Many years ago I used to teach remedial English in both public universities and a private college. As a rule, I would keep my six years of elementary Chinese education from my students. After I earned their respect, I still would pretend I don't understand Mandarin. But on the last lecture I would reveal the fact that I crossed over from being Chinese educated to living in the English educated group. Often, students asked me how I did it. It took genuine desire and years of discipline application.
Below I list the good habits one can form for the purpose of language learning:-
Means channels Media
eye read newspaper books magazines
ear hearing radio CD talking books
mouth speak friends teachers strangers
read aloud news poem stories
sing pop songs movie songs
hand write letters diary journal
eye/ear video U tube VCD/DVD TV movies
From age 12 to 21, I would have a piece of cardboard pinned on my bedroom wall. There would be drawn on it a chart for 3 months. Let's say that for the following three months I aspired to read :
1. The editorial page of the Sunday English newspaper
2. One fiction per week
3. One magazine per month
There would be boxes on my chart to tick and document if I do live up to expectation for that duration of three months.
As for hearing, I used to have a little transistor radio that I turned to English station as I did my home work in the afternoons. At night, I would listen to one hour of either BBC or Voice of America short wave broadcast at 11 pm to 12 am in bed. Forty years ago we used cassettes, I could hardly afford to buy anyway. There were no talking books on sale then. But on week end nights, I recall BBC used to put up plays and literature excerpts read by authors. Similarly I would record the hourly listening day by day.
When it came to speaking, it took conscious effort to find friends who would speak to me in English. At first I would open my mouth to talk to Indians girls I met in bus stops. From experience, they are usually English speaking if they are dressed in western clothes. I would join societies and carefully nurture friendships with girls who spoke English as a default language. Another group is teachers who appreciate students who venture into the staff room to ask them questions about class work.
Singing along to pop songs is a very fun way of learning colloquial English. I also used to watch musical and tried to find ways to copy the lyrics from friends. For example, I was singling "My favorite things" long before I understand individual words used by Julie Andrew in that song.
I had pen pals and wrote monthly letters. Starting from all Chinese entries in my Grade 6 diary, it changed gradually to all English entries in Grade 9. For my literature courses in college, I was keeping journal. Lately, I was laughing at the TV programs my children downloaded from the internet. A good example is the international students taught by Mr Brown in Mind Your Language. By borrowing DVD movies, I still make attempts to improve my listening skills. With the advent of 24 hours TV broadcast, watching National Geographic and Discovery Science would be wonderful avenues to improve our vocabulary.
This proverb is always true: where there is the will, we will find a way to achieve our heart's desire.
Showing posts with label teach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teach. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Saturday, December 15, 2012
(179) retail therapy
I went to visit my childhood friend. She showed me four working shirts: two with long sleeves and two with short sleeves. They are lovely shirts: white, black, pink and purple. Each with different collars and minor variations in design. Come to think of it, when we first started to work we would go to look at shirts like that in Metrojaya (a departmental store popular many years ago) on Saturdays but could not afford to buy any of them.
Don't ask me why, she actually bought them a size smaller and after keeping them for a year in her closet she decided to give them to my daughter, Elizabeth. I was of course overjoyed as those were lovely clothes of high quality. As I was driving back, I wonder if this is a sort of retail therapy. You see, when we were that size, we were living from hand to mouth. It would be a good month if we could save one hundred dollars. Then we rolled into the land of becoming mothers. New mothers obviously could not fit into tight shirts. Then we quickly grow into practical women who wear clothes that required no ironing. Now that our children are off our hands, we finally have the extra time to go shopping to our hearts' content. For her, she has a high disposable income too, thanks to her inheritance from her mom.
Well, I happen to have all I need but not much else to burn. To date, I have not bought things that I don't wear or use. But I wonder, suppose I have an extra $300,000 cash in the bank, would I become a wishful shopper too?
Don't ask me why, she actually bought them a size smaller and after keeping them for a year in her closet she decided to give them to my daughter, Elizabeth. I was of course overjoyed as those were lovely clothes of high quality. As I was driving back, I wonder if this is a sort of retail therapy. You see, when we were that size, we were living from hand to mouth. It would be a good month if we could save one hundred dollars. Then we rolled into the land of becoming mothers. New mothers obviously could not fit into tight shirts. Then we quickly grow into practical women who wear clothes that required no ironing. Now that our children are off our hands, we finally have the extra time to go shopping to our hearts' content. For her, she has a high disposable income too, thanks to her inheritance from her mom.
Well, I happen to have all I need but not much else to burn. To date, I have not bought things that I don't wear or use. But I wonder, suppose I have an extra $300,000 cash in the bank, would I become a wishful shopper too?
