observing is blissfully more fulfilling than being observed

my first observation is tomorrow! owh, how nervous i am... kak shah actually said last week that she would only begin observing after the first school examination of the year, but this afternoon, after the daily assembly, she just casually told me 'Ayie, esok kak shah observe you and Thria k?' my mouth, in it's typical actor self went super cheerful 'OK! No problem!' my insides just froze despite the 35 degree Malaysian heat. bloody hell, talk about U-turns... this beats Rooney's debacle with Man United earlier in the season! i hope i won't fumble unnecessarily, and i can only pray that 2 Teratai will rise to the occasion tomorrow afternoon. i can't say i HATE teaching. the little smiles on students who enjoy your lesson are really rewarding. BUT, the tedious preparation process AND the unnecessary things that draw a teacher away from his/her core business are serious turn-offs.


with a subject like English where these students are as GOOD as they are, there really is NO POINT in drilling them through exams and grammar exercises. with their mastery of the language, they should be guided towards EXPRESSING themselves, albeit in a regulated and controlled environment. challenge them with modern-day issues and expand their minds! it takes them away from the drab, fact-busting and formula-memorizing bore of geography, history, religious studies, maths and science. let them develop their soft skills like tact, manners in situations that require them to sing, act out and exchange opinions (like seriously exchange opinions) on issues that matter. i stand in front of these bright youngsters and their knowledge of the world seems limited to Justin Bieber and K-Pop.

there seems to be so much more that these boys and girls are ignorant about... great individuals around the world, NOT just our beloved Tunku Rahman and Dr M. no offence to our local greats, but i just believe that our young minds are being narrowed instead of expanded... and it's all about passing exams or they won't get jobs... i realise this is going much bigger than education itself, but that's just how i feel. education shouldn't be about passing an exam to get a job. it should be about development of self. which brings me back to my earlier post where i advocated mastering something from an early age instead of creating humans so well-rounded.

but nonetheless, my idealistic views will never materialise and my rants will not change the system. so, let's make the best of what we have and still uphold our ideals. i shall try that now by planning my lesson that will be observed tomorrow. good night!