Unity does it again!

This blog entry is dedicated to Sec 2 Unity - yes, you've done it again!

Thanks for today's immaculate performance, for participating, and rising to the occasion when the moment arrived. I smiled when Sam raised his hands to ask a question. Or even when Jason asked a simple question like, "Where did you get the money from, ah?" That put smiles on our visitors' faces.

You see, all of you have the potential. All of you can be up there in the top class. Even our VIP asked if you were the top class. I guess he was pleasantly surprised when I said you were not. And he wasn't the only one asking if you were the top class. You made us all very proud of you, because to us it meant that you need not be in the top class to be good. You can be good where you are. And that motivates us teachers to want to persevere, because we've been encouraged.

Justin - I must say you did a fabulous job! A few teachers came up to me after that, asking about you. Look out for more opportunities to show your talent and strength! :)

I must also commend the panel of speakers - Weiqi, Bryan, Rachel, Maryse and Jackson. I know it's not easy being placed in the hot seat, to be asked question. But you took up the challenge and worked hard to making the lesson work. You put in the effort to read the long articles, to do the research, to rehearse, and to perfect it all. Thanks for calling me up yesterday after school just to make sure you all knew what to do today, and for coming in early today. I hope you had fun doing all the research as much as the class had fun asking all the questions!

Sec 2 Unity - you are a special class, and don't let anyone let you think otherwise. Remember that if you can rise up to the occasion and do so exceptionally well for this lesson today, you can also do equally well in every aspect of your life. It's just putting your mind to it. Believe you can achieve great things and you will. Because when you do, all your actions lead you towards that goal. All of you wanted the lesson to be perfect, and that's why you put in your best effort. Want that perfectionism in the other parts of your life. You'd find yourself directiong your actions to working towards perfect in no time.

Don't give up when difficulties face you, because you've just proven that you've got what it takes to make it all happen despite the odds.

:)

The Cold Bug

I've been hit by the cold bug, and I think my kids are either very happy that I'm not there to teach them, or sad that they have some other boring relief teacher to. :P

Well, I've been fighting the virus since last week, and I guess the additional pressure of some VIP coming over tomorrow to observe my class doesn't help. And so, after being down on Monday, I'm down again with the "haaaahhh choooooo!". Yes, I'm a germ-spreader.

But I'm so proud of my 2 Unity kids, who are so conscientious about making the lesson tomorrow work, that they decided to call me to find out exactly what they should do. And so, all dizzy eyed, I briefed them.. "Are you really sick, Miss Chew?" asked one of them after realising that I'm still working at home to finalise the lesson for tomorrow despite the medicine that's making me all drowsy.

Yes, I've not been well lately and I wonder why. My resistance level seem to have dropped over the years. I remember being able to stay in my cold office at 18 degrees celcius in NUS and not feel cold at all. Now, I shiver and sneeze when it gets too cold. Time to balance the ying yang!

I had a good chat over the msn with one of my NIE mates just two days back. We talked about school, about our kids, about bureaucracies, about future plans, and future partners! She loved my previous blog entry, and told me it was a good one. Thanks for your encouragement, D, for pushing me to pick up more starfishes and throw them into the sea! I guess sometimes, some people don't appreciate or see the effort we're putting in to save these starfishes. Sure, we're not perfect, and we may have to throw the same starfish back into the sea over and over again. But we know what we're doing it for, and we know our conscience is clear. And if it saves starfishes, really, it's all that matters.

My brother was just over the msn with me, and though we're in our 30s, we really are children at heart. We recall our school days once in a while, of how we would smuggle food into the study room so we could eat them without our dad knowing, or of how we used to eat the "pie porridge" my mum used to cook. We joke that it taught us fractions! Remembering our childhood doesn't make us childish. It makes us realise how far we've moved on. And sharing it doesn't make us any weaker. It makes us realise we were strong then. And we can be stronger now.

So don't forget to be a child sometimes. My brother says being a child is good.. He quotes from the bible, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

:)

Thanks kids!

It's uncanny how life can be when it deals you with a wild card you don't expect.

My student posted a blog entry in the school blog that was set up to participate in a blog competition. In it, he wrote about how he was affected by what I shared with him and a few other students in class, about my life when I was a teenager, about growing up faster than my counterparts, about hitting hurdle after hurdle, and despite all the odds, I didn't even once felt like giving up. In fact, I went on and on. I just felt that there was a necessity to go on, to remain strong for myself and those around me.