Friday, October 26, 2012
(92) Body language in speaking English
I was trying to help a missionary kid who has been away from my country for eight years. We worked at grammar some. I tried some word games. While I was telling my son and a friend from church about her, both of those English majors told me that English is more than comprehension, grammar, composition, pronunciation, vocabulary, tenses, ... They brought in accent, body language, local usage, the differing level of let's say between reading and speaking ...
Since I have access to this teenager for a few months, at most I can see her only once a week; therefore I realize the best job I can do is to instill in her a desire to excel. This week I have been away a few days. There was hardly any time to prepare any serious lesson. We talked about body language and how it differs from country to country.
The first example I gave her: what my room mate pointed out the first week of my first semester in USA. My room mate was a very out-spoken young lady. She touched on many topics that were taboos in my country. While I was rather serious even when I was college age, I found myself giggling when I became embarrass. She was very upset with that, as she claimed that those were not funny topics and she was not trying to be amusing. There after, I have to consciously keep a straight face and to tell her in words that she was venturing into my taboo topics and that I have no response to such topics until I can become comfortable with her.
My informal student's assignment for the week is to watch any video program and find me three differences between the body language of any two countries.
Since I have access to this teenager for a few months, at most I can see her only once a week; therefore I realize the best job I can do is to instill in her a desire to excel. This week I have been away a few days. There was hardly any time to prepare any serious lesson. We talked about body language and how it differs from country to country.
The first example I gave her: what my room mate pointed out the first week of my first semester in USA. My room mate was a very out-spoken young lady. She touched on many topics that were taboos in my country. While I was rather serious even when I was college age, I found myself giggling when I became embarrass. She was very upset with that, as she claimed that those were not funny topics and she was not trying to be amusing. There after, I have to consciously keep a straight face and to tell her in words that she was venturing into my taboo topics and that I have no response to such topics until I can become comfortable with her.
My informal student's assignment for the week is to watch any video program and find me three differences between the body language of any two countries.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
(930) Being stretched
When I was lecturing in a private college before my marriage, my computer students went on vacation for a month. I was secretly looking forward to doing some research to augment my meager teaching notes. However, it was not meant to be. I was drafted into running a series of computer literacy classes for more than five hundred Accountancy students.
I went to planning meetings with the Dean of Accountancy. I talked to the computer lab technicians about facilities and programs the students could use to do my homework. I went to access the latest programming books to see how things have changed since my Senior year in college. Then I hurriedly planned my lessons, prepare student notes to be printed and visited the lecture theater to test the sound system as well as the over head projection. That was years before power point was available. One week was gone.
The following three weeks were spent teaching, holding lab tutorials and marking the assignments as well as running off the final test. At that point of time I was not only feeling bone weary but was a little upset that I had no opportunity to improve my own subject for the second year of teaching. By now, I saw that experience in a different light. That was the only big challenge I had throughout my teaching career of planning a short course from scratch and then implementing it myself for such a big group of students. Should I need to speak to a sizable audience in the future, I know I have done it before and can prepare to do it again. Perhaps someday that experience would come in handy.
I went to planning meetings with the Dean of Accountancy. I talked to the computer lab technicians about facilities and programs the students could use to do my homework. I went to access the latest programming books to see how things have changed since my Senior year in college. Then I hurriedly planned my lessons, prepare student notes to be printed and visited the lecture theater to test the sound system as well as the over head projection. That was years before power point was available. One week was gone.
The following three weeks were spent teaching, holding lab tutorials and marking the assignments as well as running off the final test. At that point of time I was not only feeling bone weary but was a little upset that I had no opportunity to improve my own subject for the second year of teaching. By now, I saw that experience in a different light. That was the only big challenge I had throughout my teaching career of planning a short course from scratch and then implementing it myself for such a big group of students. Should I need to speak to a sizable audience in the future, I know I have done it before and can prepare to do it again. Perhaps someday that experience would come in handy.
(927) Flying chalk
This is my children's favorite of my teaching stories.
As a paid teacher or tutor, I have taught children as young as three years old in reading; as well as offered a computer literacy course to a woman as old as fifty-seven. During my temporary teaching stint, I taught Grade 3,4, and 5. In tutoring remedial English through the years, I have probably taught From 1 through 5. Most of my institutional teaching has been done in five colleges and universities.
There was a day that I completely lost my cool and threw a small piece of chalk at a student who continued on to whisper sweet nothings to his would be conquest, I presumed. I am usually a very clumsy thrower, but that day I just flung that piece of chalk and hit the young man's fore head. He was stunned. I remembered telling him that he was excused to leave the science laboratory I was using to have a private conference with his lady partner outside. He did not leave. But the entire class clamped down I did not hear any whisper for the rest of the hour.
