a day in the life of a 'cher!

We all need witnesses

‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness’.”

It struck me this week that as much as WE need to b witnessed, I think our kids need likewise. They need to feel that they matter, that someone cares…. Or even looks at them.

Yesterday, as I told a student “your life isn’t going unnoticed” and she teared, I was once again reminded that, they, r just as human as WE all are. And beneath the facade and rebellion and all the strength they think they show….

They want to know they matter.
They want to know they are valued.
They want to know they are heard.

They want to know that someone is looking at them.

Teacher Mass Lecture 2011

I attended Teacher’s Mass Lecture yesterday

My first.

And it was quite a meaningful one for me

Perhaps because the area of discussion was close to heart.

Singapore’s Education System as proposed by Mr Lim Siong Guan has moved from survival-driven, to efficiency-driven, to present day’s ability-driven model. He proposed that the next era we would be stepping into, could well be that of the values-driven model.

A teacher then asked “ How can a teacher, who is trained in the survival age, taught in the efficiency age, led in the ability driven age, be able to get values across in the values-driven age?”

Others asked the usual questions about how the current system makes way for the focus on “values”

Others talked about how “values” is caught and not taught.

And as the discussion got a little more active, one thing stuck me…

We are in a cycle.

Or well, we are interrelated.

The Junior College teacher argued about how the education system does not allow for the time for teaching of values, for there’s still too much emphasis on assessment. The Secondary School Principle asked how to lead his teachers to believe in values before they can teach it. The Primary School teacher asked how is it that MOE isn’t securing the pre-school stage of a child’s life, for most values learnt then stay, and by the time they get to Primary School is too late. The  Up-There says that the ministry itself is trying it’s best and it shouldn’t be the role of just the Education branch but that of all ministries too.

And I agree.

For a paradigm shift in how values are perceived and emphasized, perhaps society at large needs to see that it is truly more impt to be a person of fine character than one who manages to attain excellent results but treats people poorly.

But if every issue we have, result in the same conclusion of “the society is the one at fault”, then when will change happen?

I guess the biggest question I had after yesterday’s lecture, was simply…

So “What Can Be Done?”

What will move hearts?

What will change minds?

I know that society needs to change their mindset, perception etc.

But every individual forms society

If every one individual decides today, to see things a little differently

Wouldn’t society be shaped over time?

He spoke about 3 main points yesterday:

1) Values of Identity – Who am I?

This relates to finding out who one is. To grasp a sense of belonging, to self. To our personality, our character. To who we are as citizens, as part of our families, as part of a religion.

Basically who we ARE.

2) Values of Community – What can I do?

This speaks about teaching students to be others-centredness, about putting other’s interest before self. About doing what they do, for harmony, for the well-being of others.

3) Values of Discovery – What can I be?

How do we help a child then see that there is value in finding out thing, in having the sense of adventure and persistence, in trying and failing, and trying again. How do we teach kids to be open to diversity and to build courage and confident to help themselves pursue, to explore and to invent.

Someone then said , the hardest thing to tackle was probably the first one – Values of Identity. The other two seems to be within reach, or possible to achieve. But the first one, is hard.

Yet, in some strange ways, the first one is the ONE that is gonna make the biggest difference. It makes a difference for us as educators in the sense that our value of personal identity makes a difference to the kind of values we impart or how or why we impart it. Likewise, it is also the value of identity that is going to make a difference to whether our students are able to understand and learn the value of community or discovery.

So how? And when?

The Little Boy - Helen Buckley

Once a little boy went to school. He was quite a little boy And it was quite a big school. But when the little boy Found that he could go to his room By walking right in from the door outside He was happy; And the school did not seem Quite so big anymore.

One morning When the little boy had been in school awhile, The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. He liked to make all kinds; Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, Trains and boats; And he took out his box of crayons And began to draw.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make flowers.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make beautiful ones With his pink and orange and blue crayons.

But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And it was red, with a green stem. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.” The little boy looked at his teacher’s flower Then he looked at his own flower. He liked his flower better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just turned his paper over, And made a flower like the teacher’s. It was red, with a green stem.

On another day When the little boy had opened The door from the outside all by himself, The teacher said: “Today we are going to make something with clay.” “Good!” thought the little boy; He liked clay. He could make all kinds of things with clay: Snakes and snowmen, Elephants and mice, Cars and trucks And he began to pull and pinch His ball of clay.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make a dish.”
“Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make dishes. And he began to make some That were all shapes and sizes.

But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And she showed everyone how to make One deep dish. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.” The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish; Then he looked at his own. He liked his better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just rolled his clay into a big ball again And made a dish like the teacher’s. It was a deep dish.

