This time of the year really makes me reminisce. The strong winds which I used to enjoy in my father's farm house in Malacca brings good memories as well as sad ones. Usually at this time of the year, its 'summer' with the hot blazing sun, evidently shown from the cracked laterite road that leads to my house.
For these two years, I have been experiencing mixed feelings since the going of my mom. The feel of Chinese New Year will never be the same since she has gone to meet her Creator. Though happy for her since she is in a better place but the thought of her and missing her presence, usually brings a tear or two. Missing her calls to eat and just to hear her call my name brought joy and love then.
This year, things will be very different for I will be celebrating Chinese New Year out of Malacca town. Will be in Sitiawan, a smaller town but full of traditions and culture. Am looking forward to that day where there will be small scale fireworks from the village homes. Waiting to feel the warmth and simple yet meaningful celebration to welcome the Lunar New Year.
My youngest sister, Sim, her husband Peter Ting and their children are waiting anxiously as well, all prepared to celebrate and enjoy each others' company till the wee hours of the morning.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thougth it was just 2 days ago when we greeted Happy New Year...
Its 26th Jan 2010 and moving, moving really fast! Before we realise, its the end of January and then comes Feb, CNY and ... another month passed. Really fast when one is busy.
Work has been easy since I have prepared most of the lessons and repetition is a breeze though on-going updating does take up some time. Latest 'craze' is to put the lessons in video format so that they are easily accessible and also available 24/7, anyday of the year.
Still very much would like to learn to create a website. Looking for someone very good at teaching and can teach what I desire to learn. That someone must be willing to design his/her lessons to my pace of learning and not be 'draggy' of the required lessons.
In this cyber world, there are tonnes and tonnes of things that one can and should learn. Of course it is impossible to learn all, but at least the ones which are relevant to one's work or life.
To be 'in' is no more an easy thing to do, unlike those days where one just have to join in a club or two and then life moves around those clubs or the familiar activities. One gets outdated real fast nowadays.
Students are very updated, so to keep them abreast we teachers, must first be a step ahead of them. Not easy though. There is the question of generation gap, which is something very difficult to overcome due to differing interests and likings. Nevertheless, a compromise should be reached.
Was forced to listen to some new songs, played during the ECA recruitment drive in college this afternoon. I cannot help but commented that those songs sounded like 'something was wrong with the player or it was coming from a 'broken' record that was being played. Then came the singing that sounded more of a cry for help. Well, things are different from those days. Yes, the generation gap, so they say.
Looking forward to another day where I can share my mathematical knowledge with my students. Dreading the coming soon test where there will be lots of marking thereafter.
Till then,...
Work has been easy since I have prepared most of the lessons and repetition is a breeze though on-going updating does take up some time. Latest 'craze' is to put the lessons in video format so that they are easily accessible and also available 24/7, anyday of the year.
Still very much would like to learn to create a website. Looking for someone very good at teaching and can teach what I desire to learn. That someone must be willing to design his/her lessons to my pace of learning and not be 'draggy' of the required lessons.
In this cyber world, there are tonnes and tonnes of things that one can and should learn. Of course it is impossible to learn all, but at least the ones which are relevant to one's work or life.
To be 'in' is no more an easy thing to do, unlike those days where one just have to join in a club or two and then life moves around those clubs or the familiar activities. One gets outdated real fast nowadays.
Students are very updated, so to keep them abreast we teachers, must first be a step ahead of them. Not easy though. There is the question of generation gap, which is something very difficult to overcome due to differing interests and likings. Nevertheless, a compromise should be reached.
Was forced to listen to some new songs, played during the ECA recruitment drive in college this afternoon. I cannot help but commented that those songs sounded like 'something was wrong with the player or it was coming from a 'broken' record that was being played. Then came the singing that sounded more of a cry for help. Well, things are different from those days. Yes, the generation gap, so they say.
Looking forward to another day where I can share my mathematical knowledge with my students. Dreading the coming soon test where there will be lots of marking thereafter.
Till then,...
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
"Phew!"
Phew! Another day of SAM. Teaching Trigonometry is no joke when you see the 'blank' faces after you have tried your best at explaining a certain formula or concept.
Always remind the learners that it wasn't easy for me too. To add 'salt to injury', most students did not have a good grasp of trigo in schools. Do not really know what is the reason.