My student said that he thought he was stong, but after what I shared with him, he felt he wasn't. He said that if he were in my shoes, he'd have given up. He said that one day, he hopes to have my never-give-up attitude.

I knew I had to go through what I went through for a reason. I knew that for what I went through, I had to share my experience with those around me. It is for this reason perhaps that I found my calling in teaching some two years back. I knew I had to share this part of my life in school.

I don't really know what drove me then, or what made me so strong that I just could go on and on with a stamina even I didn't realise I had. But I know some things made the experience less bitter.

• Firstly, the power of prayer. I prayed whenever I felt low. I asked God to give me patience and strength daily. That was all I asked for. He sent me angels in my life, coming in the form of friends.
• Secondly, my upbringing. I remember that when I was young, mum used to have this small book filled with positive quotes. Almost every day, she'd tell me about the power of positive thinking. Although perhaps too young to understand the full essence of it at that age, somehow, I believed that what you believe in your mind, you will get. In my mind, I believed that home would be a better place. Well, it is now for me!
• Thirdly, this quote - "Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." It gave me strength, and hope. It made me realise that it doesn't matter how often my hurdles bring me down on my journey. It is me picking myself up that matters.

Of course, I have a wonderful brother that I knew loves me although he doesn't say it. Ever since dad left, he's taken on the role as head of the house, ensuring that our daily needs are met.

Today, life isn't exactly luxurious, but we have enough to get by. I'm proud to be able to send my mum on holidays cos that's what she enjoys.

And just as I thought life could be all comfortable, I'm hit with news that may mean I may not be in the best of health for some time.

I've learnt to realise that I don't know what tomorrow will bring, and so I'll do all I can do today.

To my student who wrote that blog entry, I'd like to thank you. And for all of you who have been tagging on the tagboard, and posting your comments, i'd like to thank you too for your concern and encouraging words. Being a teacher can be trying at times, but your words push me on. All of you are angels sent to me by God, to encourage me and push me on when the road gets tough.

Thanks for inspiring me, kids! Don't give up on your dream. I'm sure one day, you'll be an inspiration to others too!

:)

Alright, alright....

I hear the voices of my students - "Miss Chew, you've not been updating your blog!"

Yes, my dears. I've been so caught up with so many things on my hands that blogging becomes a luxury! And since it's a school holiday today, I figured I'd take some time off early this morning to pen down a few thoughts.

It's uncanny that the theme of "death" keeps popping up every now and then, I wonder if I am going to die soon. Tuesdays with Morrie was a book I decided to pick up and read again over the holidays because mum was watching the movie on the Hallmark Channel. One line struck a chord in my heart especially - "You only learn to live when you learn to die."

Indeed, we never know how much we should be doing, or how much we can do, until we are faced with death.

A friend of mine sent me an email on a speech by the CEO of Apple. He was diagnosed with cancer one day, and suddenly, it dawned on him how much he can do and should be doing. And fortunately, there was treatment to cure his cancer. With a new lease of life, he went on to do much more than he ever thought possible.

I shared with my three classes my reflections on Tuesdays with Morrie. I had hoped that through it, they would be motivated to want to do more with their lives, with their healthy bodies. I wonder how many fell on deaf ears, and how many fell on touched hearts. But it touched my heart, and made my day to see one of my students pull out a brand new copy of Tuesdays with Morrie during morning reading a few days after I introduced the book to them.

I look at my life and I wonder how much more time I'd have left to live. And taking stock, I wonder if I have done the best I could. I wonder if I have done enough. Suddenly, when faced with the possibility of death anytime, I find myself wanting to do more than I ever thought I wanted.

If I were to die tomorrow, would I have been satisfied with the way I had led my life? Would I have forgiven all that hurt me? Would I have been forgiven by those I hurt? Have I told those dear to me how much they mean to me? Have I shown my gratitude? Have I been generous in kind words? Have I been a true friend? Have I been a good teacher? Have I touched enough hearts? Have I made a difference? Would anyone remember me? Would they remember me for the legacy I would have left behind? Or would they remember me not? If I were to hear my eulogy today, what would I hear?

No, no, I'm not indulging myself here. I am not craving for praise. Rather, I am wondering if I am worthy of any. Really - what have I done?

And so, I urge you. Take a look at your life right now. Take stock. If death faces you today, and you don't have a tomorrow to live for, what will you be doing? Do all that you plan to do today. For if we have a tomorrow to live for, it is a bonus to do yet more things.