Happy New Year 2013

Hope this will motivate all of us to have a great start for the year 2013.......Happy New Year!!!

School Based Assessment 2013 (English Language Form 2)

Here are some materials for the English Language School Based Assessment for form 2 2012. I attended the course in September 2011 and was chosen as trainer for Kinta Utara District. I conducted several training sessions in Perak throughout the month of October and November. The materials given are relevant materials which will guide teachers to build their instruments for their assessments. I hope this sharing will be helpful.

 Dokumen Standard Prestasi
 Powerpoint presentation
 Powerpoint presentation 2
 Contoh Pentaksiran Jangka Panjang
 FAQ

End Of The World In 2012 - Reality Or A Myth

In between my busy holiday schedule..I dropped by to blog about something that everyone has been talking about..

As the date 21 December 2012 is nearing, almost everyone on Earth is dying in anticipation about the authenticity of this rumor. However, there are countless theories in support of this rumor that are compelling the Doomsday to be true. But, the authenticity of such theories is yet to be determined. Some people believe that something will surely happen on Friday, 21 December 2012. It is a widespread rumor which people believe that the world will come to an end and life will cease to exist on Earth on 21 December 2012.

    

According to the Mayan calendar, the last day of life on Earth will be on 21 December 2012. People are calling it the Dooms Day. There are several prophecies in support of the Dooms Day. The prophecies say the end of the world is near, very near. People are claiming that many Hindu Vedas, the Holy Bible and Mayan Calendar is mentioning the end of world in December. The date 21-12-2012 sounds like a great mourning, but we are yet to discover the reality behind this notion. The truth is not yet determined and we are still relying on several theories, predictions and real world experimentations whether to believe the rumor or to let it go out from the other ear.

When is Doomsday - When will the World End?

The doomsday is said to be on 21 December 2012. The date is nearing and so is the eagerness to find out the reality of this rumor. There are millions of people who have a strong faith over the prophecies that are in support of this widespread and on the other hand there are people who just let this rumor pass by.
The ancient Hindu Vedic scriptures say that it is Kaliyuga and another Yuga will rise after its end, may be Satyug. However, Hindu scriptures also state that Kaliyuga has just been started and we have got a long way to go, like some million years.

According to Hindu scriptures, there are 4 ages (yuga) - golden age (Satyug), silver age (Treta Yuga), bronze age (Dvapara Yuga) and lastly, Iron Age (Kali Yuga). The first three ages have already ended and now we are nearing the end of Kali Yuga. Hindu mythology is of the opinion that as the Kali Yuga will end; Satya Yuga will again come to existence.

Mayan Calendar 2012 Predictions

Now let’s throw some light on the Mayan Calendar. According to the Mayan calendar, the world has 12 cycles and each cycle lasts for about 394 years. We are at the end of the twelfth cycle and it will end on 21 December 2012. The Mayan calendar clearly says that the world will come to an end on the aforementioned date. It is said that that the people belonging to Maya civilization were far advanced in the field of mathematics. Many people say that the forecasts made by Mayan people before have turned out to be a real. However, many people are also drawing a conclusion that it might not be an end of the world, but we may only witness many drastic changes or natural calamities will be at their peak.

On 21 December 2012, the Mayan calendar will reset itself and start from the point 0.0.0.0 and start the next day. The Mayan calendar suggests the end of life and rebirth. This clock hints that something big will happen on the mentioned date and life will cease to exist.

21 December 2012

This date is perfectly set in the minds of every individual. People who believe in the theory of doomsday are already making plans to escape the threat and those who don’t are living their life in a normal routine manner. It is believed that there are certain major events that will happen on 21 December 2012 or simply the dooms day. We have already heard a lot about the Mayan calendar and its prophecies. The I-Ching prophecies also support the notion of doomsday. It is said that whatever prophecies they did earlier, all have come true. One of their prophecies is of the doomsday, that the world will come to end on 21 December 2012.
Some scholars even say that the Earth will face a shift in poles. The phenomenon is about a shift in the North and South poles. It is said that due to the shift in poles, mass confusion and malfunction will arise. It is believed that all electronic items will break down and animals will lose direction. Few people are saying that there will be a major movement of tectonic plates and it will result in mass natural disaster.

How To Survive In 2012 Dooms Day?

Though there is a lot of confusion and rumors prevailing about the doomsday, but trying to believe in reality is the best one can do. Even the scientists believe that nothing is going to happen on 21 December 2012 or the dooms day and that the day will be just like other normal days. The scientists believe in reality and experimentations. A lot of study and research has been conducted in order to reach a solid conclusion about the reality and authenticity of this rumor or belief about the end of the world. There are no authentic theories that can be believed and then a conclusion can be drawn about the dooms day. The Mayan clock may reset itself or according to Hindu mythology Satyug may come again, but nothing is going to happen to this world.
The date 21 December 2012 is well known to everyone. Just as the calendar at our homes reset itself to the New Year or another day, same is the case with Mayan calendar. Our Earth has faced the polar shifts earlier too and everything was perfectly alright. Life on Earth clearly survived and it is quite clear that it will pass the situation again.
Therefore, there are no such solid theories in support of doomsday. Hence, we can say that life will sustain on this planet. Don’t be afraid of such lame prophecies and do not be a fool to consider them as truth. There is a lot more to experience in this world. Death and disaster take place every day on Earth.

Example

You've heard the expression, "Seeing is believing." That is true of teaching as well. Teachers are paid to talk - every day, for almost entire day. Much of what they say is heard, and some of what they say is tuned out. Often the 'tune out' is the result of a lack of credibility. When the teacher's position is "Do as I say" rather than 'Do as I do," the result is a communication barrier.

The best teachers model the truths they proclaim. They are living examples of the benefits of an education. Telling students they ought to further their education is one thing; showing them the positive character  and personality of a lifelong learner is another. It's too bad there isn't a college course called Example 101, because a passing grade in that course would give you a great teaching advantage.

Students who have seen kindness exemplified in front of the classroom, for example, best receive lectures on kindness. Brotherhood is an abstract principle until it is modeled by a teacher who accepts his or her students as they are.

Adapted from,

Minute Motivators for Teachers 

Is it Difficult to Say "Thank You Teacher" ?

