Journal:
 

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jan 2003
i thought i was lucky enough to get a relief teaching job to get rid of my 6-mths holidays,
but, in fact, relief teaching isn't easy!
Some schools (well, i should say ALL the schs) want u to teach the class instead of just going into the class and say 'keep quiet' and sit there n do own things. . that was done only when it was during our years of studies... in fact, i have to relief theaching nowadays really have to teach.
 

First day of school as a relief teacher - 9th Jan 2003:
i dont feel lost... i just feel fun to be one.. haha..... hougang pri admin called me at around 10.30am to ask me if i could do relief teaching for that day. and i did...

for the next few weeks... ( well, not everyday, on an average, out of 5 days, i do  3 days of relief teaching)
i have 2 schools, hougang pri and my own pri school - marymount convent ( well, get excited to see my teachers there.. hahah)....(more call ups were from hougang...)

after 2months of relief teaching, on 27 feb:
i took over a assignment of relief teaching: a teacher whom went for maternity leave for around 2 mths. ...i realised that i learnt a lot from this experience.... =) (ah ha. i have regular salary now!!!! =) )  that was my first thought.

so, r u curious abt how much i will be paid for all these?
 its $65 a day.... wait a min, that is before cpf, after cpf deductions, i get $ 5 2 a day....
thats not much!

Why is it not enough?
1) working time is not just school time, you have to go sch early to mark books....
2) when comes to CA, u have to brg papers back to mark... (40 pieces for each subject!!!!!!)
3) u have to do lesson planning, which means, u have to keep a record of what you taught for your class in report form EVERYDAY!
4) you have to update students' stuff, like admin stuff etc...
5) u have to shout all day
6) u can hardly smile
7) stresssss
8) u ended up going home shouting at your family members too becos of the all-day shout loudness without knowing
9) ended up saying 'shut-up' at home becos u cant do that to students in sch .. we can only say "zip ur mouth" or "keep quiet"
10) ended up having sore-throat and flu for weeks.
11) yet still have to teach
more more more more more more more.........


so, now u know, teaching is NOT easy!
i really have to bow to the teachers that are taking up teaching as their lifetime career.

 

what i learnt from relief teaching:
1) learnt how to shout as loud as you can ( KEEEPPPPPPPP QUIETTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!)
2) learnt how to be fierce and be very very very firm. ( well, though i am already... but... tt wasn't enough)
3) learnt how to be good at times and be mean at times}
4) learnt how to communicate with kids
5) learnt how to punish pupils in mean way.....
etc etc...

Details:

the school is called hougang primary school and fortunately, its convenient for me, it took me around 30 mins to reach there taking a straight bus.

my teaching life orientated in primary one kids... i took up the class 1.3 with an enrolment of FORTY devils.
i teach them almost all the subjects except mother tongue.
i also have a class of pri 3 science.

the school environment is very prettyyy... well... there are lots of animals in the school, making it like having a small farm... they have chickens, chicks, peahen (female peacock), rabbits (around 10), lots of colourful chirpy birds, dearf hamsters, stick insects, and 2 chubby but shy chinchillas... the main theme for the school is life sciences, and the name for the so-called farm is called cell-zone. wait... not only they have animals, they have many greenary stuff... they have a piece of land for students to plant things like coffee, kang kong, and many other kinds of vegetables... they also have a veyr small hydroponic farm, using water to grow vegetables.. they also have a "forest walk" area that have a path way and around them are different varieties of plants and trees.
they also have a pond with many fishes... a few fish are actually quite big.. (around half a metre long carps...)
there is also a duck walking freely around the pond and forest...

working mates.. most of the teachers there are in their late 20s or early 30s. They are friendly and helpful, we often say hi and exchanged some conversation during assembly time... when i needed help, they will help... generally all are ok... (except one teacher) , well, this lady teacher din leave me a good impression, she dont look kind type...(well..indeed).. although she did not to any mean things to me.. or whatever... well, i just kan bu shuan her... she's that kind of lady that is in late 40s... and is still a Miss.. and ermmmm... ok, thats all.. stop.

Ratings: (out of 5)

School discipline: 3.5
School teachers: 4
School pupils: 3.5
School HODs: 3.0 ( well, i "dont" bear grudges)
School learning environment: 3.8
School environment: 4.5 (ah ha... the farm and many more features that add up the points)
School Canteen food: 2.7 (well, i have to give a pass, food not tt good but edible... except the sushi roll that is really very  nice and yummy)
Overall rating: 3.7
{well, considered a good rate, recommended to parents staying nearby and have kids going pri 1... and dont mind putting their kids in a neighborhood school)
 

 

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Trival:
Do u know what is toilet disease?
if you don't know, its ok, becos, this will only happen in primary school kids. its a norm,

Qn: Define toilet disease.
Ans: Toilet disease is a disease that makes pupils feel like going to toilet after his/her friend went. that is - one go,  ten go....
 

[which means, eg  if one student wants to go toilet, his friends will started to ask teacher if he could go toilet too...]
misssss limmmmm, misssss limmm.... can i go toilet???

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