PMR and SPM are just around the corner. Based on the PMR trial exam results, our Form Three students did not do very well. The passing rate was a mere 11%, which is a far cry from our target of 44%. Still, it doesn't really come as a surprise for us, as we know the potentials of our students, since we have been teaching them since the beginning of the school year. Setting a target for our students is easy, but to push them towards that goal is easier said than done. Knowing our students, we were careful not to set a target too high, but with their lack of interest in studies, it is difficult even to improve them by one grade.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my students have shown encouraging improvements in their test scores. Out of 31 students, 23 of them have improved their scores significantly, particularly in the essay section. Looks like all the journal and essay writing paid off! But still, most of them are in the average group, and since they have shown their potential in getting better results (which is the best improvement I have seen in all my 7 years of teaching), I am hoping that I could do more to help them get a better grade in PMR.
There is one month more before their actual exam, so I decided to have extra classes with the weaker students and give them as many exercises as possible. Having a smaller group allows me to give more attention to each individual and coach them on a one-to-one basis. This means I have to sacrifice my free time in school (the little that I have), but it will be worth it if my students gain from it.
So, I talked to some teachers whose subjects are not included in PMR, to see if I could take some of their students away for extra class during those periods. All of them have been kind enough to agree. To my pleasant surprise, I found that a few other teachers are also doing their extra bit to help the students. They are the ones who teach subjects that are not tested in PMR, like Arts and Moral Education. When they enter their classes, they teach the core subjects instead of their own subjects. We are all doing our little bit to prepare our students for their exams.
Some may say that we are too exam-oriented, but I beg to differ. The students in my school mostly come from poor families, and have no one else to guide them in their education except in the school. Most of them are not interested in studies because they do not see the importance of education in their future. Those who are interested are weak in most subjects and have no one to teach them except the teachers in school. That's why they really appreciate it when teachers spend time teaching them, and if they do well in exams, it will really give them a confidence boost.
The main reason I'm helping these students out is to prove to them that if they have the will power, they can succeed like anybody else. I want them to see themselves in a new light and to face life with confidence. And passing examinations is a concrete proof of their abilities. Once they have confidence, they can cope with whatever problems life throws at them. So, for me, it is not so much of reaching the school target, but more of helping the students become a stronger person inside. I believe that the other teachers who are going out of their way to help these students also have this aim in mind, and this inspires me to press on, even though it is exhausting work. Hopefully, what we are doing will make a difference. Go, teachers!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Welcome, School Supervisors!
A few days ago, our school was visited by the a team of school supervisors from the State Education Department. Their visit was unannounced, so everyone was kind of flustered. Administrators and teachers were 'summoned', countless files were scrutinised, some teachers were observed in class... It stirred up quite a deal of resentment among the teachers, as we were pulled out of our comfort zones and kept on our toes throughout the school day. However, one good thing that came out of this was that teachers went into classes on time, and teachers who were rarely seen teaching before were covering the whiteboard with notes while spewing knowledge from their mouths!
In a way, the supervisors' visit was not really a surprise. Being an under-achieving school, we are frequently visited by Education Department officials, from the district level right up to the federal level. It was just a few years back that a whole team of supervisors - about 10 of them - came all the way from Putrajaya, and they left no stones unturned. From office files to academic files, to lesson plans and classroom lessons, nothing escaped their watchful eyes, and by the end of their visit, there was a long list of 'improvements' that we had to make.
Every time they come, the supervisors stress that they are not here to criticise, but to help. Unfortunately, many of us on the receiving end don't take it that way. They are taking us out of our comfort zone, asking us to do more for our students, which means more work, and nobody likes more work. I personally think that a few constructive criticisms aren't going to kill anybody, and many a times, what the supervisors say are absolutely true. Maybe many of us are just in denial, refusing to acknowledge the problems to avoid the extra effort needed to put things right.
On the other hand, I feel that the supervisors should show more empathy towards the teachers as well. In reminding us to do more for the students, they should spare a thought for all the effort we have put in so far, even though we still fall short. Even though we do not work for the rewards, we do appreciate some acknowledgement and support once in a while. It does help to 'recharge our batteries', so to speak. It will also be comforting to know that the 'people on top' are still on our side. Teaching students nowadays are much more difficult and stressful. Many external factors that affect a student's academic performance come into play. Hence, finding a solution is much more complicated than it seems. No one should simply blame the teachers for not doing their jobs and ignore the other factors.
Having said that, I feel that as teachers, it is our job to give the best to our students, no matter what the circumstances. If challenges come our way, it is our job to find a way around them, even if we can't totally overcome them. I mean, we are trained professionally for this, aren't we? Never mind if others do not understand us. We are doing what we do because we care for our students. If more teachers think this way, and not see teaching as just another job - or worst still, as a last resort - we will definitely see more improvements in the field of education.