And pretty soon The little boy learned to wait, And to watch And to make things just like the teacher. And pretty soon He didn’t make things of his own anymore.

Then it happened That the little boy and his family Moved to another house, In another city, And the little boy Had to go to another school. This school was even bigger Than the other one. And there was no door from the outside Into his room. He had to go up some big steps And walk down a long hall To get to his room.

And the very first day He was there, The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. And he waited for the teacher To tell what to do. But the teacher didn’t say anything. She just walked around the room. When she came to the little boy She asked, “Don’t you want to make a picture?” “Yes,” said the lttle boy. “What are we going to make?” “I don’t know until you make it,” said the teacher. “How shall I make it?” asked the little boy. “Why, anyway you like,” said the teacher. “And any color?” asked the little boy. “Any color,” said the teacher. “If everyone made the same picture, And used the same colors, How would I know who made what, And which was which?”

“I don’t know,” said the little boy. .And he began to make pink and orange and blue flowers.

He liked his new school, Even if it didn’t have a door Right in from the outside!

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school. These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

[Source: “ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN” by Robert Fulghum. See his web site at http://www.robertfulghum.com/ ]

Rejoice @ work

I was asked a question today…”would I be ok if I lost everything today at work, would I be ok?”

I answered a resounding “yes”

Which seems totally peculiar and weird… I mean, not that I won’t feel disappointment or loss, I’m sure I would. But, while I love my work, my work doesn’t define me:) Having a title or a new added job scope doesn’t show anything abt me as a person really…

But the relationships built thru it, the lives touched, the people I came across, the kids who thread past my life n heart… These r the things that define me. My experiences, my relationships…

I just spent the last 9 hours of a Saturday in school. Well, working on things that needed to be done But I didn’t feel completely miserable thru it:) Maybe it was good company Or just simply the joy that comes from Small things like being thankful for a colleague who did up a brilliant excel sheet for me, or fellow colleagues who faithfully marked and computed scores. Or those who asked if they could lend a hand.. Many hands…:) just feel that there’s so much grace and love generally:) and I’m thankful for that. I’m also thankful for my 2 buddies who sent silly things thru whatsapp to make me laugh! Love them to bits!!

:) as I tick off my to-do list and create a neater looking one…. I just wanna thank God for life, for love and for laughter:)

Nothing is easy… But with God, all things r possible:)!

A humble calling

Over the last few days, I had the opportunity to really really spend unRushed time with students. And although that means that admin work is really piling up But there was stg really beautiful abt spending time w young people and being able to share their lives:) In so many ways, they r so inspiring:)

I’m extremely exhausted… But as I go to bed… I think of the 8 smiling faces of the exchange students from India.. I think of the 2 musicians who have been working very hard for their recital tmr…

And I really just thank God.. For opening the door for me to be an educator.

It’s truly the best best place right now:) I’m blessed, just by the call.

The Joys of teaching

This week was a crazy crazy work week,
with speech day, setting of papers, doing reliefs, trying to settle admin, helping J. with his engagement….I was *stretched*
But…I had the best of teaching weeks!

The kids got to learn the guitar and the keyboard this week.
Now, I’m not sure if you’ve experienced allowing a child to hold a guitar or touch the keyboard, but it’s like, crazy? coz the kid can’t stop playing with it.
Try that, x 40, and giving instructions at the same time.
I was really apprehensive about the whole thing, and highly tempted not to “kill” myself. But…I thought of them…and how they’d love to learn it.
And I decided…Ok..Let’s give it a go.

Amazingly, I found great methods to manage the class while they were holding their guitars…
Btw, do you know how exciting it is to establish classroom management skills that work? U feel victorious. Haha…
So..Yes, by God’s grace, I was given ideas about pretty good methods.

But that was not the best part of the week.

The best part of the week, was hearing the students say “YAY” when I said “today I’m going to teach u the guitar/keyboard”
Or when they clap so excitedly coz you play a song for them
or when they sing heartily and participate so actively
Or when they beg me to allow them to keep the worksheet so that they could try it out on their own…
(Remember they are teens…it’s actually not cool to be so excited about lessons, but they were!)

The best part of the week was seeing my students, happy.
I can’t even really express how good that makes me feel, but I really felt like a teacher.
I felt like THEIR teacher.

The best part of the week was seeing a well-thought-out lesson succeed.
to know that I taught, and they learnt

The best part of the week was hearing the students practise the song on their own.

Immeasurable joy.

It was a really good feeling. I love it.

I really love teaching. No matter how tough everything else gets, my students r really my JOY.