Fun with literature. And some poetry.

We learned about parody and limericks today. Towards the end of the lesson, we were asked to sit in groups and create our own versions of limericks. The activity was fun and entertaining. I believe that this kind of group work activity is a very interesting way of engaging students' interest, as well as lowering their self esteem. We took quite some time to decide on the suitable words to put in. But finally this is the outcome;

There was once a boy from Toy,
He always hoped to be someone's toy,
So he put on his shortest skirt,
And started to flirt,
That naughty boy from Troy.

Luckily the stems of the limerick was given. So that made the whole thinking process much easier. And we were asked to present the limerick to the whole class. I feel that ours was a little bit funny, and that served the purpose (limericks are meant to be comical and fun). I enjoyed this activity very much. But as Dr. Ed had mentioned in class, this kind of activities need to be done with the better students first. Learn from the difficulties, or limitations faced by those students, then only it can be done with students of lower English proficiency.

Of week 12

We might not have any tutorial sessions today if everyone has completed presenting their position paper. But today is just a short session, and we were dismissed early. And I have finished writing my research paper! Brag on, they said. But I'm glad that I managed to get things settled before the holidays, and as other assignments comes along, this was such a relief. At least I can have some time for myself during the holidays. :)

Thwarted!

It was depressing because we ended up not having class today! I was one of those who came late to class today because we are involved in a research. I feel that I am generous enough to let my free time be used to help her out. Alas, due to her lack of time management skill, she let us off late and we decided to wait for everyone until everyone had been interviewed so that we can enter the class as a group. Too bad, on our way there, a classmate called and said that Dr. Ed has left the class. it was so depressing because I looked forward for his class each week. I believe that it was so unfortunate and it was not our fault. We asked her to settle this matter for us. I just hope that we will have a fine Thursday next week.

I spent the night before to read Orwell's essay entitled Shooting an Elephant. It was a very interesting essay, yet I don't like the gory scene. It was cruel and brutal. I was really putting myself into the situation and I just can't imagine if I really see an elephant being killed right in front of my eyes! What he should probably do is just to leave the animal alone. I am still looking forward to discuss about this essay in class, for I reckon that there might be a deeper meaning about the killing of the elephant. (Can't think of any though! Sigh).

Random thoughts

I am working on my very own research paper when suddenly I feel like writing something here. Internet has been a very helpful resource for extra reference to write the paper. I hope that I will manage to send my final draft to Dr. Nooreen before we need to submit the papers in week 13. Working on this research paper is not easy. (Sigh. I always feel that I'm never good in writing). I feel that at times, it's difficult to put what I have in mind into words. At the beginning stage when I first started writing the analysis, I felt less confident.

But gradually, I come to realize that it is not that difficult. Writing could be fun when you know what to write about, and with a little help from helpful references (internet, book, lecturers, and dear friends) I can tell you that I'm getting more excited to get this paper completed. Can't wait. :)

The Gardener

Dr. Edwin asked us to think about a metaphor to describe ourselves as teachers. I said that I am a gardener. I simply love the picture of a gardener who will try as much as he can to grow the plant and gradually nurture them. I believe that teachers play the role of a nurturer , not only in formal education but perhaps beyond that. It was a great opportunity to get to talk about these things, since teaching practice is just a heartbeat away. :)

P.S: I hope that Nalini will be a great ATM Machine one day! Smiles

The Road Home

I simply love this movie. It is a Chinese movie but then I enjoyed the beautiful plot and settings in the movie. The only problem while watching was the audio, but luckily the subtitles were perfect! I feel that this story highlights the importance of a teacher in a cummunity. What I was able to see was the fact that teachers (whether they are good teachers or the opposite) will be remembered even until they are no longer alive. The scene which captured my attention the most was when the ex-students took turns to carry the coffin. This had not only shown how devoted they were towards the teacher, but beyond that, the wife and the son had no idea on how much the teacher had influenced the students. The situation was unexpected and this shows that a teacher could be more than just a teacher, literally.

Mandela

August has been a hectic month. Since the 51st Independence Day is just around the corner, I feel like saying something about how grateful I am to be a Malaysian (minus the political issues and bad public transportation services), and especially to live in Malaysia in the present days. Life is not difficult as compared to the earlier years. I have read Nelson Mandela's Autobiography entitled The Long Walk to Freedom. The title itself has a gist of what the autobiography entails. Most of it is his story on how he dealt with colonial power. During class, we discussed quite a lot of issues regarding this text, i.e. hegemony, apartheid and a few others.

I remembered reading the history textbook in my high school years, yet the information about our very own leaders who fought for the country's independence is very little. I believe that there are also autobiographies of our leaders out there, but it would be more interesting if we have the chance to at least read one significant part of their journey, just like Mandela's. Maybe students need more illustration of their struggles and sufferings, so that they can better understand what nationhood is.

I admire Mandela's courage and I personally feel that he is a great leader of his time.