CLOSING DOWN FINALLY!

Hi pple, finally got some time to clean up the cobwebs here and migrating to a new blog... hopefully I can keep it updated and clean... haha.

Do email me to get the new link... if you want. And see you there!

Polarbear's pet's friend...

Just for u to play with, Prissoo... :)

adopt your own virtual pet!

Polarbear's pet

I got a new pet! Polarbear was talking about hamsters yesterday, guess when our new place is ready, we will be shifting in stuff like fan (courtesy of Mr Poh), microwave (courtesy of Momma), fridge (almost courtesy of dee kor), cheapo tintin deco (courtesy of ling), sofa, bed, TV etc etc.... PLUS hamsters! Eeee, i m lazy to keep pets... but owell, his favourite cotton budbud, cotton ball and cockroach... bet my sis n cousins will all be happy to come over n PLAY with, or should i say get nibbled by, the hamhams.

While we are still in our temp place, thought I'll get one online for you 2 play with 1st! ;)

I did it again...

Decided that I should be posting something on my once-a-yr-updated blog. After all, it's Sep holidays and everyone else thinks teachers are free. Note the key words "everyone else" and "thinks".

We are not at all free! Grrh.

And again, this blog has a purpose - I am learning how to put up pictures on a blog, learning how easy it is these days for kids to share their pics and post whatever they like. There's really no censor to stop them from doing or saying what they like on the web. Kind of ironical though, freedom of speech vs knowing what SHOULD be said (written). Back to the key - Balance.

And that reminds me, I am supposed to just put up pics and go back to do my work!

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Guess what? I was at a durian feast! But the joke is, I hate durians!! Somehow I just get myself into it, and it's not the 1st time I am at a durian party. Anyway, yeah, I just sat there and watched and smelt the fragrance that I didn't appreciate. Odd one out.

Another odd picture, HELLO KITTY BASS!! It's bad enough that they are causing queues and breaking down glass doors at McDonalds'... This is the weirdest collector's item for Sanrio objects! Took this pic for a hellokitty freak friend of mine, but decided to put it on my blog as well. For all you hello kitty freaks out there. Oh, that reminds me about the "WHY DID HELLO KITTY DIE" joke my little 2nd little cousin told me, you won't believe how old she is, but yeah, the lame joke's from her.

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Ok, not that difficult to add pics, after all. If I can do it, then it's quite idiot-proof. Next time I'll try to imporve my blog, but till then, I'll just be at the tag board. :) Thanks to my few loyal visitors. This latest update is for u. Ha.

P.S I updated my links too ok... Added Ele's to the growing Links list. Think she's the only one using wordpress.com, oh, matmat's using xanga. Whatever.

Post practicum

I do not deny I was dreading practicum, it's quite schizophrenic [is the the correct spelling?]. I am not exactly a student cos I'm a teacher, yet I still have my NIE duties, projects [GESL eeeee], observations... not to mention all the horror stories of kids in schools that has been [and still is] going around.

20/2/06 - 5/5/06: My practicum period at CTSS... 2A1, 2B1, 1D1.

10 weeks did not seem that loooong after all. Good enough to get a feel of a teacher's life as we were really thrown into action. It was good exposure to teach lower sec math and science... do miss my classes and the kids... well most of them at least. haha :D But a little sad that my class kids didn't do well compared to the other classes. Don't wana compare them with others, but somehow, it reflects on the 'cher, cos that's how the others judge me... Hope my CTs taking them back didn't suffer too much :'(

Really appreciated my school for giving me classes I could handle, wouldn't say they are best-behaved or most-gifted in math/science, but at least the kids want to learn. I can take all sorts of kids except those who are simply "bochup" [couldn't care less].

On hindsight, I guess practicum isn't as bad as they all say. Stressed, overwhelming and overworked, yes, but certainly not... harmful to life? Haha, don't know what phrase to use also, poor vocabulary, but the point is - practicum is not all that bad. Of course it has its share of downs and ups, but... which career doesn't? Executives have good days and bad days; Even taitais lose and win at mahjong, miss or grab a good bargain at the malls.

