What I think happen and what I
didn’t expect to happen in this near-3-week-school-holiday.
First day of the second
quarter in school, I was still in post-holiday blues but I miss
to look into the eyes of my precious kids.
T : I hope you all have a good holiday. Sapa
nak share pengalaman menarik waktu cuti?
S : Makan KFC dengan cikgu haritu!
T : Tu kan sehari sebelum cuti, 3 minggu lepas. Apa lagi yang best waktu
cuti kamu?
S : ha!, cikgu belanja kami makan KFC haritu.
T : *sigh*
Ss: pergi air terjun cikgu.., naik motor, jatuh motor…
At the end of the lesson, this boy Ash approached me and spent time
telling stories about his vacation.
Ash : sebenarnya saya p lagkawi cikgu, dengan adik, pakcik saya. Best la naik
cabel car, naik kuda, naik jetski dengan jalan-jalan kat Pantai Chenang. Cikgu besa
(pernah) p langkawi dak? Best woo.
Me : Pernah. Best kalau p island hopping jgk. Bagus, tula yang
cikgu nak kamu share dengan kawan-kawan tadi.
I am genuinely contented that he had fun and spent
quality time with his family. He was saddened by his father's
death several weeks ago and I honestly don’t have the right words to ask him
how he was feeling or how he cope with the loss. #HappyFather'sDay
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In another class, I had brief discussion with the kids and welcomed
them to school.
T : Cikgu try buat lagi banyak aktiviti dan 'math game'
untuk kamu semua. Sempena
World Cup season ni, kamu kena imagine kelas kamu macam
padang bola dan cikgu sebagai pengadil. TAPI, kita takkan main bola,
kita akan main 'games' lain. Sapa tak ikut arahan, kena kad merah,
keluar padang!
S: Cikgu, kami mai sekolah nak belajaq bukan nak main game.
T : kamยต boleh boleh main game untuk
belajar dan belajar melalui game.
S: eh, apa yang cikgu merepek ni..
In the spirit of student-centered learning and hoping to spark
the students interest through engaging purposeful activities, they should learn
how learning process can take place through math game and
puzzles. Today, they also learned the flying disc Frisbee is not 'pinggan'.
My 16-year-old are struggling with basic operation '8-12', let
alone solving single-step equation 'x-12= -40 '.
I used to feel sad. The sad-indignant-hopeless-apathetic
emotional cycle of mine was such a roller coaster ride and mental
exhausting, really. At one point, I learned that we should learn how to hold on
to some and let some go. Just doing whatever which helps them
best, doing the best I can, wherever I am, with whatever I have, to
whoever I can.
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Walking down towards the staff room, Alia, my student assistant of the day, enlighten me with new information.
Alia : Cikgu, nak nombor telefon boleh?!
Me : Nak buat apa?
Alia : Cikgu, ingat dak haritu cikgu hantaq saya balik rumah. Abang saya
dok gila kat cikgu,sepanjang cuti ni dok tanya pasai cikgu.
Me : ………….. *I remember it was
2-second-eye-contact from 10ft away for God's sake*
Alia : Abang saya askar cikgu..interview bulan 10 nanti…rumah cikgu kat tepi sekolah tu kan..
…….
And she goes on and on.
I was hoping to build healthy relationships with my
students and their parents, not finding love.
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So, happy first day of fellowship's second quarter!
Hope we all rejuvenated and start rocking again! J
A change is possible.
