The classes are getting very fidgety as the holidays are coming - they get a week off for hari raya. A few days after they come back the exams will start. Some are going on holidays and coming back the day before exams. One girl will miss her English exam and her parents wanted us to reschedule the exam. Of course not - coz it means resetting the paper and noone would be willing to do it.
The IGSCE exams were over today and one big load of my mind as I was organizing the exams. The headaches and struggles I had to go through for that I'll keep for another day. At the end of their exams the students were screaming along the corridors. This would have been fine except there were other classes. But all the kids do it at some time or the other - really irritating but i have tuned out. They are having a farewell party and they were inviting quite a few of the teachers but not me. Was a bit hurt. I wouldnt have gone but it would have been nice to have been asked. Thinking about it I guess they wanted to have fun and I am seen as a party pooper as I can't have fun. During the exams I had a very serious face as I was running around doing a lot of the exam work.
On a lighter note - the sec 1 murder story project turned out very well. They submitted with their photos and some looked quite realistic and with the fake blood.
Joke of the day - found these 2 boys in a classroom - one sitting down and one at the doorway and they were smsing each other! Talk about keeping conversation to the minimum.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Orlong
Today in class was going through prepositions and some of them got all their answers incorrect. Then this girl kept saying "orlong orlong" So wrote down her name as I always do when someone speaks indonesian in class. And some students in the class protested and said that was an English word. What was the English word? " All + wrong = orlong" came the answer. They had learnt it from their previous teacher , who was Singaporean and had told them that it was Singlish. Horror of horrors - I was cringing that these kids were learning wrong things under the guise of learning English. As a teacher I feel that we have certain boundaries we cannot cross especially when it comes to educating. And though I joke with them and all - when it comes to teaching, certain things cannot be compromised. I told them firmly it was not English and certainly not Singlish. They were quite miffed about it but they are still young so its ok.
Today in class was going through prepositions and some of them got all their answers incorrect. Then this girl kept saying "orlong orlong" So wrote down her name as I always do when someone speaks indonesian in class. And some students in the class protested and said that was an English word. What was the English word? " All + wrong = orlong" came the answer. They had learnt it from their previous teacher , who was Singaporean and had told them that it was Singlish. Horror of horrors - I was cringing that these kids were learning wrong things under the guise of learning English. As a teacher I feel that we have certain boundaries we cannot cross especially when it comes to educating. And though I joke with them and all - when it comes to teaching, certain things cannot be compromised. I told them firmly it was not English and certainly not Singlish. They were quite miffed about it but they are still young so its ok.