What could possibly go wrong on a day where I had planned for both my CT and NIE Supervisor to come observer my lesson? After all, I had it all planned and prepared - I did up nice powerpoint slides, rehearsed what I was going to say, printed the jigsaw pieces on nice lime green colour, slipped these into bright orange envelopes. I even bought coloured index cards so my kids could build a card tower as a pre-activity, brought in my movie soundtrack CD to play during the activities. And to get the kids out of the classroom, I had even booked the language lab, which was more spacious so they could enjoy their activities! And most of all, it was air-conditioned!
So, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, for one, technology failed me right from the start. The class IT rep was helping me set up my laptop and realised I didn't have the cable to link the laptop to the LCD panel. Didn't they always have it? Well, apparently not! So, the kind soul ran to the technical guy in the school to get the cable for me, while I got the class settled down, and distributed the index cards for their pre-activity. I tried to play for time by bringing back things they did in the previous lesson and how it related to the present lesson. By the time the cable was set up, I was done with my little show and tell. But, technology had to fail me again. For some strange reason, the projection was just too faint. Nothing on screen could be seen.
I had to think on my toes immediately, and decided to run the activity just with the music. Thank God the speakers in the room worked! So, the kids busied themselves building the most stable and strong tower using coloured index cards with the tune of Mission Impossible in the background.
The activity went on fine, but all the points that I needed to highlight to the kids on nice PowerPoint slides could not be shown. The only tool I had was the whiteboard, and my coloured markers. So, there I went - big nice handwriting on the board, drawings, figures, underline - what have you.... It was a good thing I brought my own duster too!
The next activity went on - got the kids to rearrage a jigsaw of an argumentative piece. I would show them the correct answer on the visualiser, I told myself. And so, the activity went on with the tune of Superman - much to the amusement of the kids who wondered where I got all those songs from!
And so, I prepared myself - now, how do I work this visualiser? I called upon my IT rep again. He fiddled and fiddled with the plugs and wires. Finally, he said, "Cher, cannot work la."
My heart dropped. Not again?
Oh well. There I went again. It was a good thing I got little whiteboards for the kids to write on. They gave me their answers on their whiteboards, together with other unrequested artwork. There I went again. Back to the whiteboard and markers, explaining the whole structure. Draw, underline, big letters... Clean, clean, clean... Write again.. clean, clean..
The boys were making noise again. They were more disruptive than they were in class. I managed to get them to quieten down once in a while, but a while later, they were at it again.
It must have been one of the longest lesson I've ever had. It felt so. I was relieved when my NIE sup packed his stuff and left just when I gave the worksheets to my kids to complete. My CT felt relieved too. I went around from table to table to make sure my kids knew what they were supposed to do. It broke my heart to realise that although they could give me examples of what supporting and opposing arguments were, they could not identify these in the worksheets. :( I had to go through briefly again, group by group, and got them to do peer teaching. It worked. Phew!
I must admit I didn't feel like the top of the world at the end of the lesson. I gathered my things, thanked my IT rep, and counselled a few guys after the lesson. I plonked my stuff down onto my desk before rushing for the next lesson at the CPA lab.
It felt nice for a moment that my CPA kids - the ones that are supposedly in the most notorious class - missed me. "Cher! You come already! Where you go?". It didn't matter that I am an English teacher, who really should be correcting their grammar. I smiled. "Yes? Have you done your work?" "I print already. See?" "OK, good. Hand in your work to Mr Tan". Victor, my fellow trainee teacher who co-teaches the class with me was being observed today for that lesson. The one girl that had a bad reputation for spewing vulgarities in class was at it again - in Hokkien. I went up to her, and in my sweetest voice said, "You can only speak English in class, you know?" "Cher, I don't know how to." "There.. you're speaking English now." She smiled in embarrassment. She knew I got her.
The moment of truth came some two hours later. My NIE sup was doing the debriefing for another trainee teacher, so I had to wait. Finally, I met up with him. "How do you think you did today?" "Not too good. I felt I could have done better in..... and ..... and... Furthermore....." "Well.." my sup said, "I think you're being too hard on yourself. I think you did well in ...... but you could have done better in ......." I tried to glance at the sheet of paper he had in front of him. It was scribbled with words and ticks and circles. I tried not to look too hard. Finally, he showed it to me. "See, not too bad." I glanced at the first column - A, B++, A, A, B, A - and Yes was ticked for all the professional qualities of a teacher. He ended off his comments with "An effective teacher!!!"
Wow!
Technology may have failed me, but I didn't. In my heart, I thank God for helping me think on my feet and making the best out of the situation. It was perhaps a blessing that my sup could see that strength in me - to be able to reinvent when option A doesn't work.
It also helped that the night before, a friend of mine told me to just focus on the kids, not the people observing me. Keeping that in mind, I felt less stressed and a greater challenge to reach my teaching objectives, not the distinctions. At the end of the day, it matters not how many As I got, but how many of my students learn.
I had a good chat with my CT too. We discuss about students, how to deal with them and the tonnes of work to be done. My CPA CT was proud of me when I showed him my formal observation form. He was worried for me when I told him what had happened.. "Very good, very good." was what he said. "Eat your lunch already? You want biscuits?"
So nice of them... :)
I left school close to 7pm, only cos the school's attendant kept saying "Teacher, I want to go home..." I got the hint, packed up, told her sorry and thanks in Malay, and left with my laptop. I have two more lesson plans for tomorrow's formal observation - again!!
I am bracing myself for my classes again tomorrow. At the back of my head, I worry too for my godson, Keith. Lee Yee sent me an SMS past midnight saying he's in hospital with a high fever. I hope he's OK now...
Teaching is draining, but the rewards are fulfilling...
And before I get to my lesson plans, I'd like to share with you a thought that came to my mind as I started the day today... "If I have to choose how I'd like my day to be, then I'll choose it to be one where I can touch the lives of as many as I can."
To all of you whom I do not know, and yet have been inspired by my blog, thanks for dropping by... Tips, Maxine, and others.... I hope through what I write, you'll be inspired, and in turn inspire those around you! :) Drop me an email if you wish!
Take care!!
:)