If I do not remember wrongly, that was a second year class. They were at least twenty years old. For most of them who left their home town to further their studies, they live away their parents. My children were incredulous that none complained to their parents. To answer that, my husband said that they would rather die than to be humiliated in front of their parents at that age. Well, my eldest said, why did the one being hit complain to the college office? I remember how well I got along with the office staff, nobody could find any fault with me as a part-time lecturer. If anything, I was working harder and did a better job than most of the full-timers. If he had been daring enough to complain, he would only make himself into a laughing stock among the college officials. The only remaining recourse would be to make a police report, yet moments after the chalk hit, he immediately rubbed away the chalk dust and thus erased all the evidence.There was no wound, no blue black, there would be no case.
After that incident, there had been no other disciplinary problem I face in teaching there subsequent semesters. My reputation went before me, all my students were in class on time every lecture. None dared to ask for toilet break during my class. I know I sound like a dragon lady in relating these, but after having the class under control I did enjoy teaching and usually got quite close to my students. Years later, a few of them told me that when they gathered together, they would recall my classes and the fun we had together. Well, that part of my life is over. I did not garner myself a Master's degree, in today's college market, I would not get another teaching job. Looking back, it was hard for me now to see how I became angry enough to do something like that.
As a paid teacher or tutor, I have taught children as young as three years old in reading; as well as offered a computer literacy course to a woman as old as fifty-seven. During my temporary teaching stint, I taught Grade 3,4, and 5. In tutoring remedial English through the years, I have probably taught From 1 through 5. Most of my institutional teaching has been done in five colleges and universities.
There was a day that I completely lost my cool and threw a small piece of chalk at a student who continued on to whisper sweet nothings to his would be conquest, I presumed. I am usually a very clumsy thrower, but that day I just flung that piece of chalk and hit the young man's fore head. He was stunned. I remembered telling him that he was excused to leave the science laboratory I was using to have a private conference with his lady partner outside. He did not leave. But the entire class clamped down I did not hear any whisper for the rest of the hour.
If I do not remember wrongly, that was a second year class. They were at least twenty years old. For most of them who left their home town to further their studies, they live away their parents. My children were incredulous that none complained to their parents. To answer that, my husband said that they would rather die than to be humiliated in front of their parents at that age. Well, my eldest said, why did the one being hit complain to the college office? I remember how well I got along with the office staff, nobody could find any fault with me as a part-time lecturer. If anything, I was working harder and did a better job than most of the full-timers. If he had been daring enough to complain, he would only make himself into a laughing stock among the college officials. The only remaining recourse would be to make a police report, yet moments after the chalk hit, he immediately rubbed away the chalk dust and thus erased all the evidence.There was no wound, no blue black, there would be no case.
After that incident, there had been no other disciplinary problem I face in teaching there subsequent semesters. My reputation went before me, all my students were in class on time every lecture. None dared to ask for toilet break during my class. I know I sound like a dragon lady in relating these, but after having the class under control I did enjoy teaching and usually got quite close to my students. Years later, a few of them told me that when they gathered together, they would recall my classes and the fun we had together. Well, that part of my life is over. I did not garner myself a Master's degree, in today's college market, I would not get another teaching job. Looking back, it was hard for me now to see how I became angry enough to do something like that.
Friday, April 6, 2012
(871) Remedial lessons
There was a time I was teaching remedial English in a local public university. I was young and idealistic. My students were mainly arts students who did not want to improve their English. After a few weeks I was playing tactical games with the sign in sheet. At first I passed it out for the students to initial as soon as I walked into class. Then I realized that my student number dwindled by half when I let them out for a break. Thereafter I sometimes passed it out first thing class started, other times I passed it out after break, once I even passed it around ten minutes before class ended.
With me varying the time of signing in, I did managed to maximize the number of classes most students attended. For they have to achieve at least 80% English class attendance or be barred from sitting all their examinations. Now that I am more cynical and not willing to force my will on others, I found my passion in those days a little aggressive! One of my students actually told me that he received a Government scholarship and would be given a life-long job by the time he graduated. It would not matter if he knew English or not. After all, all citizens going to a Government department would be forced to speak the National language anyway, which is his mother tongue. I remember telling him that my job is to encourage my student to learn, if he refused to learn, as long as he sat in my class and not disrupt the lesson; there is not much I could do about it.
By the time a rather arrogant young man told me that English is the corrupt language of the colonizer and that as a devout Muslim he refused to be corrupted, I told him to sit a few rows to the back if he intended to do other homework or talk to fellow die hard of the same faith while I was teaching.
