I'm usually not one to think about my career prospects and advancements, but thoughts of how things will be 10-20 years from now if I stick at it in teaching intrigue me. Will I stay on to be a teacher still and handle the everyday stress of handling kids, their schoolworks and the preparation for lessons? Or will I want to be a high flyer-wannabe and aspire to be HOD? VP? P? Or how about being a curriculum specialists, set new content for teachers to teach and for students to swallow?
Wanting to work with students is the main reason why I joined the teaching profession, and so following any other career paths will take me away from it. However, I wonder if there's a limit to how much of this daily stress I can take - hopefully things can get more comfortable as time goes by.
On the other hand, being a HOD or a person in power gives me the chance to change things for (what I feel is) the better, and the satisfaction of creating great changes and revolutions is uncomparable. That was my reason for wanting to be ODAC president back in NUS days...
Or maybe I can focus on the outdoors and work with MOE to regulate these activities with my skills and knowledge, which will probably be useless to most schools. But it probably doesn't give me the satisfaction of being in the other two positions.
So how?
Monday, July 24, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
In the news...
PE as O level subject
Victoria school and dunno which other secondary school is introducing PE as an O'level subject for students - this can only be good news! If this move can be infectious, the entire profession will improve as teachers will then need to be more professional and prepared in their lesson delivery, and students for once can finally gain the full benefit of a quality PE lesson, and be motivated to keep fit and learn skills.
Possible obstacles to its implementation?
The trial of the bus driver who killed cyclist Sylvester Ang a while back reawakened discussions on the rights of cyclists on roads. There is apparently a set of traffic regulations and guidelines for cyclists, but it is definitely very poorly disseminated to the general public. Not only do the cyclists need to know and observe them, but motorists should also understand these guidelines and stop thinking that they own the roads.
These acts have kept me alive and cycling on the roads so far:
Victoria school and dunno which other secondary school is introducing PE as an O'level subject for students - this can only be good news! If this move can be infectious, the entire profession will improve as teachers will then need to be more professional and prepared in their lesson delivery, and students for once can finally gain the full benefit of a quality PE lesson, and be motivated to keep fit and learn skills.
Possible obstacles to its implementation?
- Need to educate PE teachers to O'level curriculum
- Having a syllabus will impose a strict structure to teaching (but only slack schools will worry about that)
- Need for PE teachers to upgrade knowledge and skills, training time required.
- Possible lack of resources and facilities to deliver lessons as per required by syllabus
- Principle does not see the need for the move (unless MOE starts to actively promote it)
- Unmotivated departments
- Slack teachers and departments
- Slack teachers and departments
- Slack teachers and departments
The trial of the bus driver who killed cyclist Sylvester Ang a while back reawakened discussions on the rights of cyclists on roads. There is apparently a set of traffic regulations and guidelines for cyclists, but it is definitely very poorly disseminated to the general public. Not only do the cyclists need to know and observe them, but motorists should also understand these guidelines and stop thinking that they own the roads.
These acts have kept me alive and cycling on the roads so far:
- Signalling intentions with hand signals like any other motorists (at least cars have light indicators!)
- Being disciplined, cycling arrow-straight on the double lines and don't swerve out into the middle of the lanes to avoid objects; look out, anticipate, and slow down if you go over uneven terrain rather than swerve out.
- Putting blinker lights on the bike, front and back.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Notes
In school - Worthwhile inventions that should be produced
- Chairs that moves along fixed rails on the floor beneath the desk - so that students cannot move them around for illegal gatherings.
- Desks that sounds a buzzer when a human forearm/head is rested on it - to wake sleepyheads up/alert teachers to sleepers.
- A device that will deactivate cellphones and scramble soundwaves from mp3 players.
- Bukit Timah road has been repaved with a new layer of asphalt! Cycling on it has never been smoother till now, can finally use my aerobars along that stretch without having to worry about potholes and manholes etc.
- Watched "How much do you love me" yesterday, quite a funny show that vacillates between seriousness and the farcical, backed by a repertoire of operatic arias that help in the comedic moments. Monica Bellucci is really voluptuous, but looks quite haggard on the closeups.
- Met Yuanyin for the above show, but regretted that there wasn't much time to spend talking and catching up. Remembering a potential date with Shahidzul too, catching up on climbing and mahjong with Roland. Sorry if some of you have been missing me guys, training frenzy for polo is on right now, and already, I'm not being too disciplined in sticking to my training schedule...
Monday, July 17, 2006
Not so friendly after all.
Played friendly games with my team last night, and it wasn't a good night at all.
First I played as the keeper and got hit by many balls flying into the goal just out of my paddle reach even though I was watching it all the way. Being stuck in that unfamiliar role also means I didn't know when and how far to stay behind to defend or move up to attack. After staying far away from the action in the first game and effectively removing myself from the game by being too cautious, I take the ball and dribbled in to attack in the second game, and got caught out when the last man couldn't mark the opponents doing fast break attacks.
