The weekend has gone by so fast....
I wanted to do so many things but in the end only managed to mark half of what I wanted to
I went to my mum's place after a month and only because I forced myself to make the time
I just wanted to stay in and mark - geesh what a life
And I came up with two lists
Why I hate school
- the marking - when you have to mark work where the student doesn't put in effort and does it in ten minutes - then you spend 30 minutes correcting all the mistakes - you give it back and the next piece of work comes back with the same mistakes
- the students - students who have such venomous hate for you and you don't understand why, the ones who are so nice to you in front of you and once your back is turned, start complaining about you
- the hours - when you leave the house it is dark and when you reach home it is dark - you don't have time to look at the sky and breathe
- there is no time to do anything else - like watch a movie, catch up with friends, etc
Why I like school
- the marking - when you come across students who make the effort to improve and learn from the mistakes , am so proud when I see them learning
- the students - the ones who look out for you and give you a warm smile when they see you
- the friends who comfort you and give you new strength when you are down
- the sense of achievement that comes when a performance you have co-ordinated comes together
Is the glass half empty or half full?
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
"If' by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream and not make dreams your master,
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream and not make dreams your master,
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And–which is more–you'll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling
Came across this poem which seems to be telling me a message....
Monday, July 24, 2006
The Flying Shoe (A Fantasy)
There is a saying in Tamil of which a direct translation means "I'll take off my slipper and hit you". It is said when you are scolding someone and want to knock some sense into them. We use it very rarely. Today I had visions of taking off my shoe, throwing it (it travels in slow motion ala "The Matrix") and hitting the heads of a few of my students. Why you ask? They were talking as the entire level was being addressed by the P. They were being talked about (not very positively I must add) and all they were interested in was catching up with each other. Since I couldn't catch their attention from where I was standing, a fantasy took shape. And in my fantasy, my students will miraculously turn over a new leaf with one hit on the head and become model students. Alas! It will just remain a fantasy. For neither am I going to throw any shoes (no wasting of good shoes) nor are the kids going to change overnight.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
School
As usual, am busy at school. Mountains of papers to mark. And a class that gets into the news every week. Just when I have finished telling everyone about the wonderful class that bought me a cake, some of them get into trouble again. And especially after the talk of how's one person's actions can affect the rest of the class name. This time for what? Burning paper in class. When asked why, "Oh the lighter was there! so we decided to play with it." And worse the two boys only thought it was a mistake because they were caught - if they were not, then it was a trivial matter. They couldn't understand why they were being caught for a simple matter. It doesn't matter that nothing dangerous happened but that it could have. Then after the the dangerous thing has happened you cannot go back and say "Oh I should not have done it". And now I wonder "What is a lighter doing in class?"
A parent called to lament that her son was not talking to her properly. He has been such an obedient boy but now he only answered in monosyllables. I told her it was a teenage fad and that it will pass it soon. But you know what, I cannot wait for some of the boys in my class to go through NS. That is when they will learn to be more mature. Some walk around with a swagger thinking they are so cool. Please! It really is pathetic.
As usual, am busy at school. Mountains of papers to mark. And a class that gets into the news every week. Just when I have finished telling everyone about the wonderful class that bought me a cake, some of them get into trouble again. And especially after the talk of how's one person's actions can affect the rest of the class name. This time for what? Burning paper in class. When asked why, "Oh the lighter was there! so we decided to play with it." And worse the two boys only thought it was a mistake because they were caught - if they were not, then it was a trivial matter. They couldn't understand why they were being caught for a simple matter. It doesn't matter that nothing dangerous happened but that it could have. Then after the the dangerous thing has happened you cannot go back and say "Oh I should not have done it". And now I wonder "What is a lighter doing in class?"
A parent called to lament that her son was not talking to her properly. He has been such an obedient boy but now he only answered in monosyllables. I told her it was a teenage fad and that it will pass it soon. But you know what, I cannot wait for some of the boys in my class to go through NS. That is when they will learn to be more mature. Some walk around with a swagger thinking they are so cool. Please! It really is pathetic.
Service Standards
Went shopping with my husband for my overdue birthday present. He got me a Braun Buffel wallet and pouch. Yay! Was still on a high after getting it. I was looking at watches and asked the salesperson to take out two watches. After I tried on the first one, I gave it to him and tried on the second one. Was discussing with my husband which was the better one, when the salesguy started fixing the first watch on the plastic stand and putting it back into the display case. He was more concerned about putting things back neatly than making a sale! Such bad service. We walked off after that.