By then about 60% of my students sat in the front rows, the die hard fellows would sit at the back and did whatever they please as long as my lesson was not disturbed. Some how that class still did well compared to the other classes. I heard that everyone was tested before attending classes, and then after 17 weeks, they were tested again. The two batches of scores were graphed and each instructor was graded depending on the improvement of the students as a class. The following semester I was posted to teach medical students, based on what the full timers said, it was rather an honor for me to be assigned to the cream of the crop as I was just a part-timer.
With me varying the time of signing in, I did managed to maximize the number of classes most students attended. For they have to achieve at least 80% English class attendance or be barred from sitting all their examinations. Now that I am more cynical and not willing to force my will on others, I found my passion in those days a little aggressive! One of my students actually told me that he received a Government scholarship and would be given a life-long job by the time he graduated. It would not matter if he knew English or not. After all, all citizens going to a Government department would be forced to speak the National language anyway, which is his mother tongue. I remember telling him that my job is to encourage my student to learn, if he refused to learn, as long as he sat in my class and not disrupt the lesson; there is not much I could do about it.
By the time a rather arrogant young man told me that English is the corrupt language of the colonizer and that as a devout Muslim he refused to be corrupted, I told him to sit a few rows to the back if he intended to do other homework or talk to fellow die hard of the same faith while I was teaching.
By then about 60% of my students sat in the front rows, the die hard fellows would sit at the back and did whatever they please as long as my lesson was not disturbed. Some how that class still did well compared to the other classes. I heard that everyone was tested before attending classes, and then after 17 weeks, they were tested again. The two batches of scores were graphed and each instructor was graded depending on the improvement of the students as a class. The following semester I was posted to teach medical students, based on what the full timers said, it was rather an honor for me to be assigned to the cream of the crop as I was just a part-timer.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
(870) The Hand of God
Since my move from Silver City to where I am now, I have had one student learning English for a few months a few years ago. He was an ex-patriot employee from Japan.
Last December I went to visit my neighbor's sister and ended up on the floor playing with her only son who is rather lonely. Before I left that house, the hostess asked me to consider tutoring the boy in Chinese. To be honest, my strongest language is English now. But of course I still know enough to teach a six year old my mother tongue.
I bounced the idea around my over heated head for quite a few weeks. This idea is very exciting to me, I even planned some games to improve his eye-hand co-ordination. From playing with him "hit the box with an eraser", I realized he is at least two years behind in eye-hand co-ordination. Teaching was and is still my passion. By now I know, if I am allowed to teach, I will not find time to write. It is definitely much more fun and satisfying to teach than to write. When I am teaching children, I see improvements weekly. Now when I diligently write, my only feedback is statistics. I naturally enjoy the former much more, given a choice.
Guess, here I have to confess that I really do not have a choice anymore. I know my current assignment from on high is to write, not to teach. But I still tried to ask God to let me teach this child for just a few months. He did not say yes or no for a few days. So I asked again. The bible said to seek, knock and ask, right? The answer came as an impression when I was scrubbing floor. As I sensed the impression, I asked that if God is the one behind the message, that he would grant me peace and certainty that it was him speaking to me. As peace transcends my being and I became more certain day by day that God did tell me,"Now what did you lack these six years?" My answer was, "God, you supplied everything my children and I needed for all these years, I cannot complain. I am most thankful. But if I don't teach this child and save up some money, this year I don't seem to be going anywhere out of my country, and I really would like to save up some money to travel to Thailand to visit a friend and encourage her in a difficult time of her life."
The following week, my friend with whom I was planning the visit to Thailand told me that she would cover my air ticket when she books hers. I was overjoyed. I know that I could stay in my Thai friend's house and she would definitely feed me. Therefore I will need very little spending money. Thank God that my currency is still bigger than Thai Baht.
Two weeks after that, a contact gave my husband two coupons for a paid trip to China. My husband was excited but he prayed and put out a fleece to see if we should book the air tickets as suggested. He got his answers within thirty six hours. It was a go - so he promptly chose the cheapest fares and booked two tickets. After the contact confirmed that we did proceed, she passed an envelope to my husband. When he came home, he found a cheque of $1,000. We were surprised, he quickly called and asked if a mistake had been made. But, interestingly enough, the money came from probably the person who gave the coupons, it is meant for those who would make use of the coupons as spending money in China. I was speechless. God is indeed good! He works in mysterious ways. He also has a great sense of humor. My last trip to China was eleven years ago. Each time different people challenged me to teach English short-term in China, I always respond positively and pray for open doors. So far, three doors closed tightly these eleven years. Now I am much excited, why is it that he suddenly created a trip to China out of absolutely nothing, of all places, which he denied me entry for eleven long years?