Finally I have the time to post something. I have been waiting to blog about this for quite some time now but I had a second thought about it, whether want to or not because I do no want to hurt anybody. Well, I don’t care about it anymore….this comes deep from my heart……………….
         Recently I was entrusted to help a group of students (I do not want to mention who and what they were doing) who were chosen to represent our school for an International competition. I was involved with another teacher and we had to stay back for almost every day. I had been going home 6 p.m. every day while preparing them for the competition. Throughout the time with these students who think they are the best and smartest in school I did notice that they do not have proper communication skill and the worse of all they do not know how to respect the teachers( they have never greeted us with 'good morning' or 'thank you' teacher throughout the time we were with them). Although they were only in lower form that does not give them the licence to behave in such ways. Not only that throughout the period of preparation they were ridiculing us and argued for almost everything we did for them. For them, we were just not good enough and they refused to accept and do whatever we suggested. They had their own boring ideas and they  insisted that they were doing it professionally. Fair enough!!! They lost the competition!!!!…all the other teams did extremely well and there they came in with such a boring show which they insisted to present. God is great!! I thought they have learnt their lesson. But after the competition and when they finally reached home they did not even say sorry or thank you!!!!!...not even a thank you after we stayed back and guided them for two weeks!!! DAMN!!! Initially, I thought I was being too sensitive and also a colleague had remarked earlier, 'this is how students of today behave'. Silly me thought how outdated I was, you know, not keeping up with the current trends! And the fact that this was only my second week in the school made me think I had probably not understood the culture well enough and needed to be reeducated. And so I let the matter rest. However, a few days later, another teacher who was with us throughout the training session commented on the same thing that the students never said 'thank you' to her and behaved as if she was a stranger! They did the same thing to me wherever they saw me in school after the competition itself!!!  And then more and more comments came. And I thought I was alone...

                   Why is it so difficult to say 'thank you'? even if the teacher was not your favourite, or you didn't quite get along with the teacher, I am sure you must have learned something from him or her. There's absolutely nothing wrong for a student to show appreciation to her teachers. This should start from home they will only respect their teachers if their parents do so.....
        What has happened to good manners!!!? It doesn't cost you anything to say 'thank-you'.Well if you don’t, it only shows your cocky and arrogant character…oh ya!!! there was this girl in this group who shows a sour and rude face whenever we ask her to do something or if we scold her for her wrong doings.

      By the way after being in this school for one month I find it that not all girls are like them…most girls are so adorable and they show respect to each and every teachers in this school .It was only that one group gave me a culture shock. However, If I were to teach them in future I will definitely teach them a lesson on how to respect teachers and elders that they will never forget till the end of their lives!!!!

MGS GRAD NITE 2012

    

It was certainly something unexpected. I was actually very reluctant to go for the event when I was invited by Pn.Chew as I did not have any close friends yet and I was uncertain with whom and where I wanted to sit...I definitely do not want to sit with a group of teachers who will look at me as if I'm an alien from Pluto whenever I try to be friendly or with very quiet and conservative teachers who behaves formally wherever they go...Hey I want to be myself so give me a break okkkay!!!! It was definitely not like SMK Bintulu where I will be sitting together with my best buddies Jimmy on the left and Agnes on the right....MGS is totally a different story...Thanks to Pn. Helena who persuaded me to attend the Grad Nite 2012 and she reserved a place just beside her..Since I came to MGS she has been a wonderful friend or I would prefer to say a guide ..Then the show started.....I was Speechless I had no words to describe how talented the girls were.....The MCs, the performers particularly the girl who performed the Belly dance was certainly a gifted performer. Oh ya...the theme for this year was Once Upon a Time... The girls really dressed up to the fullest....opppsss  would prefer to say to the least as I saw them wearing tight skimpy clothes...hahaha....Who would have thought that these girls can really dress up....well I told myself "WELCOME TO MGS" hahaha...the show began.. oh I did not say anything about Grad Nite....well it is a celebration night held every year for the form 5 girls... the girls will really enjoy to their fullest on this special night...so there were performances from 5S1 till 5V3 all the performances were done creatively and I could see that the girls really worked  hard  to put a good show....In between the performances there was a beauty contest and the most beautiful girl from Form 5 was chosen as The Grad Queen...I was told that these pageants were chosen based on their looks and also their inner beauty.....I could not remember the winner's name but  will upload the pictures if I manage to get them... Well for now I have uploaded a few blurry pictures which I took from my Samsung Galaxy as I did not bring my camera because I was not expecting such a great event.... Before I end I would like to congratulate Pn. Chew for making the event memorable and thank you for inviting me.....and from now onwards MGS Grad Nite would be something that I will look forward to attend in the coming years......

Taaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

My new school...

Here I am from Bintulu finally back to Ipoh.. I reported for duty in Methodist Girls' School Ipoh on 3 September 2012 at 6.45 a.m. My new principal, Pn. Nalini gave me a warm welcome and wished me good luck at my new school. I felt very weird being surrounded by female students and teachers but after two days I am adapting well.  I still miss my friends and colleagues in Sarawak. Well my new friends here are very supportive I befriended the teachers in the staffroom. I realized that I am surrounded by senior teachers here so I had to make the first move by greeting everyone whenever I see them. I greeted them and I made sure that whenever I see them I have to put a smile on my face. That has melted many teachers here and they are in the process of accepting a young teacher like me. Hope I will be well accepted by my new colleagues. As for the students......I could see how excited they were to see someone wearing pants, shirt and necktie entering the classroom as they were very used to see baju kurungs, sarees, blouses and skirts. Hahahaha....the first day I entered the class they were extremely quiet (except for 2 Prinia they were very enthusiastic, energetic and noisy...I had to tell them a few times that they were too noisy on the first day itself!!!)   after the second day I could see their true colours. However, it is still manageable and I hope I will live here long.....and truly from the bottom of my heart everything I see here brings me back to SMK BINTULU......... Life goes on.....

 



Bonvoyage!!

 

I can't tell how difficult it is to describe how sad I am to be leaving this wonderful place.
When I got here so many years ago, I would never have realised how connected I would be to such a warm community in Bintulu.

Next week this time I will wake up in my new life, full of yet-to-be realised opportunities, and empty of your company... I will be in a strange limbo.
The teachers and students of SMK Bintulu has helped me through some difficult times, and shared the joyous times in yours. Some people judge their lives on what they do, others on who they are. I want my life to be judged on the friends I keep and the students that I have made, and how enriched I am from just knowing all of you.

I want everyone here to know that this place is the reason I have become the person I am today. I have learned everything that I needed to learn, and more, from this wonderful job; things that college never prepared me enough for. You could call it learning the hard way, but I still had everyone here to support and motivate me.

So... until the next time we meet, my very dear friends, farewell for now. And my dear students all the best to you for your up coming exams and for your future undertakings…..

