Where did the weeks go? Suddenly, I find myself smack in week five of Term one. And I didn't feel as if teaching has started! Like many teachers, week 3 was a struggle. Many found ourselves tired from the intensity of things to be done and completed. Sometimes, we ask ourselves if there will be a break.
And so, many of us welcome Chinese New Year with open arms. It sets us some time to catch up on all the administrative duties we wished we didn't have to deal with. As one fellow teacher aptly put... "We collect lots of forms... That's why we're called the Form Teacher". Yes, pun intended.
As for me, the past few weeks saw me meeting up with people from various polytechnics as we try to carve out our niche area for the school. Collaborations seem promising, but behind the project is a humongous task to be completed. In another area, the development of the Interest Elective Club for the school saw me and another fellow colleague rushing here and there as we gathered vendors to come in to conduct enrichment lessons for them. Yesterday marked the day of the IEC orientation and more than 200 kids turned up for the open house. It was encouraging to see so many interested in enriching themselves in less academic ways.
Today, as I sat at my desk sorting out the forms, I feel myself overwhelmed by the data that need to be analysed and tabulated. It didn't help that some kids filled up the form wrongly, so I forsee myself chasing after these kids just so that he/she doesn't miss out. Surprisingly, quite a number opted for diving, despite the cost.
Jeannie tells me I'm hardly at my desk right now. She misses my noise in the staff room I guess... and when I'm around, i'm either busy with work or making phone calls. One day, she looked at me and said, "You know, I'd rather mark than be as busy as you." I smiled at her, and that was when I realised what having a passion meant. I felt tired physically, but my mind was energised and full of zest. I couldn't keep it still thinking of how else I can develop the programmes to make it more enriching for the kids as they pass through secondary school education.
Being a supporter of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory, I believe that we all have our own intelligences in our own way. And so, whenever possible, I always try to look at intelligence from a holistic perspective. I try to bring out the different intelligences I find in my students.
And so, CCA is a way in which I find myself doing just that. I have seen so many a time, students who aren't academically inclined, yet show so much potential outside of the classroom. Sometimes, i wish I could go into their minds, and find out - what exactly makes them tick.
As for my new class - 2 Integrity - I'm beginning to embrace them like a mother hen. They performed so well in the camp, I was so proud of them. If only they knew that even though I wasn't there with them for the two days, I thought of them often. I hope they will grow up to be as wonderful a class as 2 Unity was last year.
Time really flies. I've only been teaching for about 2 years, and I feel like I've taught so many students already. Next year, the kids I taught in Sec 1 will be Sec 4s!! (Yes, 2 Unity 2005 - that's you!!) There seems to be so much to do still!
Come 2006, I wish for myself to bring about a change in school, a paradigm shift, a breakthrough. It's an ambitious wish, i know, but I'm a fighter, and I won't give up til I'm there.
I've a race to run... and it begins now. Ciao!
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