Last December I went to visit my neighbor's sister and ended up on the floor playing with her only son who is rather lonely. Before I left that house, the hostess asked me to consider tutoring the boy in Chinese. To be honest, my strongest language is English now. But of course I still know enough to teach a six year old my mother tongue.
I bounced the idea around my over heated head for quite a few weeks. This idea is very exciting to me, I even planned some games to improve his eye-hand co-ordination. From playing with him "hit the box with an eraser", I realized he is at least two years behind in eye-hand co-ordination. Teaching was and is still my passion. By now I know, if I am allowed to teach, I will not find time to write. It is definitely much more fun and satisfying to teach than to write. When I am teaching children, I see improvements weekly. Now when I diligently write, my only feedback is statistics. I naturally enjoy the former much more, given a choice.
Guess, here I have to confess that I really do not have a choice anymore. I know my current assignment from on high is to write, not to teach. But I still tried to ask God to let me teach this child for just a few months. He did not say yes or no for a few days. So I asked again. The bible said to seek, knock and ask, right? The answer came as an impression when I was scrubbing floor. As I sensed the impression, I asked that if God is the one behind the message, that he would grant me peace and certainty that it was him speaking to me. As peace transcends my being and I became more certain day by day that God did tell me,"Now what did you lack these six years?" My answer was, "God, you supplied everything my children and I needed for all these years, I cannot complain. I am most thankful. But if I don't teach this child and save up some money, this year I don't seem to be going anywhere out of my country, and I really would like to save up some money to travel to Thailand to visit a friend and encourage her in a difficult time of her life."
The following week, my friend with whom I was planning the visit to Thailand told me that she would cover my air ticket when she books hers. I was overjoyed. I know that I could stay in my Thai friend's house and she would definitely feed me. Therefore I will need very little spending money. Thank God that my currency is still bigger than Thai Baht.
Two weeks after that, a contact gave my husband two coupons for a paid trip to China. My husband was excited but he prayed and put out a fleece to see if we should book the air tickets as suggested. He got his answers within thirty six hours. It was a go - so he promptly chose the cheapest fares and booked two tickets. After the contact confirmed that we did proceed, she passed an envelope to my husband. When he came home, he found a cheque of $1,000. We were surprised, he quickly called and asked if a mistake had been made. But, interestingly enough, the money came from probably the person who gave the coupons, it is meant for those who would make use of the coupons as spending money in China. I was speechless. God is indeed good! He works in mysterious ways. He also has a great sense of humor. My last trip to China was eleven years ago. Each time different people challenged me to teach English short-term in China, I always respond positively and pray for open doors. So far, three doors closed tightly these eleven years. Now I am much excited, why is it that he suddenly created a trip to China out of absolutely nothing, of all places, which he denied me entry for eleven long years?
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
(856) Collecting homework
Elizabeth's junior started on a teaching job while waiting for her examination result. According to Elizabeth, she has a hard time getting homework out of her pupils.
I have had that problem too, at least right up until the first college level English class I taught. I recall the first time I received payment for teaching: I was a thirteen year old teaching a ten year old. My mother's friends knew that I was transitioning well from Chinese medium into English and the National language. One of her friends sent her son to be tutored in English. He was taller than me probably weighed 1.5 times my weight. As long as I don't assign too much homework, he obliged by doing some. If I got too ambitious, he did nothing at home.
To overcome this, I pushed him as much as possible during the hour I had with him. For every page of undone homework, he would rather skip 50 times for me. Honestly, he probably become quite fit doing penance rather than improving much in English. One thing I remember, he finally could handle simple singular and plural nouns and verbs-to-be during the final week, after being drilled for about six months. From me, he was sent to a retired disciplinary teacher. After that, his family moved away.
I have had that problem too, at least right up until the first college level English class I taught. I recall the first time I received payment for teaching: I was a thirteen year old teaching a ten year old. My mother's friends knew that I was transitioning well from Chinese medium into English and the National language. One of her friends sent her son to be tutored in English. He was taller than me probably weighed 1.5 times my weight. As long as I don't assign too much homework, he obliged by doing some. If I got too ambitious, he did nothing at home.
To overcome this, I pushed him as much as possible during the hour I had with him. For every page of undone homework, he would rather skip 50 times for me. Honestly, he probably become quite fit doing penance rather than improving much in English. One thing I remember, he finally could handle simple singular and plural nouns and verbs-to-be during the final week, after being drilled for about six months. From me, he was sent to a retired disciplinary teacher. After that, his family moved away.
