It was just another ordinary Tuesday, time was 9:50am, the period before recess.
I was getting ready to make my way to Sec 25 for their weekly music lesson.
When i reached the class, there was not a single soul around, so i decided to wait
thinking that they're making their way back from another class.
While waiting, i saw Fel loitering along the corridor, sensing something was wrong, i questioned...
T*cher aka Tormented 'cher: Fel, where's your class?
Fel: They all in music room.
T*cher: Why are they in the music room? I told you all to stay in class right?
Fel: I dunno leh. Khabir say go music room mah!
Immediately, images of the music room in chaos surfaced in my mind
i could imagine the chairs in disarrayed fashion,
students lying on the gym mats,
playing hide-and-seek in the room.
So i stomped my way up to the 6th storey where the music room was located.
while i was walking towards the room, i could see from a distance that Kim was hiding in a corner waiting to spring a surprise attack on me.
True enough, as i approached, he sprang out from behind the wall and said "Boo!"
It was funny but imagine if i hadn't been alerted, i could have died of heart attack if i were some older teacher.
He was going to get it, i thought. Let me settle with the rest first.
So i continued my way into the music room, and stopped the chaos.
I gathered everyone eventually with the aid of threats.
And we made our way back to class.
I barked at a few of them problematic ones to walk faster
all but one smart aleck aptly named after the Indonesian president, Bambang
Now Bambang is a small fry with curls
big eyes and cute nose...
but he is so notoriously playful
I've confiscated his phone once in class,
maybe that's why he's always making trouble for me
Anyway Bambang thought it was funny to defy my every order
so when i said "Move it.. walk faster",
he registered it as "Walk slower.."
So he started off in slow-motion
and despite my constant urging.. he "slow-moed" all the way back.
By the time we all reached class, i was so furious i made him stand in the corner
despite his constant begging me to let him sit.
Why do these people like to beg pardon only after they've done the deed?
Finally i allowed him to sit down,
but that was not the end of it all.
This small fry had to test my patience again after his butt was rested.
As i was playing them the French movie "The Choir Boys"
Bambang thought it would be amusing to imitate the French language
Children probably can't resist this sorta thing, i told myself.
So i just snapped at him to stop it and imagine his own language being made fun of
that was enough to deter him for a while.
But his restlessness couldn't be held still,
A few minutes later he was back to becoming a nuisance again,
this time round, egging Kim on to imitate certain parts of the movie.
I held my anger till the bell rang
because i have decided no recess for them.
They were then to bring along their pens and a piece of paper
I marched them off to the benches outside the office
and seated them down.
T*cher: Now i want you to write me a half-page apology letter to explain for your behavior in class.
(Few minutes of staring into a blank piece)
Bambang: 'cher we dunno what to write.
T*cher: You don't know what to write? Ok. You will copy the word "Sorry" 10 times per line on the entire piece of foolscap.
Miraculously without protest, they start to write. Probably they thought it was much easier than the first task, that's why they gladly started on it.
Bambang started like this...
Until smart Kim started staring hard at Bambang's piece and exclaimed,Kim: 'cher, Sorry is spell like that one meh?"
T*cher: (Peers at Bambang's masterpiece) NO! That's wrong. Re-write on the next page.
Bambang: 'cher please lah. I spell correctly the next line.
T*cher: No.
Finally he got down to writing on the nezt page, and this was what he produced...
I was pretty amused by the patterns he created, so i burst out smiling.
They thought it funny too, their silly antics landing them in trouble time and again.
We had a good laugh while they wrote and finally i let them off 5 minutes earlier before recess ended so they could grab a bite.
This master piece belongs to Kim.It's cute that they actually bothered to sit and write.
I'm beginning to find this quite effective with NT (Normal Technical) students
because these people hate writing.
6 months into being a teacher,
I'm still constantly experimenting with new punishment methods
I've tried the usual,
standing in corner of class,
doing push-ups, carrying chairs etc.
I ask myself what are the learning points in all of these
because a punishment should ideally be a point of learning
that'll deter the offender from commiting the same offence again.
Maybe for a student caught smoking, the best punishment would be to make him do an extensive research on lung cancer?
I don't know, but i resolve to make my punishments in the future more meaningful.
On a final note, I think the responsibility of disciplining should always start at home
Why do some kids always end up in trouble?
They probably do not get enough supervision
and have never been properly educated at home
on the correct codes of behavior in different settings.
Spare the Rod, Spoil the child
I am a firm believer of that
Just the other day, I was on the MRT
and i saw a 5-6 year old kid playing with a toy dagger
He was happily poking his sister with the dagger.
It had a retractible shiny gleaming blade
that springs out with the press of a button.
I was appalled by the seemingly lack of sanity
of his parents
I mean who in their right mind would buy such a toy for their child?
unless they are grooming the next prospective Took How Leng?
Anyway the point is, all education starts at home
Teachers are facilitators of education but never surrogate parents.