To quote Shakespeare, who is a better word-smith than I am:

"And whether we shall meet again I know not.
Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
For ever, and for ever, farewell, friends and students!
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If not, why, then this parting was well made. "
Thank you!!

 
Signing off from Bintulu  Mohana Ram….

Farewell party at Heartz Chicken Buffet

 

 



Farewell party at Tanjung Batu Beach with students (3B 2011)

 

Farewell dinner at Kemena Hotel with colleagues

A Compilation of questions and answer for PMR Poems

I have made a compilation of questions and answers for the poems which will be tested in the PMR examination. Since this is the first year such questions will be tested, I decided to compile all the possible questions. Please click on the titles below to download the questions and answers for the respective poems.

The River
Mr. Nobody
Heir Conditioning
I Wonder
Leisure
A Fighter's Lines

English Language Diagnostic Test

This is a copy of the English Language Diagnostic Test for Form 1 students conducted in my school recently. I have uploaded it here for sharing. Please click on the following links to download.

Diagnostic test
Scheme

List of Interesting Words in English

I found this amazing article while browsing the internet searching for teaching materials.

As the cliché goes, 'English is a funny language' because of its inscrutable structure. The very funny English language has eccentricities that seem incomprehensible at times. Solving a puzzle from the New York Times sometimes makes you wonder about 'abstruse glut of antediluvian perorations, if the newspaper's profligacy of neologisms and shibboleths ever set off apoplectic paroxysms in you, if it all seems a bit recondite, here's a reason to be sanguine'; the English language has an insurmountable data of interesting words for its readers. Here's a list of interesting words in English that will help to improve your puzzle-solving techniques, vocabulary and so you can have productive things to do at home.

Interesting Words List

Agrestic: Someone who is rude, uncouth and uncultured.
Ubiquitous: Which seems everywhere or omnipresent.
Ecdysiast: A striptease artist.
Bailiwick: An area of interest, activity or authority.
Insinuation: A malicious implication.
Animadversion: A harsh critical remark.
Epistemology: Related to philosophy, which studies the science of how we know things.
Banal: Boring, rudimentary, something that is not original.
Godspeed: Success or fortune.
Schadenfreude: Sadistic pleasure derived from someone's misfortune.
Porphyrophobia: Fear of the color purple.
Senescence: Growing old or aging.
Euphony: Bearable or agreeable sound.
Quixotic: Extremely romantic and chivalrous.
Jocularity:Funny or joking speech; joking behavior
Mendacity: A pretense; a false appearance.
Obloquy: An oral or verbal abuse towards a person.
Ribaldry: Behavior inclining towards indelicacy.
Heebie-Jeebies: Nervous jitters.
Corpulent: Extremely fat.
Ennui: Boredom or joblessness.
Callipygian: Well toned buttocks.
Penultimate: Next to last.
Kakistocracy: Government chosen by the worst class of citizens.
Uxorious: Extremely submissive to one's wife.
Ichthyophagous: One that feeds on fish.
Hebetudinous: One who lacks mental stimulation, dull-minded, very lethargic.
Mammiferous: Having mammary glands.
Tatterdemalion: A shabbily dressed person.
Jejune: Nothing interesting; rudimentary.
Solipsism: It is a philosophical belief that only the self exists.
Hedonism: A belief that happiness is the only good thing in life.
Hiatus: A break; a pause.
Hispid: Coarse bristle like hair, especially of animals or plants.
Perspicacious: To have a very good judgment.
Condign: A well deserved punishment.
Deipnosophist: A person with excellent dinner table conversation skills.
Eleemosynary: Pertaining to charity.
Pareidolia: A psychological phenomenon, wherein a person has the notion of seeing faces of people in clouds, hearing hidden messages and other such unusual feelings.
Pleonasm: Use of redundant words.
Syzygy: Linear alignment of 3 celestial bodies (the sun, the moon and the earth).
Tmesis: Separating parts of a word by using another word.
Pilgarlic: A bald head.
Sesquipedalian: Using long words.
Sciolism: Superficial and pseudo knowledge.
Stegophilist: A person who climbs buildings for the sake of fun.

Lost Interesting Words

Acrasial: Short tempered or ill tempered.
Adimpleate: To fill up; to make something full.
Aeipathy: Continued love or passion for something or someone.
Bajulate: To take the burden of; bear the burden.
Boscaresque: A scenic woodland; picturesque.
Buccellation: The art of making small morsels.
Coakatively: Artificially.
Ecstasiate: To enter an ecstatic level.
Exipotic: A purgatorial process.
Fallaciloquence: A pretentious speech.
Foppotee: A simpleton.
Gnathonize: To flatter someone.
Graviloquence: A sad or grave speech.
Homerkin: An outdated measure for beer.
Ictuate: To put stress on; to emphasize.
Jobler: Someone who does petty jobs.
Kexy: Dry and brittle.
Lignicide: An ancient word for woodcutter.
Misqueme: To offend or displease.
Nepheliad: A sky nymph.
Obstrigillate: To resist; refuse; protest.
Phalerate: Decorated; made beautiful.
Quadrimular: A phenomenon lasting for four years.
Rhodologist: A person who studies and classifies roses.
Sacricolist: A devoted worshiper.
Tecnolatry: Act of idolizing children.
Vacivity: Hollow or emptiness.

Funny Interesting Words

How could a funny language not have a list of some interesting words. Here are some amusingly funny words.

Conundrum: A difficult problem or a situation.
Oxymoron: Contradictory terms.
Hubris: Overbearing pride.
Caveat: A warning; notice.
Kvetch: Complain constantly.
Capricious: Acting on whims; impulsive.
Facetious: Humorous; jocular.
Loquacious: Talkative; trivial conversation.
Anomaly: Abnormal; irregular.
Sycophant: A person who tries to gain an advantage by pleasing someone.

Why 'Y' Makes Interesting Words

The letter 'Y' is regarded as both a consonant and as vowel, depending on the pronunciation of the word. Here's a list of words wherein the letter plays the role of only a vowel. It is the interchangeable role of the letter that makes these words interesting.