In a way, the supervisors' visit was not really a surprise. Being an under-achieving school, we are frequently visited by Education Department officials, from the district level right up to the federal level. It was just a few years back that a whole team of supervisors - about 10 of them - came all the way from Putrajaya, and they left no stones unturned. From office files to academic files, to lesson plans and classroom lessons, nothing escaped their watchful eyes, and by the end of their visit, there was a long list of 'improvements' that we had to make.
Every time they come, the supervisors stress that they are not here to criticise, but to help. Unfortunately, many of us on the receiving end don't take it that way. They are taking us out of our comfort zone, asking us to do more for our students, which means more work, and nobody likes more work. I personally think that a few constructive criticisms aren't going to kill anybody, and many a times, what the supervisors say are absolutely true. Maybe many of us are just in denial, refusing to acknowledge the problems to avoid the extra effort needed to put things right.
On the other hand, I feel that the supervisors should show more empathy towards the teachers as well. In reminding us to do more for the students, they should spare a thought for all the effort we have put in so far, even though we still fall short. Even though we do not work for the rewards, we do appreciate some acknowledgement and support once in a while. It does help to 'recharge our batteries', so to speak. It will also be comforting to know that the 'people on top' are still on our side. Teaching students nowadays are much more difficult and stressful. Many external factors that affect a student's academic performance come into play. Hence, finding a solution is much more complicated than it seems. No one should simply blame the teachers for not doing their jobs and ignore the other factors.
Having said that, I feel that as teachers, it is our job to give the best to our students, no matter what the circumstances. If challenges come our way, it is our job to find a way around them, even if we can't totally overcome them. I mean, we are trained professionally for this, aren't we? Never mind if others do not understand us. We are doing what we do because we care for our students. If more teachers think this way, and not see teaching as just another job - or worst still, as a last resort - we will definitely see more improvements in the field of education.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Meeting Woes
Why can't school meetings be short and sweet? Meetings are supposed to be a good platform for teachers to share their views on anything concerning the school, and to coordinate projects or school events. At other times, each of us are busy with our own work: teaching, marking books and endless paperwork. Well, some of us do find the time for gossiping about other colleagues, but that's hardly productive discussion...
But I digress. If meetings are handled properly, they can be very productive. However, reality is always very cruel. In all my 7 years of teaching, I think I've attended close to 100 meetings, out of which less than 10% of them are actually informative or effective. Most of us end up being bored during meetings, surfing Facebook on laptops with wireless connections, doodling on our notebooks, marking students' work (out of sight of the chairperson, of course)... and the list goes on.
The thing is, these meetings almost always ends without concrete solutions in sight. We bring up and discuss a range of problems, but the administration, including the principal, always promises to "look into it", which means that "it will be forgotten after a week or so". At the end of the day, after hours of meetings, things are still the same around the school.
Another bad point about school meetings is that people always digress. Worst still, if the chairperson gets carried away and doesn't stick to the agenda. My principal always does that. He tends to go on and on about something, and even repeats a lot of what he has said earlier. Somehow, he is also under the impression that the meeting is just a casual chat among friends over a cup of coffee. Maybe he makes casual comments to help us feel more comfortable around him, but he actually ends up making us more stressed. From our body language, it's not hard to tell that everyone wants him to get to the point, and quick!
The worst thing about all this is that we, the teachers, have to sit through this agony, which normally lasts for two hours. Some of us really do try hard to concentrate, but there are also others who couldn't care less. These are the ones who have their laptops open, and we know they are not looking up things pertaining to the meeting. One of my colleagues always bring a book to pass the time. A few others would mark books discreetly.
But before you think any less of us teachers, I assure you that despite what we are doing in the meeting room, our ears are still pricked to catch any important information that we need to know. Yes, we have mastered the art of multi-tasking. We only phase out when the discussion is irrelevant or insignificant to our scope of duty.
For my part, I try my best to put on my best behaviour during meetings, but sometimes, I do get distracted as well. What do I do during those times? Doodling and chatting with other colleagues... Well, I'm keeping all my fingers crossed that the day will come when we can have short and sweet... oh, and productive, meetings.
But I digress. If meetings are handled properly, they can be very productive. However, reality is always very cruel. In all my 7 years of teaching, I think I've attended close to 100 meetings, out of which less than 10% of them are actually informative or effective. Most of us end up being bored during meetings, surfing Facebook on laptops with wireless connections, doodling on our notebooks, marking students' work (out of sight of the chairperson, of course)... and the list goes on.