It reminded me of a time in Hong Kong. I was at this shop and was trying out clothes. The saleslady kept bringing blouses to see if I liked them. Each time I would give an excuse like "I don't want too much embroidery", or "I don't like too thin" and each time she would go around the shop and find something else. Each time she did this, she didn't show a black face. And this happened in any shop, I walked into in Hong Kong. At the rate we are going, other countries are going to overtake us in service standards.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
My birthday was a blast. Got many sms and had great presents. Got a pair of earphones and earrings, blouse so far. Thank you to all those people who sent such sweet smses and who called to wish me. My wishes for the rest of the year.....
1) for the students to get focused and start doing their work diligently
2) they will all hand in their work on time without being asked
3) lots of happy and memorable moments with loved ones
1) for the students to get focused and start doing their work diligently
2) they will all hand in their work on time without being asked
3) lots of happy and memorable moments with loved ones
Friday, July 07, 2006
Wonderful Surprise
Today is a day when so much happens that I dont know where to start. Well I guess I'll start with the nicest part - my class got me a cake and card and surprised me!. I was really happy today. It was absolutely wonderful of them. That they had gotten organized and done this is really an achievement. I was so proud - I told everyone in the staffroom, my principal and my HODs what my class had done. I went to share the cake with them so that they would also know my class has a heart. I was suspicious something was up when the class was very restless during English. Then when my HOD came to ask if the class can do the NE quiz during the last period so I readily agreed. The class went silent, confused and then gave a collective "NOOOOOOOOO!" This made me even more suspicious but I just thought they were just being extra crazy. Then Zhen Hong and Adib ask to go and change the quiz to another day. Strange but I let them do it. Then Zheng Hong asks to go to the toilet! And he leaves the class and turns left instead of right. Now I get really suspicious. Then I find out the truth when they come back with a huge cake! I was really pleasantly surprised. So shocked I didn't know what to say. Hai I wish I had my camera - then i could have taken a photo with all of them. Can someone please send me the pic of the cake? Thank you 4e and jasmine (for spending time on the card) - really one of the best birthdays ever.
Oh ya - and some of the morons in my class wanted to put 4 candles on the cake - hey I am not that old! Eternally 27!
Today is a day when so much happens that I dont know where to start. Well I guess I'll start with the nicest part - my class got me a cake and card and surprised me!. I was really happy today. It was absolutely wonderful of them. That they had gotten organized and done this is really an achievement. I was so proud - I told everyone in the staffroom, my principal and my HODs what my class had done. I went to share the cake with them so that they would also know my class has a heart. I was suspicious something was up when the class was very restless during English. Then when my HOD came to ask if the class can do the NE quiz during the last period so I readily agreed. The class went silent, confused and then gave a collective "NOOOOOOOOO!" This made me even more suspicious but I just thought they were just being extra crazy. Then Zhen Hong and Adib ask to go and change the quiz to another day. Strange but I let them do it. Then Zheng Hong asks to go to the toilet! And he leaves the class and turns left instead of right. Now I get really suspicious. Then I find out the truth when they come back with a huge cake! I was really pleasantly surprised. So shocked I didn't know what to say. Hai I wish I had my camera - then i could have taken a photo with all of them. Can someone please send me the pic of the cake? Thank you 4e and jasmine (for spending time on the card) - really one of the best birthdays ever.
Oh ya - and some of the morons in my class wanted to put 4 candles on the cake - hey I am not that old! Eternally 27!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
The Realm of Water Lotus is Back!!!
So I finally redid the skin. Well "I" didn't. I just borrowed from blogskins. It is not the picture I wanted but it will have to do till I have time to do one with lotuses. Someone asked if lotus is my favourite flower. Well it is just that my name means water lotus. Hence, the fascination with the lotus. It, being associated with peace and serenity calms me down after a stressful day.
So I finally redid the skin. Well "I" didn't. I just borrowed from blogskins. It is not the picture I wanted but it will have to do till I have time to do one with lotuses. Someone asked if lotus is my favourite flower. Well it is just that my name means water lotus. Hence, the fascination with the lotus. It, being associated with peace and serenity calms me down after a stressful day.