"Incredible" service

The editor of Digital Life wrote about how a bank's staff member misinterpreted her handwriting and subsequently blotched her cheque transaction, causing her to pay out 10 times the actual amount. I agree with the editor that the staff member should have fallen back on the other details in the cheque if she was unsure about a particular detail. Her explanation seems to reflect a lack of thoroughness and professionalism, and I get the feeling that the staff member was not completely apologetic about her mistake.

I was rather appalled at this incident when reading about it.

Interviewing potentials

Virdi Bhupinder wrote a letter to question the manner in which job interviewers conduct their sourcing for applicants. He feels that some questions they ask are absurd: Please send us your photo, What is your race and Can you speak Mandarin for a front-line job?

I partially agree with his opinion. Asking for his photo is a natural part of the selection process. First impressions through a person's features and physical appearance can tell others more about him. The question about his race is redundant though. His name already gives an indication of it. His ability to speak Mandarin is also evident from his name, but it is not necessarily accurate. Some non-Chinese have learnt to speak it. It may be an intrinsic part of the job to have this ability. I feel he has not thoroughly examined the rationale behind the questions.

Cheating by society's role models!

Stomp featured the photograph of this pair of parents colouring a picture on their son's behalf in an art competition. The boy was playing at a playground. The father even took photographs when the boy received a prize for their work.

This is preposterous! If the boy is not ready to take part in such a contest, they should not have entered his name in the first place. They are being cheating embodiments here. If this is their way of loving him, it is a dishonest way and they are teaching him the wrong values. Being there for their son does not mean doing everything for him, and breaking rules in the process. He will never learn what personal responsibility and independence are in this case. What is more, announcements had been made for parents not to help their children in the contest but this pair of parents audaciously disregarded them.

My mother did sew a pencil case and a skirt on my behalf for my school assignments, because I am hopeless at art. That is bad enough, I admit but this is worse. It is a competition with prizes awarded. Thank goodness future entries done by the children's parents will be disqualified to maintain fairness.

Disability discrimination

Cerrie Burnell has been accused of scaring kids with her one-armed body. What an argument! Is it her fault that she was born with just one arm? Do her critics regard her feelings when they accuse her?

I think it is a form of exposure for the kids, to know that there are such unfortunate people who do not let their disabilities hinder their desires to live life. I do not think her critics have any justification in their arguments. The father who was worried that his daughter may get nightmares is paranoid, I feel. His daughter is merely learning about the reality out there, and even if she does not see it now, she will see it sooner or later. I think parents like him should have used the opportunity to field her queries and to teach her to sympathise with Cerrie. Two years old is the age when children start learning about things around them.

I agree with some viewers who applaud her for her courage. She is really using her own disability to show that it does not make her any different from the other hosts on the programme. I am also heartened that BBC does not discriminate her as a result. Indeed, as she says, these parents are just frightened of her lack of features but as parents, they should be mature enough to deny their fears in order to educate their children on her disability. They can even confess that they are afraid of the sight, but that requires humility and courage. I'm proud of her for choosing to see good in the controversy surrounding her and for seeing the importance of being a good role model. She willingly accepts her difference from others too, to the extent that she would not change it even if she had the chance to. She is actually a better role model than these parents, if I may say so!

It is so sad to note that disabled parts go to able-bodied actors instead in stage productions. Society should be made more aware of the fact that disabled actors are just as good at acting and hosting than able-bodied ones. Even the programme controller advocates her warm and natural characteristics as the criteria for having employed her. Why can't these parents look beyond her disability, at her beauty within? Sir Bert Massie hit the nail on its head when he labelled the parents as "ignorant and prejudiced" and expressed that they lack responsibility in making their children the scapegoats for their biases. It is bad enough that they do not want to educate their children on what is natural. What kind of parents are they?

Riding the MRT

After having read Tan Boon Leng's letter on taking the MRT, I feel that she should be the one laughed at, and not Kam Choo Choo. Yes, she may be dwelling on the realism involved in taking the MRT but I think it reflects an inability to dwell on the blessings in life, and a lack of travel on train systems in other countries. Dorian Axel Manrique Teo is a contrasting testimony to this.

