Ends well

There is no better ways to conclude school term other than hearing good news.
The UPSR result!
Yes, the kids have just received their UPSR exam result slip this morning.
No, my school did not score 100% passes.
Nor did we get 50% passes.
No one gets 5As either.
Our schools' overall is 34%
Last year result was 34.6%
But Mathematics & Science were still taught in BM that time.

This year however, will mark the 6th year since they first started learning Maths and Science in English.
This year's UPSR is the tool to analyze whether the implementation of English in Mathematics & Science, which has been introduced since 2003 will work or not.

It has been tough, implementing it, considering English is not their first mother tongue.
Plus other hesitations - teachers, families, surroundings, etc.

But.
Although they did not at least match last year's performance... as a teacher, I personally think, they HAVE done well.
They did not flunk that low despite some people say, their result will be really-really bad.
That brings some glint of hopes to us teachers.
That next year will be even more better.




The 'daughter' whom I brought home for 2 months. She scored 3As,2Bs and top among the rest *proud*


Some of them after receiving their exam slips

I am more ecstatic that 15 out of 20 of my kids passed their Mathematics.
I only targeted half of them but another five outdone themselves.
As promised, they have been treated to a lunch at KFC straight after collecting their exam slip.
All 15 of them.
This Chegu is happy!
Mission accomplished albeit fairly good outcome.




She's one of my kids who never passed her Maths tests since Year 5. When she passed her Maths in the recent UPSR, she kept telling me, "Teacherrrrrrrrr....saya lulus Matematik ohhhhhhh!!!". Just looking at her expression makes me wide smiling.

By the way, I'm taking English subject over Maths for UPSR students next year.
I'm excited and challenged all at the same time.
The slight increase in percentage for the English subject this year makes it more interesting for me to teach this subject.
Will I do better for the kids?
Will I be able to help push up the percentage even higher next year?
Let's just see...
For now, I'm on HOLIDAY MODE baby!!

Teacher tidak pigi, kami pun tidak pigi...

The other day, while doing some 'closing account' work... a few students came up to me.
"Teacher, teacher....teacher pigi kah zoo?"
"Ermmm...'
"Teacher ikut sama bas sama kami?"
"No."
"Alaaaaa..."
.
.
.
.
.
A few minutes later, two more students come.
"Teacher, teacher... teacher ikut pigi Lokkawi kah sama-sama kami?"
"Kalau teacher tidak pigi?"
"Alaaaa...kami pun tida pigi lah".
"Aiih...kenapa pula?"
"Mummy kami bilang, kalau teacher tidak pigi, kami pun tidak kena kasi pigi."
"Heh? Ada juga guru lain pigi bah."
"Tapi mummy bilang mesti teacher pun ikut baru kami buli ikut."
"Ermmmm...."
"Jadi, teacher pigi?"
"Pigi lah..."
Then they burst out loud "Yay!'
Ya, my kids are going for a study trip this Saturday.
This trip would be a first trip to KK, the big town, for some of the kids.
Most of them would experience their first visit to Lok kawi Wild Life Park and Sabah Museum.
Either way, I am also happy to go with them.
My first outing with students ever since I started teaching.


I can't wait myself!

A taste of motherhood..

...or something like it lah.

Today, I wanted to blog about my 'adopted daughters'.
*hee*

I have one girl student who is quite bright in her study.
She is very inquisitive and is not shy to ask about things.
Even if the questions asked are things that have been repeatedly told.
Her parents have been divorced for years and the mother got re-married.
She stays with her aging grandparents.

Every time she was stuck with problems while doing her homework, she will contact me via SMS.
Asking how to do this, how to do that.
I'm not so bothered with the SMSes but more on the part where I couldn't help her much.
How can you explain Mathematics problem via the SMS?
Even talking over the phone will not be much of a help.
Not forgetting, costly.
So, it's either she ended up frustrated (for not getting the answer) or me (for not be able to help much in explaining).

Early May, while at school, checking on my students' work books, I came across her work book.
She has showed quite an impressive improvement since the first year I taught her class.
She isn't yet in the A list category but somehow, deep inside my heart, I feel something special about her.
Something sparkle but is yet to be polished.
"How can I help her?" I remember asking myself at that very moment.

Bring her back. Bring her back.
That phrase repeatedly whispered in my ear.
But I hesitated.
I wasn't sure if that's a great idea.

I talked to her about the idea nonetheless.
She agreed to it.
But I told her, I wasn't going to decide on anything until I meet her grandparents or even better, her mother (which by the way was my high school friend).

To cut the long story short, after the school re-opens early June, I met her grandmother and expressed out my intention. She agreed since she and her husband could not help much in her grand daughter's studies if she needs guidance at home.

I promised her (the grand mother) two things.
Only 2 months stay at my place.
And good UPSR result.
I didn't promise for the stars cos I know my limitation and my student's limitation.