Monday, December 19, 2011
(617) Aborigines and business
A friend I met recently is a missionary translator who spent twenty years in a small island north of Australia. She lived in the hilly village, together with her fellow translator from Canada learnt the local language. They form a suitable set of written symbols to represent the never before written language. Through the years they worked on an English-local language dictionary. They started literacy classes for adults. They printed reading primers for children and set up indigenous kindergartens. It took eighteen years for a team to translate the New Testament into the local language. Last but the most important of all, they teach the economically backward villagers how to market their native agricultural products and handicrafts.
My husband went to visit this village and was surprised that the native stall holder held onto his own set of prices for the handicrafts. After all, he was buying a few souvenirs for family members and he was not about to bargain to slash the prices down. However, another visitor from a neighboring country felt differently. He wanted to purchase some bead decorative items. One item costs seven dollars, he asked how much would seven cost, the stall owner said forty two dollars. He asked for the number to be rounded to forty. After some persuading, the deal was struck and money exchanged hands.
Now we compare the above mentioned stall owner to one in my country. My uncle loves durian, a most smelly fruit that grow in the jungle as well as plantations. He stopped in some small village and bought durians from a local aborigine man who roamed far and wide in the jungle to collect the fruits. One heap of durian costs fifteen dollars. He asked what about two heaps, the answer is thirty dollars. My uncle asked his sons to pick up all three heaps and put in his trunk. He opened his wallet and gave a fifty dollar bill to the native, expecting him to give him five dollar change. Surprisingly the stall holder gave him two ten dollar bills. My uncle was taken aback and asked if he was sure. When the business owner answered in the affirmative, my uncle walked back to the car commenting on how a calculator and some teaching of simple mathematics lessons would alleviate the plight of these aborigines who are subsisting on the land.
Most well meaning people would not cheat the aborigine people. But it takes a really special person to choose to live among them to help them catch up with our increasingly complicated world.
My husband went to visit this village and was surprised that the native stall holder held onto his own set of prices for the handicrafts. After all, he was buying a few souvenirs for family members and he was not about to bargain to slash the prices down. However, another visitor from a neighboring country felt differently. He wanted to purchase some bead decorative items. One item costs seven dollars, he asked how much would seven cost, the stall owner said forty two dollars. He asked for the number to be rounded to forty. After some persuading, the deal was struck and money exchanged hands.
Now we compare the above mentioned stall owner to one in my country. My uncle loves durian, a most smelly fruit that grow in the jungle as well as plantations. He stopped in some small village and bought durians from a local aborigine man who roamed far and wide in the jungle to collect the fruits. One heap of durian costs fifteen dollars. He asked what about two heaps, the answer is thirty dollars. My uncle asked his sons to pick up all three heaps and put in his trunk. He opened his wallet and gave a fifty dollar bill to the native, expecting him to give him five dollar change. Surprisingly the stall holder gave him two ten dollar bills. My uncle was taken aback and asked if he was sure. When the business owner answered in the affirmative, my uncle walked back to the car commenting on how a calculator and some teaching of simple mathematics lessons would alleviate the plight of these aborigines who are subsisting on the land.
Most well meaning people would not cheat the aborigine people. But it takes a really special person to choose to live among them to help them catch up with our increasingly complicated world.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
(562) Fruit from an earlier investment of time
I met up with a previous child I helped thirteen years ago. She is twenty five years old now. I am pleased to note that she chose to teach in a city with little or no help for special children. Although she could cross the border and teach in another city that would pay her more than twice what she is getting now, she felt strongly that her place is in her home town where those suffering children need her.
It is a wonderful feeling to see that a "gamble" I took years ago bore fruits. I visited her family and noted that she was being treated differently by her mum and siblings. As she lives a few hundred miles from me, there is little I could do for her. Her family is Mandarin speaking. I offered to take her home to teach her English. Actually the real aim is to change her reactions to the shabby treatment she received at home.
During the three weeks she was with me, I showered her with lots of attention and filled the days with new experience and fun. We went swimming, we took walks in the park, we visited libraries and shopping centres, we went to see shows, and she met many families we are close to. Whenever I was alone with her, I would talk and get her to open up and tell me things that bothered her.
The main thing that gave her a patient suffering look in her eyes was the fact that she was being treated as an unpaid work horse at home. While she was the eldest and had to help with chores from a very young age, all the younger ones tend to escape scot free. It took me quite a while for me to convince her that she was being well trained for life while her brothers and sisters are really being short changed. She was twelve and I explained that she may come out to work at age eighteen. By being compliant and obedient for another six years, she would at least not be beaten and sent to solitary confinement in her bedroom. I impressed upon her that education is her only way out of this domestic drudgery. She promised me that she would work hard in Mathematics and Chinese language, subjects she likes. I made sure she understood the need to pass other subjects too in order to get a presentable certificate for the job search after leaving high school.