By: Means of; with the help of; used while specifying dimensions.
Dry: The act of removing moisture.
Fly: Travel or move through air.
Fry: Cook in a hot pan with oil.
Gypsy: A nomad living the tribal way.
Hymn: A song of praise for the Lord.
Lymph: A bodily fluid.
Lynch: To kill or hurt without legal sanction.
Lynx: A wild cat with a short tail.
Myth: A baseless story.
My: Possessive pronoun used to show belonging of an object.
Ply: Give the desired or needed.
Pygmy: A small (height) person.
Pyx: A chest in which coins are kept.
Rhythm: A musical beat with regular intervals.
Shy: Short of; lacking confidence.
Sky: The outer space, appears blue in color when viewed from the earth's surface.
Spry: Moving swiftly.
Spy: To watch secretly.
Sylph: A graceful and slender young woman.
Try: Attempt.
Tryst: Date with opposite gender.
Wry: Sarcastic in a humorous way.

Longest Interesting Words

The English language has a list of longest words that make them a part of this list. A list of interesting especially the longest interesting words.

Floccinaucinihilipilification: To describe something worthless.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis: According to Oxford English Dictionary, a factitious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, causing inflammation in the lungs.'
Honorificabilitudinitatibus: This long word was coined by Shakespeare which means 'the state of being able to achieve honors'.
Antidisestablishmentarianism: This is the longest non-coined and non-technical English word which was found in 19th to oppose the 'disestablishment of the Church of England as the state church of England'.

Hope this article has helped you quench your thirst for interesting words. Every word in English language is interesting if it is used according to the rules of English grammar. Thus, making a list of interesting words would mean writing amusing words in the dictionary. Learn the above listed words one day at a time and try to use it in your day-to-day routine. Sure, this can be one of the most fun thing to do with friends when you are bored.

Taaaaaaaaaaaa!

Fun- Filled English Language activities

All of us become bored with the same exercises that we give to our students at times. Students as well hope that their teachers will give them something which is more fun rather than the same typical English language practises which bore them. So here I would like to share a book which has English Language activities which are fun and can be done in the classroom and at the same time students will also learn something in a different way. I have tried some of the activities in my class. so click here to download the book and do something different in you language classroom.

Teacher Mohana or Mr. Mohana

I really finds it very irritating when students call or address me as 'Teacher Mohana'. It does not sound right.. The phrase 'Teacher Mohana' is directly translated by students from the Bahasa Malaysia phrase 'Cikgu Mohana'. It sounds right in Bahasa Malaysia but when it comes to English usage I do not think that it is right... One can address  his or her teacher by calling the Mr.or Miss.... Nowadays I see students addressing their teachers with the added teacher word at the front of their names....I often hear them calling their teachers teacher Agnes, teacher Linda, teacher Mohana and so on... When my students call me like that I advice them not to add the 'teacher' word and just call me Mr. Mohana but it seems like too difficult for them to change what they have been practising since their primary school days. I think we teachers should make efforts to change this.... This may seem to be trivial but this trivial matter need to be corrected so our English will be flawless..................Dear students please address yr teacher as Mr.Mohana and not teacher Mohana...

Improper Preposition

IF you say “I demand FOR an apology”, your command may fall flat – on your face or the floor – all because of one wrongly used word.
If someone has done you wrong, can you imagine how forceful you can sound if you say: “I demand an apology!” (with the stress on “demand”)? But if you were to say “I demand for an apology!”, you will sound somewhat tame and will also be ungrammatical.

“Demand” means “to ask for something forcefully” while “request” means “to ask for something politely or formally” (CALD). Since both words, when used as verbs, mean “to ask for” (but in different ways), there is no need to use the preposition “for” after them.

The idea for this article came from reader Hassan Abdullah, a native speaker of English, who pointed out the frequent use of the word “for” after the verbs “demand” and “request” in Malaysian writing. These verbs in fact do not need any preposition after them.

See if ‘mention’ is used as a verb or noun in Did She Mention My Name?, the title of a moving song by the great Canadian folksinger Gordon Lightfoot.

I have illustrated the correct use of “demand” above. The following sentence from the BBC News website of 10 June illustrates the correct use of “to request” as a verb, without “for” after it: “Spain’s decision to request a loan of up to 100bn euros ... from eurozone funds ... has won broad support.”

The words “demand” and “request”, however, can also be used as nouns. I suspect that the erroneous use of “for” after the verbs may be due to the perfectly correct use of “for” after the nouns. Let me give some examples:

1. The workers’ demand for better wages is justified.
2. Her request for three days’ leave was readily granted by her employer.”

When using either of these words, therefore, it is important to remember whether you are using it as a verb or as a noun.
The same reason may be behind many Malaysians’ use of incorrect verb + preposition structures like “discuss about”, “stress on” and “emphasise on”. The verbs should all be without the prepositions after them. Here are some examples of sentences with the verbs correctly used:

1. They discuss politics all day long.
2. The speaker stressed/emphasised the health benefits of regular physical exercise.

However, when the noun equivalents of the verbs are used, the prepositions often come after them, though not always immediately after them. The noun forms of discuss, stress and emphasise are discussion, stress and emphasis respectively. The following are examples of correct sentences using the nouns followed by the prepositions:

1. There will be a discussion about the coming elections today.
2. The emphasis/stress in this course is on developing students’ thinking skills.

Two other verbs that should not have prepositions after them are “await [for] and “mention [about]” (the redundant prepositions are in square brackets). “Await” means to wait for (somebody or something), while “mention” means to write or speak about something/somebody, especially without giving much information (OALD).

Thus we say: “We eagerly await your arrival.” And we may sometimes ask: “Did she mention my name?” The second sentence is in fact the title and refrain of a moving song by the great Canadian folksinger Gordon Lightfoot. Here are the links to two YouTube versions of this song, one live, and one with lyrics, both sung at the peak of Lightfoot’s career in the early 1970s:

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdWnDmbohg0
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeAkoakbmVA

To get back to grammar, “mention” can also be used as a noun, but the preposition usually used after it is “of”, not “about”, as in: “The mention of his hometown brought back memories to the singer.” There is however no noun equivalent of “await”.

The verb “comprise” presents an interesting case. It means “consist of”. When the verb is used in its active form, it is not followed by “of”. For example, we say: “Malaysia comprises fourteen states.” But its passive form, “be comprised”, is followed by “for”, and we can use this passive form to say “Malaysia is comprised of fourteen states” which has the same meaning as the active sentence. I should add that this is a new development in the English language (Concise Oxford Dictionary 2004, revised 2009).

There is a verb that Malaysians often wrongly use with a preposition, and that is “list”. I have even heard teachers use sentences like the following: “Please list down the names of students who want to order the dictionary.” “To list” means to write a list of and there is no such phrase as “list down” or for that matter, “list out” which some Malaysians use. I suspect that “list down” may have come into being through a false analogy with “write down”.