It's amazing how God indeed is faithful and provides for me, in terms of practicum school, classes, CTs, and even time to complete the lesson plans and all the syllabus etc. There are countless times where it seems " Oh man, I'll never get it done, there's no time, I'm so dead, tomorrow's Monday", sometimes I just cry at the immense workload [or it's just me, paranoia and wanting to get things done asap, haha]. But I've learnt that I do my best, and He'll do the rest! Somehow, there is extra time here n there, or there's no lesson tomorrow so I need not rush that... the next thing I know, it's all settled. It's just so timely somehow. Simply inexplicable.

Yet, I really do not know if this is the job I want to do for the rest of my life, I mean yeah I like to teach, I will not shortchange/cheat the kids, I will be responsible [hopefully not overly-responsible] and model good character and habits... BUT, all these plus teaching the syllabus is just 50% of the job scope. Owell, guess I knew all these beforehand, its just when you are IN IT then it really hits you. I really don't know. Just hate it when I can't see what's in store. Like my official posting, will be taking 2 express 1 NT or 2 NT 1 express classes... I have no idea how I will be able to handle them, I guess I can only rely on God. After all, there's no better bet than Him.

"Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand

But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know He holds my hand."

Hmmm... 1 thing still puzzles me: why can't we stay on in that school unless there are requests? I mean, its less disruptive for both new teacher and school [and classes] alike. Anyway, our practicum posting is also based on avaliability of subjects etc... Also, it takes away the dreaded wait and suspense of THE official posting letter... hmmm, then again, we are called civil SERVANTS...owell.

In any case, I'm back at CTSS anyway. :) See you kids around again!! :)

No time to blog!

Amazing how people find time to blog so much... think I'll make my blogging an annual event. Notice the date? :) And being the practical me, there's got to be a reason for my blog.

Last time, I tried blogging to show my mom it was easy to blog; this time round, it's to learn to add a tagboard. Evidence on LHS.

Think once in a while, Ms IT-not-so-savvy 'cher still has to learn and keep up with the kids. I hate it that we all have to upgrade so much, under the cover that we have to make lessons "more interesting" and attract the students to learn. Online discussion forums, blogs, class webpgs, FAQ forum, massive use of IT in lessons...SLOW DOWN man!

Poor old teachers had to pick up powerpoint and emailing, but when it came to our batch, it's flash and dreamweaver and blackboard and knowledge forums and video editing and applets... and the list goes on... and the list goes on... Poor us, and the older teachers who are still around in schools. For someone like me who is an average user of IT, and finding so much difficulty already, what more the older folks?

"Attract the students, and enhance learning with IT"... seems more like distract the students and "enhance" workload of teachers.

And then there is the issue of lesson plans... super, mega detailed ones... or should I say MICRO-detailed lesson plans... sometimes, the emphasis on them makes teaching seem so insignificant. We are graded on the actual handling of class and lesson, BUT equally much, if not more, on the lesson plans! I understand the rationale for beginning teachers to have concrete lesson plans... but to enforce it for 10 weeks, everyday and for every lesson of practicum??!

Students should all have a 1 week stint at NIE or something, then they will appreciate their teachers' efforts and tests better. One takeaway for us ALL -- Mugging and taking a test is MUCH MUCH easier than setting a paper, trust me.

1615hr already! I've overtyped my quota! Back to writing lesson plans and making/marking test papers.

Owell, now i know how people can blog so much. Its just all the gripe inside. Wonder when I will be back for updates... for my loyal few readers, I'll try to be back soon, so cya on the tag board. :)

I hate blogging

Always thought that blogging was so time consuming and boring, i mean, if you want to know my life, talk or catch up through supper!

But thought i'll try and see how easy it is, so that i can help my mom set up a blog too... since she can type so fast, i'm sure she will enjoy blogging, for a while at least. Good chance to learn to open up and catch up with the younger generation. She was wondering how my sis could get a webpage! : )

She's a happening mom.

My dad? He a Mr Niceguy and DIY man. Nothing against him, but erm... by the time he blogs, HE would have told everyone the story already. : )

Ok, that's all the time i have. Let's see if i'll ever blog again... too much work and commitments. Mousey job. New installation starting, old project not totally done, clashing project still ongoing, targeted to end this week though.

Sigh.