Come shine on me.

***

So, I've been teaching at Mangosteen school for one week. Here are some of my observations, thoughts and also happenings that took place last week.

I have learnt to accept My School but there are still new(sad to say) surprises each day. There are so many things that can and need to be improved but I guess some people are just not bothered.

I feel that all TESL students (especially the good ones) in the universities should seriously consider teaching in government schools. It's sad to see many good ones opting to teach elsewhere or not to even become a English teacher. The bulk of students comes from these schools (rural and urban) and they are the ones who will end up serving the country (not students from International Schools and elsewhere).

We are short of good English teachers.

If only the academically challeged students realise that there is a world bigger than their own coconut shells. If only they realise that there is more to life than running around like hooligans. If only they realise that the are more important things in life.

I still thank God for my posting. Some things don't just come to me. I don't even need to ask. It just comes. A teacher from my school asked me whether I could give Biology tuition to her daugther and her friends. I was thinking, I could start now, if not when? So I said yes.

I am a class teacher of 1 Zamrud and I am so glad they are more well behaved then the other 6 form 1 classes which I'm teaching Sejarah. I reckon they are afraid of me after giving them a list of class rules to follow. Good! Good!

Three form one boys in the 2nd last class cannot read or write in Malay.

How in the world am I going to teach them History?

I think Indian boys and girls look very cute when they smile or laugh.

Oh, but they're real devils when they're naughty.

I went to the last Form 1 class to teach. This classroom is located in one god-forsaken corner, far, far away from all the other classes. Oh, I didn't teach because NONE of the students were in the class. I waited for almost 20 minutes and went back to the staff room. I have never seen such a terrible looking classroom in my 13 years in school. (I taught they were playing truant, but our dear school counselor had no courtesy to inform the teachers that she was having some program maju diri with them.)

There is always an opportunity to improve and I am going to make myself useful (and better) to the school...and to my family.