So now...I am currently a teacher and a mother to two girls.
I thought you mentioned just one student Chegu?
Well, I have to get a friend to accompany her.
Sort of like peer motivation for her to have someone to study together while at the same time get guidance from me self.
The other girl, is also a student from the other Year 6 class.
And her parents, too, have no objection to have their daughter staying with me for two months.
I promised them the same thing.

My daily routine has some how changed to accommodate with their presence at home.
Normally, I don't get up early to prepare breakfast cos I always have my breakfast at school.
But with the girls at home, I can't let them off to school with empty stomach, right?
And when I get back home around 2-3pm, I have to rush to the kitchen to get lunch ready.
That again, is not what I normally did before.
Ditto to dinner preparation.
My time from 6-9pm is filled up with study session with the girls.

I am adapting to this new role.
Hope to be able to deliver something good out of all this.
Not just in term of their academic achievement but their overall behavior as well.

Now, wish me all the best! *hee*

Rumput warna hijau

Wow! It has been quite a while since my last post here. I have been putting so much time with my personal blog that I have neglected this one. Anyways, here's another story to share...


What is life without colorful hues?
If life is without them, then it will be just like watching those black & white P.Ramlee movies.
But even P.Ramlee movies are in colors now.
Thanks to technology.

I know the term color blind.
But in my 30 years of living, I've never met one who is color blind.
Not until last Thursday.

I was looking after my class which was having the annual health check up by the visiting nurse from the local hospital. The check ups consist of measuring the student's height, weight, eye test and color blind test.
So, one by one, my students came up to be checked by the nurse.
When it was time for the last test which was the color blind test...one of my boys...

"Kau tidak buli nampak apa-apa?"

The boy shook his head cautiously.

"Ok, yang ini apa macam? Apa kau nampak?"

"Nombor?" replied the boy.

"Nombor apa?"

The boy looked at the image harder. And then gazed back at the nurse with that worrying eyes now.
The boy shook his head again.

The nurses wrote on her file - color blind.



Later, when he was in my Maths class, curiosity drove me to ask him questions.
You see, I told you I've never met one color blind before.
So, knowing one that is actually suffering from it is now sitting in my class, and I'm looking at him every day. I can't resist asking.

I asked him whether he really can't tell colors.
He confessed having confusion on some of the colors.
So I did a test on him.
I asked him to point at any objects when I say the name of the colors.
He was brilliant with Black, White and Blue.
Then I pointed at a yellow colored paper and asked him to tell me the color of that paper.
He couldn't.
Unsatisfied, I asked him to point at any green objects found on my desk.
There were two green objects - my pencil case and the white board duster.
But he just scanned the top of the table, seriously searching for green objects as if they were hidden somewhere on the table.
I was about to hint him on the objects when he responded...

"Cikgu, rumput."

"Ah??"

"Rumput warna hijau."

Poor boy.
He knows that grass is green in color. But he could not even point at the green object in front of his eyes.
Poor little guy.

Makes me wonder.
He must be at lost when having conversation with friends about colors and such.
Or when in Pendidikan Seni lesson.

Well, at least he doesn't see the world in just grey colors.
That would be really sad.

Children of tomorrow

One of the things why I enjoy teaching so much.
Seeing children with happy faces and that happiness channeled down to me.
Watching them played, giggled, laughed and having the fun of their time while doing just simple games...how wonderful that feeling is.




I don't wish to be a child again but I pray that I will always cherish and remember this euphoric feeling, being a happy child that I was. *big grin*

Have you been transferred?

So, this is the second day of 2009 already.
Some of you have gone back to work.
Some are like me...work only resume on the 5th.
Honestly, I miss going back to work.
Although, I know I'm sure will miss waking up late in the morning. Ha!
This year will mark my 5th year of teaching.
The number seems too small for me to brag about my teaching experience but boy am I glad for the many things I learned throughout the 4 years I've been living up to the title 'Cikgu'.
I am still gonna be teaching in my current school.
Many have asked me...
"Have you been transferred to KK already?"
Or...
"Have you applied for transfer?"
Or...
"Don't you want to get transferred?"
If these questions were asked to me 3 years back, I would quickly have cold sweat running down my forehead.
The first three years of my teaching career, transfer seemed to be my top priority.
So when people (especially close family and friends) inquire about my transfer status, I felt so down that I have to say, "No, I am still in Keningau. My transfer has been declined."
It pierced through my heart having to say that.
Mostly because, I have put high hopes whenever I submitted my transfer application and yet has been turned down. Twice.
But now, I am able to calmly tell people that I did not apply for transfer simply because I want to stay focus to what I am supposed to do.
Teach.
Educate.
And I am glad that I stick to my decision early in the year 2008.
To give my full dedication for the kids in my school.
Their result may not be the best of all but what they have achieved in the recent UPSR was something that will get me smiling for a long time.
I still have to apply for transfer sooner or later.
But I just hope that, this time, the transfer issue will not affect my desire to dedicate the best that I can to my students - my kids.

So yeah, bring it on 2009!!!