Secondly, I'll remember the night for its Zidane moments, when the captain of one team inexplicably lost his cool for no good reason TWICE and acted like a hooligan, to the extent of verbally challenging my friend. Referee had to blow the whistle not because my friend fouled him but because he wanted to stop the commotion from turning into a brawl. He later asked me to bear no hard feelings for the incidents, but gave me a lame reason to justify his actions (from his attitude he evidently felt that it was justified), and said it was 'too bad' that he had to behave like this. It didn't help that his team was also paddling in an inappropriate manner, throwing paddle fouls around and paddling at my team's throat level across their boats, though this was most likely done unconsciously.
I regretted arranging the friendlies game last night - it did us no good at all and only bred ill-feelings. I'm sorry to have made my friends come down to suffer all these indignities from a team lacking in sportsmanship.
Winning is not everything.
First I played as the keeper and got hit by many balls flying into the goal just out of my paddle reach even though I was watching it all the way. Being stuck in that unfamiliar role also means I didn't know when and how far to stay behind to defend or move up to attack. After staying far away from the action in the first game and effectively removing myself from the game by being too cautious, I take the ball and dribbled in to attack in the second game, and got caught out when the last man couldn't mark the opponents doing fast break attacks.
Secondly, I'll remember the night for its Zidane moments, when the captain of one team inexplicably lost his cool for no good reason TWICE and acted like a hooligan, to the extent of verbally challenging my friend. Referee had to blow the whistle not because my friend fouled him but because he wanted to stop the commotion from turning into a brawl. He later asked me to bear no hard feelings for the incidents, but gave me a lame reason to justify his actions (from his attitude he evidently felt that it was justified), and said it was 'too bad' that he had to behave like this. It didn't help that his team was also paddling in an inappropriate manner, throwing paddle fouls around and paddling at my team's throat level across their boats, though this was most likely done unconsciously.
I regretted arranging the friendlies game last night - it did us no good at all and only bred ill-feelings. I'm sorry to have made my friends come down to suffer all these indignities from a team lacking in sportsmanship.
Winning is not everything.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
A great read!
I packed a small hardcover copy of Madame Bovary into my bag when I went out 2 days ago, and was totally hooked by it while on public transport. Being an English translation of the original text in French, I do not know who owns the credit for the wonderful writing. In short, a story of a woman so enamored with the ideals of romance that she became an adulteress and went headlong to (so I heard) a tragic outcome. Such accuracy of psychological details, and such appropriate succinctness of lines, that says so much with such elegance!
Here, read this: 'but now this pretty woman he adored was his for life. The universe, for him, was contracted to the silken compass of her petticoat' - the blind and devoting love of a man, wonderfully described!
And here too -
' It seemed to her that certain parts of the world must produce happiness, as they produce peculiar plants which will flourish nowhere else. Why could she not now be leaning on the balcony of a Swiss chalet...' - Indeed! My sentiments exactly!
'He couldn't swim, or fence, or fire a pistol, and was unable to explain a riding term she came across in a novel one day. Whereas a man, surely, should know about everything; excel in a multitude of activities, introduce you to passion in all its force, to life in all its grace, initiate you into all mysteries! - Charming, passionate lines, at the same time inspiring for us and a telling comment upon the naïve character of Madame Bovary.
'His ardours lapsed into a routine, his embraces kept fixed hours; it was just one more habit, a sort of dessert he looked forward to after the monotony of dinner' - My my, what a dreary scene described, one hoped never to be confined to a suffocating relationship like this after being cloistered up in a private world after marriage.
'The older among them retained a youthful air, while the young ones revealed a certain maturity. Their nonchalant glances reflected the quietude of passions daily gratified; behind their gentleness of manner one could detect that peculiar brutality inculcated by dominance in not over-exacting activities such as exercise strength and flatter vanity - the handling of thoroughbreds and the pursuit of wantons.' - Describing both the modern day and Victorian age gentlemen who glided the halls of high society.
Marvellous writing; I have no doubt this book will keep me enthralled for the coming week.
Here, read this: 'but now this pretty woman he adored was his for life. The universe, for him, was contracted to the silken compass of her petticoat' - the blind and devoting love of a man, wonderfully described!
And here too -
' It seemed to her that certain parts of the world must produce happiness, as they produce peculiar plants which will flourish nowhere else. Why could she not now be leaning on the balcony of a Swiss chalet...' - Indeed! My sentiments exactly!
'He couldn't swim, or fence, or fire a pistol, and was unable to explain a riding term she came across in a novel one day. Whereas a man, surely, should know about everything; excel in a multitude of activities, introduce you to passion in all its force, to life in all its grace, initiate you into all mysteries! - Charming, passionate lines, at the same time inspiring for us and a telling comment upon the naïve character of Madame Bovary.
'His ardours lapsed into a routine, his embraces kept fixed hours; it was just one more habit, a sort of dessert he looked forward to after the monotony of dinner' - My my, what a dreary scene described, one hoped never to be confined to a suffocating relationship like this after being cloistered up in a private world after marriage.