At some time you have probably been asked the following question by a fellow Malaysian: “Are you coping up with your work?” If so, the person is using the wrong expression. “Cope” means to deal successfully with something difficult (OALD) and can either be used by itself, or with the preposition “with”. So, the question should go: “Are you coping with your work?” And your answer could be: “Thanks, I am coping all right.”

Finally I would like to discuss that expression some Malaysians so often use when they want to buy some food from a cafe or restaurant, and take it home to eat. The expression is “buy back” as in: “Shall we buy back some food?”

This really implies that the person and his companion(s) have earlier sold some food to the cafe or restaurant and he is suggesting that they buy it back. This is the sense in which it is used in the following news report:

“Sir Richard Branson is attempting to buy back the former Virgin Radio 14 years after selling the UK radio group” (telegraph.co.uk 14 Apr 2011).

In order to avoid any misunderstanding, our Malaysian friend should have said: “Shall we buy some food to take home?”

The Star, 26 June 2012.

Teacher Motivation 5 - Availability

Teaching is not a job. It's a profession. People do not teach for a living; they are teachers. Forget the nine - to - five schedule; it doesn't exist. The most important moments in teaching may come outside the structured class time. The question after class, the early morning " bull session," the phone call at home - there are opportunities to do what you do best - teach.
   But those things can't happen if you are not available. Learning happens best when it relates to life. That's why those life moments are so important. A whole semester's content about sociology may be forgotten, but that class trip to an ethnic neighbourhood in the inner city will probably remain in the minds of your students forever.
    You don't have to be a buddy, but you can be a friend.Your speech, mannerisms, or body language can convey that opennes to friendship. Certainly you must have an accessibility policy that is fair and reasonable, but those two or three extra minutes after the class session might just be filled with more personal influence than two or three years of structured classroom time.

Creative Teachers' Showcase - MELTA Conference Sarawak 7 and 8 June 2012

The MELTA conference 2012 was held on 7 and 8 June in Kuching. I took part in the Creative Teacher's Showcase(CTS). I presented my Wheels of English which I adapted from the game show wheel of Fortune or the BM version Roda Impian. My presentation was well acepted by the participatn who attended the conference though it did not impress the judges. However, I was very proud when I received appreciations from classroom practioners who felt that my presentation was very practical. Besides being busy with my presentation, I manage to meet some old friends and made some new friends. MELTA conference was an eye - opener and I hope to attend more conferences like this in future not only as a participant but also as a presenter.I was happy with my showcase as many participants came to me and demanded explanation on my showcase. I was more than happy to see curious faces. some teachers even took pictures to bring back and try it at their school. I learnt a large deal by participating in the CTS.  The two days spent at Four Point Sheraton was memorable and I am looking forward to present my paper in MELTA conference 2013. hahhahaha..

Incredible India!!!!

Had a great vacation in India though it was scorching hot there....The temperature was 38 degree celcius...yet I still had a great vacation with my family. visiting the ancient temples was the most memorable experience.....I was awed by the architectural design of the temples, it was simply superb...I felt peaceful and serene whenever I entered the temples there. The positive energy can be felt at any parts of the temples the made me felt the presence of God.....The temples are evidence of the Hindu Civilization which is a prove that Hinduism is the greatest religion on earth....I would definitely want to go to India again but the next trip will be as a pilgrim....I only get to visit a few temples in India during this visit, so I have decided to visit all the temples in India one day....For now that is all about my vacation and now I have to gear up for the upcoming Melta Conference in Kuching on the 7th and 8th June. I will be taking part in the Creative Teacher's Showcase....Will upload my product here after the conference....Wish Me Luck!!

Off to India for Holidays

Had a busy and strenous semester since it started and finally all has come to an end at least half the burden is gone and we only need to think about the other half that is the next semester which will be focusing more towards the public examinations. The competitions has ended and the first semester examination ended last week. was busy marking the papers as I do not want to bring back ' homework' for holidays. I have only one class left.... Will finish it by tonite before  my flight takes off to India tomorrow morning.. Can't wait to leave Malaysia and visit another land. I hope my visit to India will be meaningful as this will be my first time to visit the land of my ancestors which is rich in cultural values.. ..Can't wait to reach India... will update more info, modules and worksheets after my holidays....for now....Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Teacher Motivation - recreation

Learning is hard work. It may be exciting, but it's also difficult. On most school days, students rise too earl, eat too little, and earn even less for their efforts. Most aren't at school because it was their chosen activity of the day. The law requires it. No wonder they often look offended when the roll is taken! They know that for the next several hours much will be given to them and much will be required. They will be expected to assimilate in mere minutes the concepts that have taken you years to understand. So give them a break - literally. Hit the "pause" button once in a while.
       Give your students a  " timely time - out." It will be good for their bodies, minds and spirits. Set the borders, and then turn them loose for a little playtime. The books will always be there, but the moment is fleeting. In fact, that moment may be the most opportune teaching time. weave your subject matter into games and downtime activities.
The change will benefit the teacher as much as the student.

Test Your Proverbs Now!!!!

I would like to share one part of my proverb module.This part is the test part where I require my students to do once I complete the module. It takes 3 weeks for me to complete all the aspects in my module as I have to integrate the proverbs with the theme and topic that was being taught. I do the test after I have complete teaching the module.click here to download the Proverbs test.

Debate Materials

During the inter - school  and inter - division competion, I was saddened when I noticed that many teachers and students do not know the structure of debate and how a debate is judged. Many teachers asked for my help to improve their team. So I have decided to upload some materials related to judging a Parliamentary Style Debate Competition. I hope these materials help.

Debate Concept Paper
Affirmative adjudication sheet
Negative adjudication sheet
Reply speech
Best Debater voting sheet
Adjudicator comment sheet
Result

Sri Aman

Sri Aman is a market town and port, and the capital of Sri Aman and Sri Aman Division in Sarawak, east Malaysia.

Sri Aman is also called Bandar Sri Aman, and was formerly known as Simanggang. Sri Aman in the Malay language means "town of peace ." Located on the Lupar River, it is 193 kilometers, a three hour drive, from Kuching the capital city of Sarawak. It is a trade center for the timber, oil palm, rubber, and pepper of its mostly agricultural district.

Sri Aman is famous for the benak, or tidal bore, of the Batang Lupar River. The tidal bore comes in from the river mouth and fills up the river very rapidly in the course of about 10 minutes. The wave crest at Sri Aman is up to 2 to 3 metres high. This is one of approximately 400 rivers and estuaries in the world where this phenomenon happens. There is a timetable at the river which has the time and dates for when the tidal bore will occur, but the really big ones occur only a couple of times a year. The author Somerset Maugham almost lost his life at Simanggang during one of these tidal bores, and commemorated the event in his short story Yellow Streak.

