I went for a wedding dinner today.
I have a chance to know a woman aged around 30s. She is not educated. She works as housewive in the morning and opens a noodle stall in the evening to supplement her family income. Her business is quite good and is not affected much by the recent economic recession.
She has difficulty to handle her kids. Her eldest daughter,a from 1 girl, is very rebellious. She wants to help but no means to do it. She wants to teach them about skills to live in this complex society besides the normal school education. I praised her effort.
She reads motivational books to uplift her attitudes towards life.
I give her encouragement to read the books again and again, internalise the contents and use it in her daily activities. Then her family and children will slowly evolve into a better one.
Be positive and optimistic in life.
Life as a human is precious.
We have inborn wills to lead and adapt our life to the changing environment
We can overcome all difficulties if we are contended with the surrounding.
Develop your potentials in life.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Annual Performance Awards
I was invited to attend a meeting together with all my school administrators to handle annual appraisal of teachers in the schools.
It was my first participation in such affair.
We were briefed on procedures to select teachers to be awarded the annual best performance awards. Firstly we shorlisted names according to categories such as DG41,DG44 and DG32. Then they were chosen on rotation basis or seniority basis.
In the discussion we exchanged views on the performance of teachers in the fields of academics,co-curricular and others. But no weightage was given to each field for us to decide on the awards.
We also touched on the proactive behaviours of teachers. We noticed that some are proactive in outside class activities and some are proactive in the class. It was a challenging and difficult task to make decisions on the awards.
Who to choose?
My friend called me yerterday night about the ways used to do appraisal. He felt that it's unfair for those who work diligently to help upgrade the academic performance in the class without noticed by the head of department compared to those who play truant but are active in the fields only and noticed by all.
Normally those are more active in the fields will be given the awards.
Besides, there are teachers who always show up only when the heads are around. Maybe they are regarded as proactive teachers in the eyes of the heads and get the awards also.
I am of the view that weightage should be made according to performance in all fields such as 80% in the academics, 10% in the co-curricular activities and 10% in others.
It will be a better appraisal instrument.
It was my first participation in such affair.
We were briefed on procedures to select teachers to be awarded the annual best performance awards. Firstly we shorlisted names according to categories such as DG41,DG44 and DG32. Then they were chosen on rotation basis or seniority basis.
In the discussion we exchanged views on the performance of teachers in the fields of academics,co-curricular and others. But no weightage was given to each field for us to decide on the awards.
We also touched on the proactive behaviours of teachers. We noticed that some are proactive in outside class activities and some are proactive in the class. It was a challenging and difficult task to make decisions on the awards.
Who to choose?
My friend called me yerterday night about the ways used to do appraisal. He felt that it's unfair for those who work diligently to help upgrade the academic performance in the class without noticed by the head of department compared to those who play truant but are active in the fields only and noticed by all.
Normally those are more active in the fields will be given the awards.
Besides, there are teachers who always show up only when the heads are around. Maybe they are regarded as proactive teachers in the eyes of the heads and get the awards also.
I am of the view that weightage should be made according to performance in all fields such as 80% in the academics, 10% in the co-curricular activities and 10% in others.
It will be a better appraisal instrument.
Monday, November 10, 2008
SPM starts today
SPM examinations 2008 starts today.
My youngest son is one of them taking the exams today.
All the BEST to him and others.
I pray to all Boddisatwas and beings,seen and unseen in different realms and worlds,to shed bright light on the candidates sitting for the exams.
Help to remove their anxiety,fears,fright and nervousness.
Give them confidence and peace.
Void them of sufferings.
May all beings be happy and prosperous.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Prepare for death
I have a Buddhist elder who is recently confirmed that he has liver cancer.
He looks thinner and weaker. He has undergone a few operations in the last few months in Selayang Hosptal.
A private doctor has told his family that his organs in his stomach is deteriorating and can't function normally. His days is numbered.
I felt so sad for him.
He was our elder in Buddhist circle. He used to work and service our Buddhist activities tirelessly for the past 24 years. He practises chanting and meditation.
On my first visit, we had a good exchange of view about preparation for death.
In Buddhism body and mind are ONE.
The bodily sickness can be diagnosed or cured or reduced by using medication prescribed by doctors but not the mind. Our mind can be inspected internally only by ourselves. We know our mind. We know our doings and deeds. Good or bad.
Our mind determines our bodily sickness.
A wholesome mind will have a better health and happiness.
An unwholesome mind will bring more pains and sufferings.
My Buddhist elder says he has prepeared to let go and change for a new body in the next life. I am happy to hear that. I adviced him to stick to it and never forget the help from Boddisatwas.
Boddisatwas have vows to help us out of any sufferings and pains.
Have faith in Boddisatwas. They sure will help us.
He looks thinner and weaker. He has undergone a few operations in the last few months in Selayang Hosptal.
A private doctor has told his family that his organs in his stomach is deteriorating and can't function normally. His days is numbered.
I felt so sad for him.
He was our elder in Buddhist circle. He used to work and service our Buddhist activities tirelessly for the past 24 years. He practises chanting and meditation.
On my first visit, we had a good exchange of view about preparation for death.
In Buddhism body and mind are ONE.
