Monday, January 5

BACK TO SCHOOL

"Teacher, you're our class teacher?" asked a young lady excitedly when I entered the classroom.
I nodded silently. The chatter stopped and thirty pairs of eyes looked at me.
"Gosh, they haven't changed a bit," I thought to myself.
"Good morning!" I thundered.
In a very slow motion, the young gentlemen stretched themselves and stood up while the ladies urged them with loud hisses and hand motions.
I stood facing them, taking in their facial expressions and listening to all the whispers. All of them are seventeen years old, in their most important year at school. And (God help me) I'm their teacher, their manager and their counsellor.
"Good morning... teacher..." the ladies wished me in a sing-song way and the gentlemen mumbled incomprehensively.
"Good morning, everyone. Sit down."
They smiled back at me. Ahhh, the same mischievious smiles.
A few gentlemen were beginning to yawn.
Time for action.
I noticed that some powder from the chalk had settled on my headscarf.
Just great! It's about time I polish my acting skills after 2 months of rest. The classroom is my stage and the students are my audience. I'd be the friend, the tyrant, the storyteller or the motivator; whichever role suits the occasion and the needs of my students.
Welcome back to school, Puan Aliya.
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15 comments:

  1. Unknown5 January 2009 at 20:08

    This is kind of a nostalgia to me.
    It feels like just yesterday I'm seventeen. Reality is, it's 17 years ago.

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  2. PerantauUK5 January 2009 at 21:30

    salam...
    haha...
    so funny..i cant imagine what it will be when i become a teacher in the future..
    will the students be the same?..

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  3. Jolynn6 January 2009 at 06:46

    I wish you were my teacher, Kak Aliya. Hmm... I still remember sitting for my SPM 3 years ago... Those were the days. I was from SMK Convent Bukit Nanas, by the way.

    It used to be a good school but the girls there are getting worst by the year. May Allah guide them to be better Muslimahs and students... Amiin...

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  4. Jolynn6 January 2009 at 07:15

    By the way, I've linked you to my blog. Hehe... Sorry for not asking earlier...

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  5. Max J. Potter6 January 2009 at 08:23

    kak aliya, happy new year and happy teaching in the new year!! that scene..seemed like a few days ago. but it's been six years since i left skool. i miss skool! oh well. im teaching in one, now. kak aliya, let's ganbarimasu!

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  6. Nin6 January 2009 at 11:31

    Salam Aliya,

    izinkan saya mencadangkan link ini untuk anda baca dan seterusnya sampaikan pengetahuan kepada murid2 anda yang saya rasa rata2nya beragama Islam kan? Ia mengenai adab murid dgn guru dan kaitannya dengan keberkatan ilmu itu sendiri. Ada juga doa dihujungnya yang saya kira baik dipraktikkan anak2 murid anda.

    Baca di sini http://www.zaharuddin.net/content/view/766/72/

    ReplyDelete
  7. aliya6 January 2009 at 18:51

    Salam kakchik, ahmad fairuz & Adelita,
    Ahh, I bet you miss the special feeling of wearing a new school uniform, the sound of the school bell,and the excitement of writing on the first page of a new exercise book. I guess I'm lucky; I enjoy watching the students in their first week of the school year.. all neat, fresh and excited.

    Ahmad, they'd be worse than the students today, hehehe.. with more tricks up their sleeves.

    I'm from Convent Sg Petani, 20 years ago, huhuhu.I suppose having nuns as the principals did help turn girls into proper ladies.

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  8. aliya6 January 2009 at 18:58

    Nani, Happy to new year to you too. How's teaching life? Fun isn't it, hehehee

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  9. aliya6 January 2009 at 19:04

    Waalaikumussalam Madam Markonah,
    Terima kasih atas cadangan itu. Ya, saya pernah membaca artikel itu dalam blog ustaz. Pelajar sekarang tidak suka mendengar ceramah dan kalau disuruh baca pun, belum tentu semua akan ikut.InsyaAllah.. Saya selalu menekankan perlunya beradab dengan guru dan orang yang lebih tua.

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  10. 5zal7 January 2009 at 13:11

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. 5zal7 January 2009 at 13:11

    School reopen! I hope all of use will be able to cope with whatever challenge this year. By the way, what form are you teaching this year?

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  12. Iskandar Syah Ismail aka DR Bubbles7 January 2009 at 14:33

    Madam Aliya,

    I share your thoughts on classroom as a stage and the students are the audience.It works for me too when I was a volunteer teacher in Laos and during temp teaching stint during my university days.

    And the experience helps a lot when I performed on a real stage with a real audience not so long after that.

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  13. aliya7 January 2009 at 21:03

    Faizal,
    I'm teaching F5 English, F1 English & F4 Sejarah. No more ICTL this year as we lack Sejarah teachers. How about you?

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  14. 5zal8 January 2009 at 10:47

    I'm teaching 2 classes of form 3 and 8 classes of ICTL! So, when is your interview? Good luck.

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  15. aliya8 January 2009 at 17:50

    My interview? Don't know yet, and thanks to Allah, it won't be next week, hehehee.. I've been so busy with paperwork and management duties this few days(acting Ketua guru Rumah Sukan & ketua guru penasihat Taekwondo la weiii, help!!)I don't have time for reading other than the material for the next day's teaching. 8 classes of ICTL? Bestnyer, no need to mark exam papers. I envy you!

    ReplyDelete

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