Of Students and Banana Leaf Rice

It was the last day of exam, and we, the lecturers, decided to bring our international students for some culinary feast at... a banana leaf restaurant! It's not just about the food, but eating out of banana leaf is also part of a culture. Totally fun and hilarious too.

The best part of my job is the students. And the activities that we do.

Do you think I'm ready to leave this for something else?

Hmmmm....

Hopping to be Unrolled

My everyday work.

Tari Tualang Tiga

It's a shame when we are Malay (or any other races), but we don't know our own traditional dance. 

I was a dancer danced before in school, from Tarian Ulik Mayang (I was the puteri ke-empat ok, LOL), some Joget and Zapin for a prize giving ceremony and some charity dinner , and I did some contemporary dance in uni before when Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical was a big hit. 

I missed it so much. After watching my students rehearsed for Malam Kebudayaan Melayu 2011 just now, old sparks with Malay cultural dances lit again. Especially after watching this: 

How rich is that?! Malay Evolution! 

So friends, any ideas where I can get classes that teach the dance using this particular song?

Teacher Diaries 1: It Ain't Easy

As most of my friends (and maybe you) would already know, the one thing that I do for living is I teach. Hence, the title lecturer was given to me when I stepped my foot at an instituition that I am currently serving.

Being a lecturer is a title if you teach at a University or college, but at the end of the day you are still a teacher. Some people might think being a teacher is not a glamorous job. Trust me, I have 'friends' who thinks that way. But we, teachers fret not, because we know we have nothing to lose. In every sense.

Lecturing Teaching is not easy. The content of the subjects MIGHT be easy; for example, teaching grammar - past tense, nouns/verbs and all the makneneks, but how do take the subjects and incorporate it effectively to your students? Just lecture? Showing the powerpoint slides?

" Ok class, today's lesson is on grammar. So, our chapter for today is past tense. Ok, what is past tense? Past tense is a grammatical tense that places an action or situation in the past of the current moment or prior to.... Simple past is formed for regular verbs by adding -d or -ed to the root of a word. For example class, 'He walked to the shop', or 'They danced all night at the club'....." and bla bla bla.

Sigh. The most boring lesson ever. I've to admit it, it's pretty dry isn't it? Probably the lecturer copies it from Wikipedia and paste it to the powerpoint slides. Any below-average students also can do that right?

Lecturing on GRAMMAR: Simple Past Tense. 

BUT who in the world LECTURES on grammar? Grammar is like mathematics. Who the hell lectures on maths? You teach maths, drill the students on the formulas and ask them to practise practise and practise. Same as grammar.

So, the point here it's not about grammar or mathematics. It's about the the patience and me being a lecturer as a title, but at the end of the day, I'm a teacher. I teach and I guide and I'll make sure students PASS (not by giving them FREE marks, but making sure that they understand the subject), and NOT by making sure that they just PASS but ensuring they can fully utilize the knowledge in their daily life as well as future undertakings.

Just like parents eh? Except that I don't give money.

Membebel like parents? Totally.

Come and be in my shoes, and you'll know how it feel.

You got NO patience and tolerance?
Emotional outbursts out of the blue? 

Like seriously, don't bother trying.