The bodily sickness can be diagnosed or cured or reduced by using medication prescribed by doctors but not the mind. Our mind can be inspected internally only by ourselves. We know our mind. We know our doings and deeds. Good or bad.
Our mind determines our bodily sickness.
A wholesome mind will have a better health and happiness.
An unwholesome mind will bring more pains and sufferings.
My Buddhist elder says he has prepeared to let go and change for a new body in the next life. I am happy to hear that. I adviced him to stick to it and never forget the help from Boddisatwas.
Boddisatwas have vows to help us out of any sufferings and pains.
Have faith in Boddisatwas. They sure will help us.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Why foreign trained students are better?
I was called to attend a meeting organised by PPK from 4th to 7th Nov 2008 at Sanctuary Resorts Cherating,Kuantan to do comparison between our SPM science subjects curriculum specifications with some foreign countries' such as Australia,British,Canada and Singapore.
After the comparisons we noticed that our cs is more compact and more academic in two years Form 4 and Form 5. The foreign ones are more activity-based and student-centred. Their academic materials are less. Time allocation is more for activities.
We do stress on the dvelopment of the thinking skills and science processing skills and creative skills. Time is not allowed for us to attain such noble aims stated in our cs.
There are two opposing views about the existing secondary education. One is to produce students of global mantality,and full of creativity.The other one is to emphasise the academic achievement in public examinations.
They always put the blame on the opposition for the failure of our students in their career advancement and soft skills.
In fact our cs is adequate to train students to attain independent creativity and vision in all fields such as management skills,morals,experimenting skills,personal relationship skills and others.
Teachers are bound by the respective directives from the Head, PPD,JPN and the Ministry to implement programmes that may not bring forth benefits to the schools or students. Most of the programmes are time-consuming. Teachers are forced or unwillingly to run the programmes in their classes which is supposed to be used just for teaching.
In the meeetings, we voiced out such predicaments. But no one is able to help us out.
Still we need to adhere to guidelines and directives from the top.
After the comparisons we noticed that our cs is more compact and more academic in two years Form 4 and Form 5. The foreign ones are more activity-based and student-centred. Their academic materials are less. Time allocation is more for activities.
We do stress on the dvelopment of the thinking skills and science processing skills and creative skills. Time is not allowed for us to attain such noble aims stated in our cs.
There are two opposing views about the existing secondary education. One is to produce students of global mantality,and full of creativity.The other one is to emphasise the academic achievement in public examinations.
They always put the blame on the opposition for the failure of our students in their career advancement and soft skills.
In fact our cs is adequate to train students to attain independent creativity and vision in all fields such as management skills,morals,experimenting skills,personal relationship skills and others.
Teachers are bound by the respective directives from the Head, PPD,JPN and the Ministry to implement programmes that may not bring forth benefits to the schools or students. Most of the programmes are time-consuming. Teachers are forced or unwillingly to run the programmes in their classes which is supposed to be used just for teaching.
In the meeetings, we voiced out such predicaments. But no one is able to help us out.
Still we need to adhere to guidelines and directives from the top.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Poor Teaching?
Teaching is a noble profession. It needs love and caring spirit.
You must have the love and enthusiasm to teach the unknown to be known,the weak to be strong and the poor to be rich in knowledge.
You just can't talk and read only in the class.
You just can't be boastful of your academic records in the past.
You are a teacher supposedly respected by your students.
We have come across news about the poor state of teaching in schools.
Teachers are negatively reported about absenteeism in class,talk and chalk only,sit and talk,playing handphones, always engaged with co-curricular activities,reading from text,scold and angry with students,poor command of language,poor communication skills , answer scripts not returned but marks are given,......
Of course they are good and dedicated teachers in the schools also. But it's minority lot only.
Normally those teachers are trained in the 60s and 70s. They show responsibility and interest in work. They are always available in school unless they are immobile.
I have a woman collegue who was pregnant but felt sick and was difficult to move around in the school. She never took any leave to be absent from school. She arranged and used the school resource centre to be her class. Her students came to attend her classes there. She never complained about any pain or suffering.
Nowadays it's difficult to observe such characteriatics in school.
How to improve the state of teaching?
You must have the love and enthusiasm to teach the unknown to be known,the weak to be strong and the poor to be rich in knowledge.
You just can't talk and read only in the class.
You just can't be boastful of your academic records in the past.
You are a teacher supposedly respected by your students.
We have come across news about the poor state of teaching in schools.
Teachers are negatively reported about absenteeism in class,talk and chalk only,sit and talk,playing handphones, always engaged with co-curricular activities,reading from text,scold and angry with students,poor command of language,poor communication skills , answer scripts not returned but marks are given,......
Of course they are good and dedicated teachers in the schools also. But it's minority lot only.
Normally those teachers are trained in the 60s and 70s. They show responsibility and interest in work. They are always available in school unless they are immobile.
I have a woman collegue who was pregnant but felt sick and was difficult to move around in the school. She never took any leave to be absent from school. She arranged and used the school resource centre to be her class. Her students came to attend her classes there. She never complained about any pain or suffering.
Nowadays it's difficult to observe such characteriatics in school.
How to improve the state of teaching?
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