Kam Choo Choo, on the other hand, has learnt to appreciate the fortunes Singapore has when compared with other countries. She has also shown optimism in seeing good amidst the bad around. Tan Boon Leng, there is a fine line between being realistic and being pessimistic.

Appalling in this time of recession

A case in court on a divorcee requesting maintenance fees from her husband is indeed shocking. The fees are really for her own and her children's extravagant lifestyles, which reflects on how she has brought them up. Mostly vanity-based, the expenses stated are unnecessary and indulgent, showing a materialistic and worldly perception towards living life. Do these expenses make a truly good life? Besides, she gets her own pension and her children get their own wages. She will get a hefty sum from the sale of their houses too. All this money is more than enough for her!

The amounts she spent on these items are exorbitant and she even spent a five-figure sum from their joint account! That is pure abuse of a fund set up to symbolise their joining in matrimony! Her reasons may be insecurity and love for her husband, but the approach used to deal with these issues is wrong.

I am heartened to note that she was thoroughly chastized by the judge and her request was not granted. Apparently though, she had not taken the advice to heart, as she wants to appeal against the judgement passed. What a woman!

Putting assignments online

I think it will not be so instant as if the teacher announces them or writes them out on the board. The students can immediately take note of them instead of going home to look at the website. The teacher can also save the time spent going to the staff room to post them on the website, and use it to attend to her other duties.

Computers may be getting cheaper but those families who are in the low-income category will not be able to afford even the cheaper prices. They can use second-hand computers or go to internet cafes, but the former may break down after a while and the latter are not so many in quantity now. Going to their friends' houses to use their computers may result in some of their friends' parents not being happy with it. The school may have a computer laboratory but there may be insufficient computers for the students to use.

Recruiting of teachers

Sebastian Tan wrote a letter on ensuring the right type of people are chosen to be teachers, so that we don't get errant ones who are detrimental to our children. It is not easy to know which applicant displays deviant behavioural traits though. They may also manifest those traits only when they are already confirmed as teachers.

He also mentioned how a teacher put chilli padi on a child's mouth. I think the public's condemnation of this act is because the parents of this generation treat their children as royalty. They cannot bear to see their precious children be disciplined in such a manner. I remember how my teachers used to hit my knuckle with a ruler. My grandma also put chilli padi on my lips. It is a harsh way to teach what is right but it instills proper fear and respect towards those who are in charge of us.

Relief teachers are still teachers

Ms Linda Lim's daughter was unfortunate enough to have been taught by a relief teacher who makes me ashamed to acknowledge that I was one too. I am aghast to read that the teacher did not check with the subject teacher or the class monitor about the textbooks, before punishing the students. It is even more dismaying to know that the teacher did not consider the fact that the girl was only in Primary 1, and thus was not aware of how class logistics were run. I do not know how to comment on this lack of care. What makes it far worse is that when the truth came out as the fault of the teacher, she was not humble enough to apologise for her mistake. Taking charge of a class does not make her infallible. Even the Pope apologises to his critics for certain statements he makes.

Athlete of the Year award

Some people are unhappy with the Straits Times's choice of Tao Li as the recipient. They feel that since she did not win an Olympic medal, she is not better than Yip Pin Xiu who did win. Another reason is that she is a Paralympian and thus needs more encouragement plus support.

Is medal winning the only criterion for this award? Tao Li has surpassed expectations ever since she entered the swimming arena. She proved her critics wrong by shrugging off their condescension and creating ripples in the world of competition. This makes her a role model for any young person and student. I actually cut out an article on her achievements, for my student as a form of inspiration and motivation.

There seems to be an implication that Pin Xiu's identity as a Paralympian; a disadvantaged sportswoman, should evoke sympathy for her. There is a mention of the lack of supporters for the Paralympians. In this case, the award seems to be just a patronization towards her, is it not?

Teachers' gawking behaviour

Teachers' intimate relations with student minors, provocative pictures on the internet and jaw-dropping enterprises on their blogs have shamed the dignity of their profession. Santokh Singh wrote an article on the modern evolution of the relationship between teachers and students. I heartily disagree with it however.

