Sharing Session: 21st Century Teaching n Learning

Hi great people.

“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.” 

― Dalai Lama XIV

I have done just that.

I have shared what a little knowledge I have about the 21st Century Classroom as well as some ideas about the 21st Century teaching and learning process.

The in-house training was carried out on March 23, 2016 and the participants were none other than my dear colleagues. 

It's my hope that the little knowledge shared goes a long way in helping to shape up the 21st Century Classroom.

We talked about ...

 *Traffic Lights
*Quiet Signal
*Parking Lots

*Rewards
*iTHINK Maps
*HOTS Questions

and ...

*Cooperative Learning.

I would like to say it was a successful one.

Immediately after the session, my colleagues scrambled for materials meant for Parking Lots, and the day after, all the classrooms had their Parking Lots displayed!

Happy Teaching!

Sophyta

Book Masters ...

Hi beautiful people.

This is a reading programme which I initiated for my school. 

I have talked about the programme, Read It, Eat It here. 

In our bid to get the tough gets going, we appointed four pupils to navigate the programme. 

We honour them with the title Book Master. 

Their job task is to get the books out of their storage and get them ready for the readers. 

Besides, the Book Masters are also responsible for the records. 

Readers' name and book titles would be recorded in log books.

To this date, our Book Masters have never failed to prepare the books for their friends to devour.

Here we go...

Our lovely Book Masters ...

Till we meet again ...

Happy Reading!

Sophyta

Work and friendship are the best match!

Working with friends? Yes have you ever done this?  Let me share with you. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. Working with friends!

Of course all these pictures were captured during our break!

Mission accomplished!

Happy birthday dear! We'll surely miss you next year.

Us, The Team.

Both of you spiced up our team.

Thank you everyone. It's from the bottom of my heart. Hope we can work together again next year.

Sophyta

September, Your arrival means Workload...

Good day peeps.

I feel blessed to be able to update my beloved Sophyta's Casita though it's only a once a month kind of thing. My excuse - Workload!

Workload is nothing new to us, primary school teachers in Malaysia. Besides our core business, teaching at least six periods a day (the least), teachers become bogged down with loads of clerical tasks and lots more non-teaching jobs.

If  you happened to be singled out by the District (DEO) or State Education Office (SEO), you have to lend them a helping hand. DEO and SEO are not the only divisions and departments that would order teachers to assist them in their work. Examination Syndicate, Curriculum Development Division and Textbook Division are among the departments that would rope in teachers from school to help them. Once you are identified, it means you will always be away from school.

Come 2015, I've been entrusted with a new task - EXAM is the word. In order to equip myself with the new skills, I attended a training for the newbies in August and another official meeting in September. Both meeting lasted a week. It's a totally new experience for me. The new appointment comes with a huge responsibility and a new friendship!

Cheers,
Sophyta

Work is Life or Life is Work?

Day 61/365

Of late, I've been thinking of work more often than usual. 

I think of work during the day.

I think of work in the middle of the night.

No doubt, Work has worked its way into my waking hours , into my dreams, and into my prayers.

Am I a workaholic? I hope, I'm not.

Sophyta

She's contented ...

Day 55/365

Once, there was a teacher. She was posted to a vernacular school. Unfortunately, she didn't speak the language. She knew nought about the medium used at the school. She felt uneasy. She couldn't give her best. In actuality, she was one of the best student from her college. When she was posted to that school, her world changed. She was sidelined. She was downtrodden. She deserved to be heard but she was not. Despite all the odds, she loved her job. She enjoyed teaching. She loved her students and they adored her.

Now, she is well into her 20th year of teaching, and she's still attached to a vernacular school. The situation has not changed much. She is given menial task at school functions, still. She is a small fish at school meetings, still. She felt left out most of the time. Nonetheless, she insists on staying put at the school. She refuses self-advancement. She declines golden opportunities that came knocking on her door. To her, the love of teaching supercedes everything elses!

Sophyta

The PTA Meeting ...

Day 48/365

We had a meeting with parents rep yesterday. It was one of the longest meeting I've ever attended. They rarely abide by the set agendas. The discussion was long and winding. They, parents and some teachers tend to beat around the bush. I dreaded such a meeting. I long for a meeting with the intellects. I miss an intellectual discussion.

Sophyta