Sri Aman is also a gateway for tourists to the Batang Ai National Park and cultural tours to the Iban longhouses along the rivers.

Guided Writing My Way

when I started teaching I often find it to be difficult to teach writing as students really hated writing.My Students often do not complete their homework especially if it is writing homework. On the other hand, I really had difficulties in correcting their compositions as the same mistakes are repeated over and over again in every compositions.With this in my mind i tried to come out with and effective way to teach writing ans this is how I  am teaching guided writing to my students. I call it chain - map strategy. This method really helps them to construct the sentences correctly and improve their writing skill. I prepare pthe outline for them based on the questions and i always require them to complete the outline before discussing the composition. During discussion the students will corect their sentences and this help them to improve ther structure. Through this way students will learn a large deal and improve in their writing and we teachers do not need to spend so much time marking their essay. Currently I am doing my action research on this method.

Sri Aman The Land of Tidal Bore

Sri Aman is a market town and port, and the capital of Sri Aman District and Sri Aman Division in Sarawak, east Malaysia.

Sri Aman is also called Bandar Sri Aman, and was formerly known as Simanggang. Sri Aman in the Malay language means "town of peace ." Located on the Lupar River, it is 193 kilometers, a three hour drive, from Kuching the capital city of Sarawak. It is a trade center for the timber, oil palm, rubber, and pepper of its mostly agricultural district.

Sri Aman is famous for the benak, or tidal bore, of the Batang Lupar River. The tidal bore comes in from the river mouth and fills up the river very rapidly in the course of about 10 minutes. The wave crest at Sri Aman is up to 2 to 3 metres high. This is one of approximately 400 rivers and estuaries in the world where this phenomenon happens. There is a timetable at the river which has the time and dates for when the tidal bore will occur, but the really big ones occur only a couple of times a year. The author Somerset Maugham almost lost his life at Simanggang during one of these tidal bores, and commemorated the event in his short story Yellow Streak.

Sri Aman is also a gateway for tourists to the Batang Ai National Park, and cultural tours to the Iban longhouses along the rivers.

Losing is not the end of everything...

After practicing for over 3 weeks, the Bintulu Debate team departed to Sri Aman for the state level English Language Carnival. This morning they were against the Sibu team.. The motion of the debate was This House Believes That The Family Is Responsible For The Moral Decadence Among Youth.We were the opposition.. Andy Lau was the first speaker, Michelle Chew was the second and Andrea was third speaker. However, we lost to Sibu as according to the judges the Sibu team was better. Well, I accept their verdict but I know our debate team has done their best and put a good fight... I have no complains.. I know all of you have been so dedicated when we were preparing for the war... I know all of you have worked so hard and wanted to reach the final. well, it's ok and it is not the end of the world if we lose the first round... Life is a mixture of good and bad, happiness and sadness and we all know that it is not always a bed of roses.....you guys have done your best during the divisional and represented our school after six years.....that was such a good achievement.... KUDOS!!!!! LOV Yea....

Debate!!! Debate!!! Debate!!!!

Was really busy this two weeks with my debate team. Today was a meaningful day as the SMK Bintulu Debate Team won the Bintulu Division Parliamentary Style Debate. My debaters were Andrea Siang Yuen Yuen, Michelle Chew,Andy Lau, Ericson Desik, Bernadette and Sharron Jeremy. They really worked as a team and their victory today was the result of their commitment. All their hardwork was paid of when we won the final round when we were against one of the strongest team in Bintulu, SMK Bandar Bintulu. The SMK Bintulu debaters will be representing Bintulu Division for the State level debate which will be in Sri Aman, in April. We will be meeting the strongest schools representing their divisions. All my advice to my team is DO YOUR BEST!!!! BE THE BEST!!!! chaiyoooooo

English is a stupid language???

There is no egg in the eggplant,
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England,
French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted, but if we examine its paradoxes we find that:

Quicksand takes you down slowly,
Boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
If writers write, how come fingers don't fing?
If the plural of tooth is teeth,
Shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth?
If the teacher taught,
Why hasn't the preacher praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables,
What the heck does a humanitarian eat?
Why do people recite at a play,
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways?
How can the weather be as hot as hell on one day
And as cold as hell on another?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language where a house can burn up as it burns down,
And in which you fill in a form
By filling it out
And a bell is only heard once it goes!
English was invented by people, not computers,
And it reflects the creativity of the human race
(Which of course isn't a race at all.)
That is why:
When the stars are out they are visible,
But when the lights are out they are invisible.
And why it is that when I wind up my watch
It starts,
But when I wind up this poem
It ends.

Isn't this is funny?? anyways this is not from me I found it on the internet when I was surfing this morning.....

Teaching Fatigue

I would like to share something interesting from The Star files


Teaching requires commitment just as a marriage does. Over the time, some teachers become indifferent to work. However, all is not lost, if they reflect and evaluate the choices.

When I read the article “Marriage Fatigue” (StarTwo, June 2), I couldn’t help but compare how similar the fatigue among married couples described by her is to the work fatigue teachers experience, after they’ve given up teaching for a long time.

First things first. What was the article about? Well, it was about the symptoms of marital burnout and how surreptitiously they creep into a mature marriage and destroy its very fabric.

The symptoms described were a sense of emptiness and quietude in the marriage which were often the result of the absence of “affection and involvement”.

According to the article, if couples who have been married a long time no longer have a sense of shared purpose and have lost their sense of “we-ness”, then the marriage is on dangerous ground. Going on living together, but being separately “lost, lonely and depressed” is an indication of marital fatigue.

When each is too tired to try to make the relationship work, the marriage drifts and the couple may even split.

Getting into teaching is a lot like getting into a marriage. There are ups and downs, good patches and bad, love and hate, zest and deflation, times when you’re up and swinging, and times when you’re zapped and tired.

If marriage requires commitment, so does teaching. As a teacher, you are honour-bound to your students and the vocation you have chosen.

With each passing year, you might feel bogged down by professional demands, work ethics and the huge moral responsibility teaching exacts from you.

If marriage needs constant adjustment and dedicated effort to make it work, so does teaching.

If things don’t work out in a marriage, you’re forced to reflect and evaluate the choices open to you, and then consider whether your marriage is worth being in.