He frowns upon teachers revealing their handphone numbers to their students. I am 'guilty' of such a gesture. I'm also 'guilty' of sharing with them my email address, msn nickname and blog. I use smses to confirm lessons with them, email notes on the exam, use msn to answer their queries on the questions they encounter and use my blog to teach them language and writing skills through my entries on life. It does mean extending my contact with them after lesson hours, but queries form in the students' minds even after school hours. Then who do they turn to for such academic puzzles to be solved? Does this gesture of mine mean that I'm overstepping the boundaries between my students and I? I am not having any physical intimacy with them and my blogs are harmless. Go, scrutinise them and refute this.

My tone may be informal and friendly when communicating with them using such technological tools, but students nowadays are different from those of the previous generations. They would like their teacher to be their friend too. Yes, I admit to using abbreviations in the process but it is a way of being understood. I've used the full form of the terms but instead they cause bewilderment in return.

It's not that we're depriving the parents of their time with their children. Do they even have time to give to their children? Yes, it is after school hours but most parents are too busy with their jobs to give their full attention to their children. Why are there so many latch-key children then?

January 19th's Recruit section: Motivate your employees

I never fail to look through the Recruit section's articles in case they can be related to the way I deal with my students. This one is on how I can retain my students, as some do stop lessons with me and switch to going for lessons at a tuition centre.

1. Do my students dread my lessons? I try to make them more interesting. If they want to speak about something other than the lesson for the day, I am open to it, as it gives them a chance to train their oral skills. I do maintain certain boundaries though. I have discussed a little on shopping malls and fashion with my students. Some parents fail to understand my real intention and think that I am not teaching. Well, it's really their child's loss that they chose to stop lessons with me. Haha.

2. I try to be patient with my students and give them the benefit of the doubt. There may be real, unintentional reasons for their performance. When necessary, I advocate direct guidance in the fulfillment of their tasks, or send reminders to hand in their assignments. I try not to label them too quickly and motivate them to get rid of their weaknesses, by telling them of the consequences or rewarding them when they do improve. Yes, God has indeed blessed me by giving me students who do more than the minimum in their studies. :) I have a student asking me for more homework than I usually give. :))

3. I show appreciation to my students who show an improvement in their performance, by verbal affirmation or tangible rewards. I also share it with their parents. Besides verbally encouraging the students, I motivated some of them by treating them to a meal so that they will be spurred on to study harder. I do feel especially sympathetic towards my China students, as they are celebrating CNY away from home and also, they may feel inferior to their local counterparts in terms of academic excellence.

Flexibility in dealing with students

I usually try to reward my students when they do well in their subjects, or motivate them to go on trying when they lose confidence.

I buy stationery or their favourite item for them, but I am going to do it in a different way this time. I am going to treat them. I was inspired to do so when I saw a teacher with her students at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant. I am going to meet 3 of my students on Wednesday, to give them a treat. I know it will make a difference to them. :)

Flexibility is important in educating youths. We must cater to their needs with different methods, depending on their characters and preferences. Using the same method for different students may not be effective for all of them, and resources are wasted in the process.

Teaching nuggets

These are some observations I have with regards to teaching:

1) We have to give chances to those who have blotched their earlier performances, so that they can redeem themselves. We may have to give them the benefit of the doubt at times and be gracious towards them too.

2) Technology is very useful in terms of English lessons. English is linked to general knowledge and I use my digital camera to take pictures in order to show my students what the world out there is like. I also give them my blog's URL so that they can learn more about current affairs as well as proper sentence structure. I email them examination tips nearer to their paper and converse with them via MSN on any queries they may have. I surf the Internet for stories or topics that are of interest to them, and then print the notes out for the lesson.

3) It is of no use sheltering the present generation from the facts of life, as they will still be exposed to it via dangerous means. They are different from the past batches of youths.

A case in point is sex education. Oftentimes we dread talking to them about it out of awkwardness but when we evade their curious questions, we may push them to search for their answers by exploring the topic through physical intimacy in a relationship. This creates social problems like unwanted pregnancies and STDs. I am fortunate to an avid reader, as my parents exposed me to it by giving me books to read. What about those who do not like to read?

