
"Are you a freshie???"
Gosh... she has just made my day... I couldn't wipe that gleeful smile off my face...
I'm fresh afterall =)
School Update
The past week has been tiring though fulfilling. I am more and more convinced that teaching is something i really want to do. Frankly speaking, i have been pondering over some words of wisdom from this Maths teacher whom i have observed the past weeks. She said that when you stand in front of the whole class, remember that you are totally transparent to them. They can see right through your every thoughts and intent, there is no way to hide. If indeed a teacher has a genuine love for the students, the students will know it even though they might be mischevious and naughty. But if a teacher is just teaching for the wrong reason, students will sense it too and they will not have any respect for the teacher at all. I think it is absolutely true. I remember when i was a student, i was always touched by the sincerity and earnesty of the teachers who had taught me. I guess it's really funny. I used to hate mathematics alot. But after being taught by a wonderful life-changing JC maths teacher, i don't hate mathematics anymore, but still i would admit i'm totally hopeless in mathematics. Well, at least the stance has changed from utter abhorrence to that of confession of utter weakness.
Our vice principal Mr Ng has been really nice to us scholars. Not only has he gave us lots of freedom in terms of what we want to learn in this attachment, he has given us lots of support over the past few weeks. And also, the sharing of his experiences has been really invaluable and helpful to us. Just a few days ago, he treated us each a 3-course meal at North Border Bar and Grill at Rochester. We were pretty startled by the generosity for we didn't expect the treat from him at all. We were indeed touched by his sincere and kind gesture amidst his busy schedule in school.
I am more and more convinced that i want to teach in a neighbourhood secondary school rather than a junior college. As for what will turn out in the end, i'll leave it to God's providence and His will.
Teaching is Tiring but Satisfying
How do you find out if you have totally integrated into the school?
ANSWER: When you realised you are humming the different melodies of the school bell unknowingly without missing any notes.
Last friday was so nerve-wrecking for me. But in a funny sort of way, it turned out pretty well. The class was pretty cooperative especially after i gave a brief introduction of myself (with all the mountain shots etc etc), you could really see most of their eyes sparkle in excitement. But i did make a mistake about the time, and ended up only finishing half of what i was supposed to teach. Well, it was not that bad for i ended at a pretty nice part and i finished off the second part today. Got some feedback from the mentor and it's really true that sometimes you need people to tell you your faults.
So today i went to teach the class again. Indeed walking around the class while teaching is a good way to grasp the attention of the students, at the same time keeping the order of the class. Cracked some jokes along the way which even i myself found them to be pretty lame. And of cos there were 3 girls who sat at the back, kept giggling at me. Aiyoh... what's so funny? But i do have to say that i'm getting used to standing in front of the class. Mrs Fong is right, teachers are transparent when they stand in front of the class. And i remembered the first week of school, i had the word "nervous" written all over me. All in all, it was indeed an interesting and enriching experience to see various teachers managing classes with different dynamics.
And now to my group project on formative assessment.... question mark blank question mark blank>......
Day of Reckoning
Tomorrow i'm going to teach the class. Gosh, i've been editing and re-editing my slides according to my mentor's comment. Running through the sequence and concepts in my head. Rehearsing myself with the slides for the n-th time. But yet i'm still pretty much on the verge of hyperventilation. Lot's of 'what if's kept popping up in my mind. What if the students don't like me? Or they don't laugh at my jokes? Or they ask a question i cannot answer? Or computer crash?
Looks like its another sleepless night for me
Touching the Void
I've just ordered the DVD for 'Touching the Void' from Amazon and it should be delivered to my doorstops in a week or 2. How exciting!! I just adore mountaineering DOCUMENTARY movies, not those unreal blockbuster hits in Hollywood.
Bye Khairul
Woke up extremely early today to go to Changi Airport to send Khairul off the Australia. After sending him off, Jared and I went to Bedok to have our breakfast before i took the tube back home for some rest. That's a pretty short post isn't it??
**due to Jared's request, i shall add on some more details. After sending Khairul off, we went to the carpark to find the car and that guy forgot where he parked his car. So we went up and down but to no avail. I mean how could someone be so goondoo to forget where he parked his car? And did i mention that he almost bumped into the automatic glass door... talking about being a klutz!
I was reading...i mean re-reading the book Touching the Void by Joe Simpson once more. This book has always been my favourite and i always ended up thinking alot after reading it. I would say unless you are a mountain enthusiast, this book might not be that much of an interest to you. And i would say you probably have to be really good in alpine geography to be able to catch all the geog lingos inside.
I kept contemplating myself to be in the shoes of Simon. What if i'm climbing with my bro and something like this happened... what will i do at that moment. I seriously have not the slightest idea what i will do. To keep hanging on and run the big risk of killing both of us. Or to cut the rope to save one of us. I know what my bro will want me to do... cut the rope and save myself but could i bear that guilt for the rest of my life. Seriously, would death be a better option than staying alive with a guilty conscience. Probably at that point of time my survival instinct will outdo every ounce of moral consciousness in my mind but who could be so sure of that? In an odd sense, i really would love to experience it... that crossroad of decisions where any will still be a fatal blow to oneself... now back to sleep