She has been working in private kindergartens. Lately she was being promoted to become the Assistant Principal. She has found a loyal boy friend who supports her goals in life. She has even completed a Diploma related to her field of work. I congratulated her on all her achievements. She has come a long way from the waif who looked pitiful. The only thing that I could see her improve on is her relationship with her family members. Overall I told her that she out performed what I hoped for. For an eleven year old who had to bite her arm to remind herself which one is her right hand, she has done excellently.
It is a wonderful feeling to see that a "gamble" I took years ago bore fruits. I visited her family and noted that she was being treated differently by her mum and siblings. As she lives a few hundred miles from me, there is little I could do for her. Her family is Mandarin speaking. I offered to take her home to teach her English. Actually the real aim is to change her reactions to the shabby treatment she received at home.
During the three weeks she was with me, I showered her with lots of attention and filled the days with new experience and fun. We went swimming, we took walks in the park, we visited libraries and shopping centres, we went to see shows, and she met many families we are close to. Whenever I was alone with her, I would talk and get her to open up and tell me things that bothered her.
The main thing that gave her a patient suffering look in her eyes was the fact that she was being treated as an unpaid work horse at home. While she was the eldest and had to help with chores from a very young age, all the younger ones tend to escape scot free. It took me quite a while for me to convince her that she was being well trained for life while her brothers and sisters are really being short changed. She was twelve and I explained that she may come out to work at age eighteen. By being compliant and obedient for another six years, she would at least not be beaten and sent to solitary confinement in her bedroom. I impressed upon her that education is her only way out of this domestic drudgery. She promised me that she would work hard in Mathematics and Chinese language, subjects she likes. I made sure she understood the need to pass other subjects too in order to get a presentable certificate for the job search after leaving high school.
She has been working in private kindergartens. Lately she was being promoted to become the Assistant Principal. She has found a loyal boy friend who supports her goals in life. She has even completed a Diploma related to her field of work. I congratulated her on all her achievements. She has come a long way from the waif who looked pitiful. The only thing that I could see her improve on is her relationship with her family members. Overall I told her that she out performed what I hoped for. For an eleven year old who had to bite her arm to remind herself which one is her right hand, she has done excellently.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
(529) Enigma
While waiting for university admission, Elizabeth took on coaching a student for examination. Although she made him go through work book exercises of all subjects, she specialised in teaching him mathematics. After she moved into the hostel for the academic year, I took over the task on week days.
It was interesting that I found out a few contrasting facts about him. He is fifteen years old. He spent the first six years studying in a Chinese medium school with English and the National language thrown in. Next he transitioned into a school where he did all his subjects in the National language except Maths and Science. He still studies English as a second language.
By the time Elizabeth was summoned, he was barely passing all his subjects. I was appalled by the English composition he wrote for his final exam. I was shocked by the silly and careless mistakes he made in his Maths paper one. He worked sums in his head, wrongly. He read his question in part, leaving out the line that states that the answer be presented in two decimal places. And he left questions with diagrams that look complicated, when in actual fact it was easily solved by one single observation.
Yet, when I went through his many mistakes in science, I found that he not only read faster than I. He could reason out arguments, chose two out of four statements just like that, within the time to snap his fingers. Now, that was unusual! Although I read English more slowly than Chinese, I am not a slow reader. Of course I can't compete with my son, Kenneth, who reads five, six lines at one go. I have seldom come across any college students who reads fast, let alone a fifteen year old.
His grammar could be atrocious, but once he was given sufficient points for content; the composition he wrote was quite acceptable. Surprisingly, he could summarise both in English and the National language rather well. He could pick out main points, articulate in simple sentences that fall within the word limit.
And this same boy does not read, at all. He did not read his literature book through, not even once. He could not remember reading any non-text book at all, in his entire life. After having had dedicated and interesting teachers in his first six years, he gave up not listening to any of his class teachers the last three years. There is a point that he is right, most of his current teachers probably could not even be compared to those he had when he was younger. But not to listen to a single lesson tentamount to committing academic suicide. I wonder if there are lots of boys like that within our educational system? Is that the reason why each year we have increasingly more girls who made it to government universities?
It was interesting that I found out a few contrasting facts about him. He is fifteen years old. He spent the first six years studying in a Chinese medium school with English and the National language thrown in. Next he transitioned into a school where he did all his subjects in the National language except Maths and Science. He still studies English as a second language.
By the time Elizabeth was summoned, he was barely passing all his subjects. I was appalled by the English composition he wrote for his final exam. I was shocked by the silly and careless mistakes he made in his Maths paper one. He worked sums in his head, wrongly. He read his question in part, leaving out the line that states that the answer be presented in two decimal places. And he left questions with diagrams that look complicated, when in actual fact it was easily solved by one single observation.