When I mentioned lesbianism during a lesson, I was met with ignorant eyes. I chose to speak more about it instead of stopping short at the mere mention of it. This will give the impression that it is something that exists and will have to be exposed to someday. By concealing the true facts about it, curiosity is ignited and may be quenched using the wrong means. That would bring about a bigger problem. My method nips the problem in the bud.

Difficult to fathom

It is so strange how people who are in the same category as I cannot seem to think beyond themselves. Life is not easy, I admit that but sometimes we have to die to our own feelings and reach out to others. They clearly have needs to be fulfilled at the point in time, in order for the team to contribute effectively.

Also, their intensive knowledge puts them in the know about certain protocol that must be observed at certain times. Actually, even without such knowledge, the protocol must be observed. This lack of observance is an influence on others. I feel that the occupation we are in and the age we are compel us to be an example to the young. It is quite disappointing to note that sight I beheld.

Nitty-gritty thoughts

It's ironic how we complain that others are insensitive to our feelings out of harmless teasing, but we do exactly the same to others. I wonder if it's a subconscious venting of what we endured from others. It turns me off especially when the topic is on something significant and passionate to me.

Also, we tend to focus on our own needs and forget others'. We insist on having ours met. When they aren't, we criticise the people involved so badly regardless of respect due to the people. We forget that everyone has experiences he can teach and inspire us with. We reclaim our rights but sometimes it is better to forgo them for the sake of harmony.

Our perceptions of people based on clashes of opinions with them can cause us to be permanently biased towards them. We choose not to be open to their goodness, their humanity and warmth. It is not an easy attitude to take indeed, but we can try. We tend to look at their achievements and overlook their true character, which is really the gem of a person.

We may know the same person for a long time but as he gets older, certain things about him change and we are unused to them. However, we know we can always go back to the tight bond we share over the years. On the contrary, some others change for the worse and it disappoints me. There is lack of support and understanding towards certain decisions and it still surfaces despite the passage of time. Lack of sensitivity is also shown in the criticism, to the extent that negative body language is exuded amidst silence.

2008 was extraordinary.

Major events took place:

- Mum's demise

- Miracles

- God's outpouring of grace on me

- First trip without Mum(to Macau)

- Best friend's wedding
http://weddingsbydarrel.com/blog/107

- First trip with Sixteen Candles group(to Turkey)

- First camera
http://pseudofashionist.blogspot.com/

- First book written


- Learning how to upload photos to computer, so as to email them or to add them to my blogs.

EDITOR'S NOTE

You will notice that my entries have been jumbled up and are fewer too. I've started new blogs based on specific themes and transferred the relevant entries accordingly. I think it's more organized and easier for me to write specific topics in the relevant blogs. They can be accessed via the links on the right, on the main page of this blog.

Enjoy my blogs and do comment on them in the tagboard on this blog!! Just include which blog in the comments. Thanks.

There's always an easier way

Some realizations in the course of a lesson have affirmed my temperament for being a teacher. I may lack oral skills as compared to others but I must have confidence in my gifts to create rapport with students, to be a guiding force of patience. In a way, this line allows me to show love for students who may lack it in their families. It may be an unusual way but it is my way and my conscience is clear.

This student had avoided reading any more myths and legends because of the difficult language used to narrate them. I got some in a simpler language and when he saw the title of my notes, he exuded fear. I told him to just try reading them before concluding on their difficulty level. Praise God, he liked them and wanted more. I did get simpler versions after all! I was a little worried when he showed his initial reaction.

I plan to get notes on travelling and other countries' attractions for him as well. His knowledge will increase and his social adaptability may not diminish with these notes.

There is indeed a way to gain knowledge, as long as we think from a different angle. :)

Language can be misinterpreted and can ring annoyance

What is the true meaning of "reaction"? Does it mean only thought? I beg to differ. I think it includes action. Action leads from thought and both make up reaction. This from a Lit grad to an Eng grad.

Then again, perhaps it is the answer to a prayer.

I used to have confusion over why this friend of mine hates it when I say, "Whatever." Now that I've experienced it for myself, with someone saying it to me, I understand why and it does grate on the nerves. So I replied with what my best friend always says but in a different context, "If you say so." That probably got on his nerves too. Hah!