Thank God that this batch of students learnt Mathematics in ENGLISH! That makes explainations MUCH^3 easier without having to grapple with the Malay terms.
Still working on my project to reach students all over the world by making use of the internet. A very time consuming project, but I think its going to be a very satisfying one.
The raining spells make the sky looks gloomy and that created an atmosphere of sadness due to the dark skies and chill in the air that follows everywhere you go.
Though I don't see much of the sky most of the time, but looking through the window, and on hearing the rain beating on the zinc, makes me feel nostalgic of the farm house we used to stay in Malacca.
Actually looking forward to Chinese New Year break to go up North for a change.
Always remind the learners that it wasn't easy for me too. To add 'salt to injury', most students did not have a good grasp of trigo in schools. Do not really know what is the reason.
Thank God that this batch of students learnt Mathematics in ENGLISH! That makes explainations MUCH^3 easier without having to grapple with the Malay terms.
Still working on my project to reach students all over the world by making use of the internet. A very time consuming project, but I think its going to be a very satisfying one.
The raining spells make the sky looks gloomy and that created an atmosphere of sadness due to the dark skies and chill in the air that follows everywhere you go.
Though I don't see much of the sky most of the time, but looking through the window, and on hearing the rain beating on the zinc, makes me feel nostalgic of the farm house we used to stay in Malacca.
Actually looking forward to Chinese New Year break to go up North for a change.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The 'roller coaster' has started...into the second week now.
SAM, the course that I am teaching is liken to a roller coaster due to its nature of progression. It will pick up slowly but surely and then... tenn tennn tennnn.... down it goes without stopping at almost neck breaking speed.
With tests, assignments and ... along the way, life can be very hectic. Sometimes when I leave home, I don't see the sun and when I am back, the sun has gone down.
Time really flies, and before one knows it, its final examination and then the year end holidays.
Today marked the first day of the second week of the course. The cycle has begun, with four hours of teaching everyday though I will teach differently in the 4 classes with one faster than the other sometimes. The pace and the style of teaching, depended much on the feedback from the students. Some classes seem 'stone' with not much reaction to whatever you do or they appear to be a bunch of 'smart alecks' giving you the impression the already know all.
Some classes are just very nice to be in. The warmth, the respect, the attention given to the lessons etc...
Yet some classes are not very predictable. Nevertheless, teaching is really a challenge, given a group of teenagers whom I can mould them to some useful adults in time to come. It's been great teaching them, see them grow mostly with joy and sometimes pains, the inevitable growing pains that we all face to some extent.
With tests, assignments and ... along the way, life can be very hectic. Sometimes when I leave home, I don't see the sun and when I am back, the sun has gone down.
Time really flies, and before one knows it, its final examination and then the year end holidays.
Today marked the first day of the second week of the course. The cycle has begun, with four hours of teaching everyday though I will teach differently in the 4 classes with one faster than the other sometimes. The pace and the style of teaching, depended much on the feedback from the students. Some classes seem 'stone' with not much reaction to whatever you do or they appear to be a bunch of 'smart alecks' giving you the impression the already know all.
Some classes are just very nice to be in. The warmth, the respect, the attention given to the lessons etc...
Yet some classes are not very predictable. Nevertheless, teaching is really a challenge, given a group of teenagers whom I can mould them to some useful adults in time to come. It's been great teaching them, see them grow mostly with joy and sometimes pains, the inevitable growing pains that we all face to some extent.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
One week passed but...
Its been a week since last Friday which was dubbed,
' A sad day for Malaysia' by one,
' 1Malaysia is in jeopardy', observed another and so on.
The situation has not changed much though, in fact it has worsen. The lawyers' office (who handled the court case of you know what) was ransacked and more churches are targeted by narrow minded, irrespectful and irresponsible all over the country. Amidst all these happenings, it is no doubt that the name of our Lord rises above all else to the extend of being feared by people of other faith. Just the name alone, has the power to induce fear and elicit their shallow thoughts of what God is. The wrong perception lies on the invidual. God remains God no matter how we perceive Him.
God and human beings must be a in personal relationship and should not be confused just because different names are used. It is a close relationship build on LOVE and not FEAR.
A lack of knowledge and understanding are the causes of fear which leads to uncessary and thoughtless acts of violence and destruction. Don't even need to mention of faith. For faith conquers all. When one has faith, nothing can shake him/her. A strong faith could overcome many obstacles and problems, dismiss misunderstandings and the like.