'The older among them retained a youthful air, while the young ones revealed a certain maturity. Their nonchalant glances reflected the quietude of passions daily gratified; behind their gentleness of manner one could detect that peculiar brutality inculcated by dominance in not over-exacting activities such as exercise strength and flatter vanity - the handling of thoroughbreds and the pursuit of wantons.' - Describing both the modern day and Victorian age gentlemen who glided the halls of high society.
Marvellous writing; I have no doubt this book will keep me enthralled for the coming week.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The well-tampered clavier
There is an upright piano at the foyer of the school, with its lid up and keyboard always ready to take a pounding. The notes sounding from its tarnished black lacquered body are probably in need of professional tuning, and I wouldn't be surprised if one or two keys are stuck.
Everyday, I heard snatches of misplaced chords and fragments of a melodic line drifting faintly from the piano at recess time, and usually see 2 or 3 kids sitting on the piano bench enjoying companionship. The fractured portions of the music that they imagined doesn't seem to disturb them very much; they are more likely compelled to tinker with the keys that can hammer out something interesting rather than engaging in music-making. But like them, I'm similarly attracted to the sound of music, or rather, just pure simple tones. The latter alone is enough to transcend the ubiquitous bustle of life, and temporarily dislocate my consciousness to an awareness of its calling.
So often had I wished that my parents had forced me to take up the piano lessons that they offered me when I was very young, or had the chance to keep persist in my violin lessons through my life stages. I dream a lot about being able to sit at the worn-out piano every recess and play Chopin, or to go busking in the midst of the crowd in Orchard and play Bach on the solo violin. I want to give more of this world a glimpse of the beautiful and magical through the transcendental powers of music.
Everyday, I heard snatches of misplaced chords and fragments of a melodic line drifting faintly from the piano at recess time, and usually see 2 or 3 kids sitting on the piano bench enjoying companionship. The fractured portions of the music that they imagined doesn't seem to disturb them very much; they are more likely compelled to tinker with the keys that can hammer out something interesting rather than engaging in music-making. But like them, I'm similarly attracted to the sound of music, or rather, just pure simple tones. The latter alone is enough to transcend the ubiquitous bustle of life, and temporarily dislocate my consciousness to an awareness of its calling.
So often had I wished that my parents had forced me to take up the piano lessons that they offered me when I was very young, or had the chance to keep persist in my violin lessons through my life stages. I dream a lot about being able to sit at the worn-out piano every recess and play Chopin, or to go busking in the midst of the crowd in Orchard and play Bach on the solo violin. I want to give more of this world a glimpse of the beautiful and magical through the transcendental powers of music.
It's E-Learning day!
Today and tom, the kids in my school will be at home the whole day reading stuff off the net and doing online assignments, leaving the teachers to join in focus group discussions and myself, probably to slack the day away. Then again, that's what I've been doing most days. Because the canteen is closed, I'll probably go out of school for some food later, then come back surf net and use the nice gym here, and that'll probably waste the working hours away.
Things are ok for this practicum here lah. I'm not bothered by many things and pretty much left alone to slack. The students are mostly nice, with some of us making an impression on each other in this short time already. I join in 2 badminton sessions and 1 ODAC session with the kids every week, and really enjoy them though that means I leave school real late. Most of the teachers are quite stressed out here though, most don't bother to lift up their eyes to look you in the face and smile when paths crossed, but that's ok. For the first time, I hear idle chatter and laughter here in the staffroom now; the absence of the students must be a welcoming relief.
What's I've learnt in school thus far (mostly unrelated to PE):
Things are ok for this practicum here lah. I'm not bothered by many things and pretty much left alone to slack. The students are mostly nice, with some of us making an impression on each other in this short time already. I join in 2 badminton sessions and 1 ODAC session with the kids every week, and really enjoy them though that means I leave school real late. Most of the teachers are quite stressed out here though, most don't bother to lift up their eyes to look you in the face and smile when paths crossed, but that's ok. For the first time, I hear idle chatter and laughter here in the staffroom now; the absence of the students must be a welcoming relief.
What's I've learnt in school thus far (mostly unrelated to PE):
- Some teachers like to be in a good supportive staffroom, some wants a place which has kids with best behaviours, I think I am looking for a place where my talents will be valued and put to best use.
- The P and VP can really set the mood and atmosphere of the staffroom. The entire morale level of the teachers depends on their EQ and ambition.
- If you don't show that you're serious about teaching (esp. with PE lessons), the kids naturally can't be bothered to pay attention or do what you instruct them.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Beijing-Lhasa Railway
This is one train ride that I want to take! I love comfortable train rides, and the one in India is somehow rather attractive to me, although it's a bit crampy and the bed barely enough for my height. How great it will be, to look out at the scenery from 5000m+, in the comfort of the pressurised cabins inside. Read about it here, and there's a photo-article here too.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Numbed
School is a routine that starts the day, before my mind starts running. I'm in a sort of limbo here, most other teachers are busy and milling around, while the few of us on school experience just follow around and do nothing much, except for the horribly tedious practicum journal that we are supposed to write about. I really don't have much of a life to blog about already, can finally understand Alex's sentiments man.
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