The thing is, these meetings almost always ends without concrete solutions in sight. We bring up and discuss a range of problems, but the administration, including the principal, always promises to "look into it", which means that "it will be forgotten after a week or so". At the end of the day, after hours of meetings, things are still the same around the school.
Another bad point about school meetings is that people always digress. Worst still, if the chairperson gets carried away and doesn't stick to the agenda. My principal always does that. He tends to go on and on about something, and even repeats a lot of what he has said earlier. Somehow, he is also under the impression that the meeting is just a casual chat among friends over a cup of coffee. Maybe he makes casual comments to help us feel more comfortable around him, but he actually ends up making us more stressed. From our body language, it's not hard to tell that everyone wants him to get to the point, and quick!
The worst thing about all this is that we, the teachers, have to sit through this agony, which normally lasts for two hours. Some of us really do try hard to concentrate, but there are also others who couldn't care less. These are the ones who have their laptops open, and we know they are not looking up things pertaining to the meeting. One of my colleagues always bring a book to pass the time. A few others would mark books discreetly.
But before you think any less of us teachers, I assure you that despite what we are doing in the meeting room, our ears are still pricked to catch any important information that we need to know. Yes, we have mastered the art of multi-tasking. We only phase out when the discussion is irrelevant or insignificant to our scope of duty.
For my part, I try my best to put on my best behaviour during meetings, but sometimes, I do get distracted as well. What do I do during those times? Doodling and chatting with other colleagues... Well, I'm keeping all my fingers crossed that the day will come when we can have short and sweet... oh, and productive, meetings.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
In The Mood for Celebration!
The puasa month will start next week, which means that Hari Raya will be just around the corner. Being Malaysians, we tend to get into celebration mood way earlier before the actual day itself. Tailors are busy finishing their numerous orders for Baju Raya, shops are doing pre-Raya sales, and hotels are offering Buka Puasa buffets at attractive prices.
In schools, where the majority of teachers are Malay, the first sign of celebration is the promotion of Hari Raya cookies, a.k.a. Kuih Raya. Teachers suddenly become part-time entrepreneurs, promoting their mouth-watering cookies and handing out free samples to their potential customers -- other teachers who can't wait to fill up their kitchen shelves with jars of kuih raya. The race is on for the cheapest and tastiest cookies on offer!
I have no intention of buying these cookies which are only available in 50's or 100's, because I know I'll have a hard time finishing them staying alone. I'll feel sick of eating those cookies halfway through, and I can't keep them for long or they'll go bad... And yet, there's no stopping me from sinking my teeth into those free samples, because they are really delicious. Well, anything is delicious if it's free and if it's eaten on an empty stomach!
It's funny to see teachers placing orders for these cookies even before the puasa month starts. I guess that during puasa month, nobody can actually taste those samples, so there's no way of knowing if they have ordered the right kinds of cookies for their taste. I just hope that those cookies won't be delivered to them during puasa month, or they will have to resist the urge to eat them before Hari Raya arrives.
As always, being in the 1 Malaysia spirit, it's not just the Malay teachers who are taking and placing orders. Non-Malay teachers are also joining in the fun as well: sampling the cookies and filling up the order forms. How else could we eat delicious Raya cookies if not during the Raya season itself? As for me, I'm just happy that I got to eat lots of free cookies...
In schools, where the majority of teachers are Malay, the first sign of celebration is the promotion of Hari Raya cookies, a.k.a. Kuih Raya. Teachers suddenly become part-time entrepreneurs, promoting their mouth-watering cookies and handing out free samples to their potential customers -- other teachers who can't wait to fill up their kitchen shelves with jars of kuih raya. The race is on for the cheapest and tastiest cookies on offer!
I have no intention of buying these cookies which are only available in 50's or 100's, because I know I'll have a hard time finishing them staying alone. I'll feel sick of eating those cookies halfway through, and I can't keep them for long or they'll go bad... And yet, there's no stopping me from sinking my teeth into those free samples, because they are really delicious. Well, anything is delicious if it's free and if it's eaten on an empty stomach!
It's funny to see teachers placing orders for these cookies even before the puasa month starts. I guess that during puasa month, nobody can actually taste those samples, so there's no way of knowing if they have ordered the right kinds of cookies for their taste. I just hope that those cookies won't be delivered to them during puasa month, or they will have to resist the urge to eat them before Hari Raya arrives.
As always, being in the 1 Malaysia spirit, it's not just the Malay teachers who are taking and placing orders. Non-Malay teachers are also joining in the fun as well: sampling the cookies and filling up the order forms. How else could we eat delicious Raya cookies if not during the Raya season itself? As for me, I'm just happy that I got to eat lots of free cookies...
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