Suggestions for The Waiting

Here's 3 suggestions to those who are still waiting for your "next destination".

1. Keep your health in a tip-top condition.

In general, just do your very best to avoid major injuries, sickness. Be careful when you go out or even in the house (Ceilings do fall, y'know?). You never want to delay your 1st day just because you have a flu/sprained ankle that day. Well, exercising is a good suggestion too. It never harms to keep yourself in shape. Or, to some others, try to regain their ideal weight. (Yup, including yours truly.)

2. Give your mind some good workout.

Keep yourself updated with the latest happenings. Watch prime time news. Read newspapers. Yes, the headlines. Or, you can pick up books that you've been dying to finish since last years. Buy that highly recommended novel. Or, read academic journals to equip yourself with more knowledge. Anything that you find suitable to you.

3. Spend quality time with family, friends, etc...

You'll never know where your "next destination" is. Therefore, it is a good idea to use the abundant time you have with people you care. Besides, who's gonna lend you an umbrella for the next three months of drought, if not your own blood? Catching up with old friends is good too. The point is, make the spent time worth the while.

In conclusion, savour each moment! Sleeping in is a huge blessing. Having meals with your family and friends. Watching TV all the time until your parents told you off. Going out with friends on any day, because to you, everyday is still an off day. All these perks, you might enjoy them again after a very long time. Be patient. Believe that He has all planned out for you. When the time comes, a good soldier you know you are, you are all prepared to step on the New World!

Good luck, everyone!

Morning News Mist!

Guess what? It’s Saturday morning. And it’s only 7.36am when I started writing this. Instead of floating gleefully in the magical world of sweet dreams, I am very wide awake. Despite the fact I slept at about 3am last night, I am doing great writing this now.

Well peeps, this is the result of waking up early in the morning for the past one week for school. Be prepared to be a morning person, unless you get evening session school. Trust me on this, several of us are experiencing the same as I am too (you know who you are).

I believe the secondary colleagues are still waiting for the posting, right? Well, here’s an addition to those who haven’t had the chance to read our Cohort 2 senior, Jarod’s blog on the preparations a new teacher must give attention to.

1. Have at least 6 passport photos. You will need them for Borang Penamaan Waris, and also Borang Tapisan Keselamatan.
2. 3 copies of Surat Tawaran Pelantikan from MOE
3. 3 copies of Surat Penempatan Sekolah from JPN
4. 3 copies of your IC
5. 3 copies of your Birth Certificate
6. 3 copies of Akuan Sumpah – you can get this done now at the Commissioner of Oath
7. 3 copies of Penyata KWSP – you can get this done now, don’t wait till later
8. 3 copies of the first page of your Bank Account Passbook (for Maybank users, just photocopy the Passbook-less slip, or print out a page that shows your account details on your Maybank2u page)
9. Academic Certificates – I don’t know how many copies you must have for your school record, but be prepared. JUST ACADEMIC. Sijil-sijil penglibatan tak payah.
10. Surat AKU JANJI, Borang PENGISYTIHARAN HARTA, PENAMAAN WARIS & Borang TAPISAN KESELAMATAN – the school will provide you with these. Be prepared to get finger-ache for writing too much!

[N/B: No need to go for medical check-up yet. Don’t forget to hand in a copy of the Borang Penerimaan (blue colour) to SPP]

Fuh. That’s a long list. Now, it’s time to share a little bit about my school.

SK (1) Sultan Alam Shah, Petaling Jaya

No. of Students: 350++

No. of Teachers: 33++

No. of Class for each grade: 2 (Anggerik & Bakawali)

Average No. of Students in a class: 30

Overall English Proficiency: Very Low – Moderately High

I am very near to IPBA. Yes, I know. At one point, I felt like I lost an opportunity to experience the transition period teaching in the suburbs or rural areas. I never had that chance, yet. But most of the time, I am most grateful, I’m very near to my family and friends.

Back to my teacher stuff – I am teaching Year 4 Anggerik, 5 Anggerik, 5 Bakawali & 6 Anggerik. 28 periods a week. So can you imagine how much more we have to deal with when we are in school? So everyday, I have to face at least 90-120 students.

The real challenge is, teaching Year 6 students. Come on. Knowledge? I have. Experience? I don’t. I am moving quite slowly at the moment, still finding a streak of light to lit the dark. I am in the dark. Still crawling for help. I need experience. A person with teaching experience, who is familiar with UPSR.

Remember our lecturer always reminded us to find a mentor once we are in school? I found one. No. Actually, she found me. I was really blur and lost, she came by and asked if I needed any help. Before I could reply, she offered me to show the way, and even gave me the template for my LP! Alhamdulillah, some of us may need to work harder to find the ONE as their mentor. And some, had to be their own mentor. I wish you all all the best of luck.

Oh yes, get ready to face disappointment and frustration. You MUST USE the textbook, one way or another. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a way to un-chain the textbook-spellbinding! So it’s time for you to use your creativity to make the TEXTBOOK interesting.

Oh. One more. Literature. A big NO NO NO NO. How frustrating is that? Well, my advice, go with the flow, and gain some experience first. Get used to the system, get used to the students. When you have already gauged their abilities – LITERATURE, HERE WE COME!

Hey, it’s only Week 1. Till next time~