So folks, have faith in your religion.
The name of our Lord can be anything, a simple faith is what is asked for.
Please continue to pray for peace and harmony, without which, whatever and however we call our God, we shall live in distress, more so if we live without faith.
...another day...
Today is the first day that I got to see all the 2010 cohort of SAM students.
They come in various shape and sizes(trying to use mathematics to describe).
No real teaching yet, just some 'warming' pep talk about the course, especially, SPECIALIST MATHEMATICS.
Am glad that I have found a song in YouTube which is so apt, as an introduction to the course in Spec Maths.
Wanna hear?
here u are:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0XUqliEnPQ
As usual, I will add some 'cerita' together with some sugar and spice, just to make things look good.(not that things are bad).
Still struggling to get use to the new format of seating although it really does not affect me but I noticed that the students are struggling to concentrate.
Tried to help some seniors to sell their books and calculators but alas, not much of a success.
Well, good luck to you 'fellas' of 2009 intake.
They come in various shape and sizes(trying to use mathematics to describe).
No real teaching yet, just some 'warming' pep talk about the course, especially, SPECIALIST MATHEMATICS.
Am glad that I have found a song in YouTube which is so apt, as an introduction to the course in Spec Maths.
Wanna hear?
here u are:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0XUqliEnPQ
As usual, I will add some 'cerita' together with some sugar and spice, just to make things look good.(not that things are bad).
Still struggling to get use to the new format of seating although it really does not affect me but I noticed that the students are struggling to concentrate.
Tried to help some seniors to sell their books and calculators but alas, not much of a success.
Well, good luck to you 'fellas' of 2009 intake.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Wah lau!
Suddenly I was thinking about what is in store in 2010
Will it be a year of economic booms all over the world, after the world bank had announced that the world economy is returning to normal.
Will it be a year of uncertainty with the recent uncessary chaos in the country?
How will my students fare, given the new seating position in class. Will they be accustomed to the new setting?
Will 47% of As from the 2009 cohort be maintained or even be higher?
Will I be more God fearing after what had happened and knowing that we are but frail creatures on this planet earth, trying to impress each other with the little that we know about this universe.
I have always reminding myself that we are too small and know too little to be boastful, bossy, proud, high and mighty etc... about oneself.
Wanna feel stupid, very simple, just walk into a library full of books and find out how much that we dont know as compared to that little that we know.
There is a chinese hokkien saying the goes like this:
"chiak ka lau, ork ka lau" = " as we grow older, we still keep on learning"
So folks, always remember that if u think u are good, there is always someone better than you.
That is why I believe in updating, change and so on...
Above picture shows graduating student Lanette and myself at Sunway Hotel in Nov 2009. Everytime after the prom night, I will be in this 'Wah Lau' mood.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
First Day of college for the new intake of 2010 - SAM
They are finally here, the 2010 cohort of students for SAM.
Met them in the MPH, dunno any of them as I was far up in the Gallery of the Multi-Purpose Hall.
Heard some of the welcoming speech and the usual rules and regulations regarding college life.
Met up with my mentees, group S3 - the would be IT experts.
There were 21 of them, only 2 girls, the brave ones.
Don't quite like the new seating positions where they are in 'islands' format.
I think those behind the first person find it difficult to see the board and the lecturer.
Well, will give feedback to the office if it is too disadvantages to the students and affecting the teaching and learning.
Met them in the MPH, dunno any of them as I was far up in the Gallery of the Multi-Purpose Hall.
Heard some of the welcoming speech and the usual rules and regulations regarding college life.
Met up with my mentees, group S3 - the would be IT experts.
There were 21 of them, only 2 girls, the brave ones.
Don't quite like the new seating positions where they are in 'islands' format.
I think those behind the first person find it difficult to see the board and the lecturer.
Well, will give feedback to the office if it is too disadvantages to the students and affecting the teaching and learning.
Mathematics is Life
Mathematics is really life as it covers every aspect of our everyday living, every second of our lives.
It is everywhere, even when we are asleep.
Students perceived me as obsessed with Mathematics, but if you really look around, you can actually see a lot of Mathematics around us. By the way, I am a lecturer in Mathematics.
It is everywhere, even when we are asleep.
Students perceived me as obsessed with Mathematics, but if you really look around, you can actually see a lot of Mathematics around us. By the way, I am a lecturer in Mathematics.
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