Similarly, when you’re a teacher, in every class you walk into, you have to be introspective. What works? What doesn’t? Why?

When things fall apart, whose fault is it? Can it be helped? Who needs to change? How? If necessary, are you willing to adopt a different approach?

If you aren’t, then what’s going to happen? What are the risks involved for every decision you make? Who ends up with the shorter end of the stick?

Talking about marital fatigue, the article highlighted a 60-year-old man who finally left his marriage of 33 years, once he retired.

Having lived years of separate lives, he found his marriage empty and devoid of meaning.

Finding no spark to rekindle his marriage, having no desire to court his wife again and realising there was no common vision for the future, he left.

For a couple to stay married happily ever after, the trick is to shift from “resolving conflict” in the early years to “enhancing intimacy” in the twilight ones. So says relationship researcher and emeritus professor of psychology from the University of Washigton, John M. Gottman.

Back to teaching. Don’t you see now why some older teachers feel the embers dying within themselves?

They come to work feeling dull and tired because they no longer feel the sense of purpose they once felt.

They see teaching life as empty and meaningless — a process of simply going through the motions.

Technically speaking, such teachers should leave the profession, but many plod on to retirement simply because they refuse to acknowledge the rut they are in.

The “marriage” is dead but they’ve been in it so long that they do not even know what to do without it.

Isn’t it sad when long years of teaching translate into inertia and apathy?

To survive the teaching profession and to enjoy being in it right up to the ripe age of 58, which is the new retirement age offered by the government, the same principles which apply to marriage should be applied here too.

For one thing, the spark must not be allowed to die. Do not let indifference take over. Do not become jaded and non contributive.

In teaching, remain affected and involved. Get into things. Build up good times you can share with your students and your colleagues.

Think purposefully as to where your teaching life is headed. If you are a dull, dreary teacher who seems to be the one who has given up on teaching, stop and think. Are you simply marking time to retire? You shouldn’t.

To make the twilight years of your teaching life meaningful, it is you and only you who can make the difference

by Nithya sidhu
The Star 3/08/2008

Teacher Motivation 3 - Evaluation

Evaluating a student goes beyond the report card. The report card measures only what a student has done. You must evaluate where the student is and where he can go. Learn to read your students. What are they working on today?Oh!,that doesn't mean what their classroom assignment is. What are they working on inside their minds? Their hearts?

What is the main concern? Of course , for the most part that is the RM1000000000 question. If you were a mind reader, you probably wouldn't be in the teaching profession. You might be concentrating on the lottery!

But in one sense, you are a mind reader. Your daily interaction with you students has given you great insights into what motivates them - and what completely turns them off. Over time, you learn to read their faces.

Once you can read them, you must then lead them. Where do they need to grow?Where do you want them to go? How will you utilize the knowledge you have gained by reading their countenances and behaviour.?

Evaluation lead to motivation - adapted from Minutes Motivators For Teachers

MARKING SCHEME FOR ENGLISH PAPER 2 (PMR 2012)

I have made changes to the existing PMR marking scheme to fit the latest format as there are a few changes made in paper 2 PMR English language. However, this marking scheme is not the official marking scheme from KPM or LPM. This is a marking scheme that I altered from the old one. If there is an official marking scheme for the latest format, I will share it here.Please click the link below to download the marking scheme that I have uploaded. Any suggestions to improvise the marking scheme will be welcomed.

Marking Scheme Paper 2

Teacher Motivation 2 - Determine to love the unlovable

There is one in every class; that one student who tries your patience, wears on your nerves, and makes you wonder why you ever became a teacher. Unteachable, unbearable, unlovable - those are the words that will run through your mind. Think again. It really is worth the time to consider the cause behind that child's effec. That unruly student may be a 'prisoner of war.' Yon do not know the raging wars that he or she may be facing = a tortured home life, emotional pain or physical illness.

Unlovely?? Perhaps. Unlovable? Never. That "problem child" is a child of God, the focus of His bes affection. According to the Bible, He cared enough to sacrifice His own Son for the spiritual welfare of that one child.

Pause for a moment and pray for an infusion of compassion. It could just be that the "unlovable" is looking for love - and you just might be the source! At least in your heart, you can give that unruly student a new status: loved, understood, and worthy of honor.

For Heaven's sake, don't give up on that child.

Sports Day 2012

Having our sports week here....yeas we are having it for three consecutive days...it is really very tiring especially when you are working with the technical team.....tomorrow will be the closing ceremony hopefully everything will be alright....

English Brainstormers

Dear all,

I believe in sharing, with that in mind I am sharing one of the most interesting books that I have ever downloaded. The book provides interesting ideas for brainstorming activities...these activities can become your "set induksi" ....the activities can be modified according to your students ability....so take it or leave it hahahahaha....if you are interested click on the cover of the book below.....




Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Malaysian Subject - Verb Agreement That Do Not Agree...

No subject-verb agreement

THIS sentence appeared in a recent online edition of a local newspaper:

“Trading in national car maker Proton Holdings Bhd and conglomerate DRB-Hicom Bhd shares were suspended ...”

What a glaring mistake! How can the verb in this sentence (“were”) be plural when the subject (“trading”) is clearly singular?

In my observation, this is the No.1 grammatical mistake that occurs in Malaysian English. Sadly, it has become the norm! I see it everywhere – in newspaper headlines, TV news, and practically every single time I hit the “Info” button on my Astro remote.

I can see exactly where the mistake comes from. Whoever wrote or edited the sentence took a long, hard look at the noun that sits right before the verb (in this case, “shares”), and decided that because “shares” is plural, the verb must also be plural. The question every writer must ask himself is: “Where is the subject in this sentence?”

The subject is “trading”, which means the correct version of the sentence should read: “Trading in ... shares ... was suspended ...”

Have students and teachers of English in this country become unfamiliar with such basics as “Subject-Verb-Object”?

After all, it is no more complicated than “Mommy is making dinner” and “Daddy is reading a newspaper”. – Shehzad Martin

The native speaker fallacy

I DO not believe that native speakers are the best language teachers.

At best, they are only good language models but not necessarily models of optimal learners.

In response to the tenet created at the 1961 Commonwealth Conference on the Teaching of English as a Second Language in Makarere, Uganda – which stated that the ideal teacher of English is a native speaker – Robert Phillipson used the phrase “the native speaker fallacy” in an article to refer to the unfair treatment of qualified non-native English-speaker teachers since the majority of English teachers worldwide are evidently non-native speakers of English as documented by Matsuda & Matsuda in 2001.

