Hello February!

Thanks Google

It has been a very hectic, yet very productive month so far! I hardly have time to rest properly. I have a lot of paperwork to be done, clubs to handle, tonnes of exercise books to be marked and meetings to attend (though I still curi-curi time to play games, do you know that studies show that playing games helps sharpen our mind and senses and prevent dementia? :p) I don't know whether it's the school culture here to give as many posts and tasks as possible to new teachers coz it seems that's what happened here. Right now I'm in charge of the Prefect Board, Discipline Committee, Teachers' Club, Nature Lovers Club, PTA's Secretary yadda yadda yadda... And technically I'm not even a new teacher, just new here. Pfftt.

Holidays and allowances?? What perks? Sure, but then we will also be making lesson plans for all the different classes we teach, grading all the papers, trying to build community with colleagues, handling co-curricular activities, dealing with parents' complaints and most importantly, disciplining students in the classroom. Even during holidays we are called or we either prepare exam papers or grading them! What is a teacher's core responsibility? Teach. That's why we are called 'teachers' and not clerk, administrator and the like. Even teaching itself is at times frustrating, always a complex and difficult task, though at times it can be immensely gratifying. But with too many clerical work to be done, teaching will become a joyless job eventually.

We who teach understand that what makes an education valuable and vital is often impossible to measure but the administrators, ministry, parents and children, on the other hand, want some measure of how they are performing and how the schools measure up to other schools. They forget that there are parents who did not help their children with educational needs too. Imagine a building without a proper foundation. This dumps more responsibility onto the already-broken teachers' backs. I've always believed that teachers should help students find their way to a good education, not push them toward some administrative goals. (paperwork, paperwork!) People sitting on the highest chairs might have forgotten that they're also sailing in the same boat. Let's just pray that these chairs to be occupied by teachers who have taught in the classes and know the classroom situations and problems instead of offering the chairs to ministers or officers who think they know about education and toying with the lives of millions of children!

Thanks Google

Teachers are most important, second to parents, in their influence and ability to shape healthy, educated youth. We are very conscientious people and we wanna do a good job. We are also professionals and not babysitters! So, for anyone who feels teaching is a cushy job, why not join the profession? You are more than welcome! Do you know what a teacher's life is like? No, because teaching is more than meets the eye!

p/s: Ada ke sesiapa yang sambut Valentine's Day today? :p