The native speaker fallacy, as is understood literally, implies that in learning an additional language, native speakers of that language are not the best language teachers for learners even though Peter Medgyes concluded that learners taught by both native and non-native speaker teachers had an equal chance of success in his related investigation in over 10 countries.

I tend to agree with Medgyes despite the fact that native speaker teachers are, in most linguistic scenarios, more proficient, fluent and accurate comparatively.

As Medgyes posits, since non-native speaker teachers have had to adopt language-learning strategies during their own learning process, this is more likely to make them better qualified to teach those learning strategies and they are more empathetic to their students’ linguistic challenges and needs.

Therefore, the dichotomy of native speaker teachers and non-native speaker teachers should not be understood as it stands in the Malaysian context. I believe over-emphasis on any of the two will not be fruitful in our learners’ additional language learning. – Khei Yok Man

The Star
27th January 2012

How I Met Myself - Sample Lesson plans

Here I would like to share lesson plans with interesting activities for the novel how I Met Myself....I hope this will be helpful for those who are teaching the noel how I Met Myself.. this lesson plans were done and presented during the state level JU training in Miri last year...

Lesson Plan 1
Lesson Plan 2
Lesson Plan 3
Lesson Plan 4
Lesson Plan 5
Lesson Plan 6
Lesson Plan 7
Lesson Plan 8
Lesson Plan 9
Lesson Plan 10

Sin Nyien Kwai Ler...Gong Xi Fatt Chai

Happy Chinese New Year to dear followers...May the Dragon Vibes brings you all the happiness in life...Gong Xi Fatt chai......

Form 3 Lit - Com Workshop - Bintulu Division

The Bintulu Division Lit - Com training session was conducted today and I was the trainer. 20 teachers from Bintulu division participated in the session and was quite nervous as this was my first time handling a group of senior teachers and some of them, their experiences are my age!! However, I had a blessed session with all of them as they were all humble and was willing to share their experiences as well as accept my ideas..... The session went on really very well...They were even very excited to take part in the group activities that I had prepared for the training session. Here are some of the pictures that I would love to share.. Thanks to Pn. Nancy Jupei ( PPD Officer) who was more than willing to be with us throughout the session.... God Bless

The teacher in you

The teacher in you

TEACHER TALK
By NITHYA SIDDHU


Imparting knowledge and values to young children are by no means, easy tasks, but teachers remain in the profession for various reasons.

SINGER songwriter Bob Dylan once said: “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between, he does what he wants to do.” After reading this, I asked this question seriously of myself. As a teacher, do I get to do what I want to do?

The answer is yes. Well, at least 60% of the time. When I am teaching, I do know that I am doing what I want to do, which is to help others gain understanding of a subject that I have a passion for.

If my teaching gives students the impetus to bring about positive change in themselves, be it in deportment, knowledge or attitude, then I know I am doing what I want to do.

For the rest of the time, like most other teachers, I do what I have to do. Bob Dylan’s words made me think further. What questions, if any, have been asked of me regarding my years as a teacher?

Listed below are some of the questions and answers that are based on my 25 years of teaching.

·Do I get the time to be creative and be motivated?

By the administration, not always. By my students, quite a fair bit. I do realise this however – teachers do need and appreciate incentives to propel them to be inventive.

As for me, I have always tried to come up with an innovative project, at least once a year. I am aware that for this to happen – it is up to me to find the time for it. The inclination to do so is important. If it doesn’t happen, I am to blame.

·Is teaching rewarding?

I would say it has its moments, particularly if a lesson goes well and you know that you are instrumental in bringing about some positive learning habits.

l Is teaching addictive?

Yes, it can be something that you want to return to time after time, especially if you have the knack for it. Your students’ faces will say it all ... whether they enjoy your lesson or just your sheer presence every time you walk into the class.

·A girl asked me this: is a teacher’s job exciting?

On days when the factors are just right, the students are great, funny and eager to work with you – yes, it can be exciting to teach.

Their enthusiasm is infectious and creates this warm feeling that is hard to describe. When they understand your wit and are rooting for meaningful communication, teaching can become exciting.

On other days? Let’s face it, like any other job, sometimes it’s just doing more of the same every day — dreary, dull and uphill tasks — that physically and mentally tire you out. On days like this, you just want the working day to end, so you can go home.

·“Is teaching a gift?” asks an 18-year-old who plans to take up the noble profession.

My answer? I’m afraid it is. Many people are taken on as teachers, but only a few take to teaching like ducks to water.

Why? It’s a gift to be able to reach out to people, touch them where it matters, and make them see the whys and what-fors of notching up change.

·Is teaching challenging?

It used to be, but not as much anymore as I’ve matured over time. Any new challenge can be tackled. But when I was new to teaching, I do remember the rush I felt – there were always so many things to do, to learn, to think and to discover.

A young teacher said to me, “I am extremely happy to be a teacher, it’s good to see the students’ progress and it’s fantastic to see that I (and teachers in general) am an important part in their learning life.” It was a good statement, I thought.

·Do teachers make a difference?

A student answered this for me. “A good teacher makes me want to be a better per-son,” he said.

·Is teaching rewarding?

For this, I sought out a senior teacher – a man due to retire soon and his answer stayed with me.

“Financially, you may not feel you have the best job in the world. But it pays well enough, and if you’re grateful for the privileges that come with the job (he meant free medical services, loans at low interest rates, not having to work during school holidays, etc), I think teaching is a good job to derive a pension from.”

But, the true rewards are the non-tangible ones, he shared, that of providing a charitable service, giving to the young, being involved in their growing years.

What is truly rewarding is when former students come back years later to tell their teachers how they inspired and brought about positive changes to them, he added.

“You really leave a little piece of yourself with them, and they with you,” he said.

I was touched.

·Does being a teacher teach you anything?

My answer would be “loads”. I have learnt so much from being a teacher. There’ll never be an ending to what I can still learn. Mentoring, coaching, training, counselling skills – all these I learnt from teaching.

Being a more accepting person — less ready to condemn and more ready to forgive and move forward — all this, I learnt from teaching.

Practising the habit of being honest, non-prejudicial, just, fair, caring, kind — this too came as an added bonus.

Understanding myself, knowing how I was viewed by others and realising what I needed to do to improve every day came directly from my teaching experience too.

The most important thing I learnt? How you are as a person is reflected by the look on the faces of your students.

When you do a good job, you see the look of enlightenment and appreciation on them. When you care, they often care too. And, if you don’t, they couldn’t care less