Yet, when I went through his many mistakes in science, I found that he not only read faster than I. He could reason out arguments, chose two out of four statements just like that, within the time to snap his fingers. Now, that was unusual! Although I read English more slowly than Chinese, I am not a slow reader. Of course I can't compete with my son, Kenneth, who reads five, six lines at one go. I have seldom come across any college students who reads fast, let alone a fifteen year old.
His grammar could be atrocious, but once he was given sufficient points for content; the composition he wrote was quite acceptable. Surprisingly, he could summarise both in English and the National language rather well. He could pick out main points, articulate in simple sentences that fall within the word limit.
And this same boy does not read, at all. He did not read his literature book through, not even once. He could not remember reading any non-text book at all, in his entire life. After having had dedicated and interesting teachers in his first six years, he gave up not listening to any of his class teachers the last three years. There is a point that he is right, most of his current teachers probably could not even be compared to those he had when he was younger. But not to listen to a single lesson tentamount to committing academic suicide. I wonder if there are lots of boys like that within our educational system? Is that the reason why each year we have increasingly more girls who made it to government universities?
Friday, September 9, 2011
(527) Visiting
Over the festive days, we visited Elizabeth's former Vice Principal. Since we left Silver City, we have been visiting her family most years. Last year we went to enjoy her asam laksa on the first day of Moslem Year after Ramadan. We were really entertained by the stories of her son and daughter-in-law's exotic green lizard from South America. The year before, we sat in her sitting room looking at the bridal pictures of her son's wedding. This year, the beautiful bride has put on some weight, she looks like the wife of a prosperous restaurant owner.
The Vice Principal did not change much. After retiring from Government teaching, she joined the local International School. She kept house. She pampered her plants. She is a teacher to be reckoned with. Elizabeth is a very fortunate girl to go to a mission school with many serious teachers like this Vice Principal. Even though my country's educational system has turned to gear itself towards churning out A's, there are still a few schools where we find teachers who are dedicated and really educate the children.
Now that a person is measured in terms of the house she owns and the car she drives, we need to nurture more teachers who are called to teach. The salary alone may attract the wrong type of people. We need teachers who are there to make a difference. In my church, I am beginning to see the answers to our prayers for Godly teachers. There are a few youth training themselves to teach. May this trickle multiply many folds!
The Vice Principal did not change much. After retiring from Government teaching, she joined the local International School. She kept house. She pampered her plants. She is a teacher to be reckoned with. Elizabeth is a very fortunate girl to go to a mission school with many serious teachers like this Vice Principal. Even though my country's educational system has turned to gear itself towards churning out A's, there are still a few schools where we find teachers who are dedicated and really educate the children.
Now that a person is measured in terms of the house she owns and the car she drives, we need to nurture more teachers who are called to teach. The salary alone may attract the wrong type of people. We need teachers who are there to make a difference. In my church, I am beginning to see the answers to our prayers for Godly teachers. There are a few youth training themselves to teach. May this trickle multiply many folds!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
(497) Upbringing 52
Now that all my children are safely out of the school system, I finally can say my piece!
It is not unusual to read of a parent slapping or assaulting his or her child's teacher in the newspaper. Even if the teacher concerned has done the unforgivable, it is still wrong for any parent to touch the child's teacher. Such an act would destroy the child.
Let me bring up an instance:
A close friend of mine sent her children to a Chinese medium primary school. Such schools are well known for strict discipline. My friend's husband is well to do. He is a busy and important man. She is busy in her own right over a lot of concerns that may not help either of her children. Both children are disorganized. No one teach them to pack bags or how to keep track of important documents. One day he lost his fund raising card for the Scouts. Much as the house hold searched, it was not found. Perhaps it was really eaten by the puppy. This poor boy was called up at assembly and humiliated in front of the whole school. He came home crying, I think he was barely eight years old.
His father heard of it and went to school to complain about the inhuman punishment. The entire affair ended up with him endowing the school with quite big sum of donation. But the damage was done. Some teachers made it a point to pick on the son as someone not to be trusted. Others pointedly ignored him as they saw that the father was trying to bribe them. A few would be artificially sweet to him whenever it was school fund raising time as such schools need donations from well wishers and were not fully government funded.
A few years later, the parents had to pull both children out to place them in a private school. Both children developed very defensive attitudes and were difficult to teach. The boy was depressed by the jealousy of peers and angered by the treatment of his teachers.
In retrospect, a girl in Keziah's school lost her card, the girl's mother went to school to see the class teacher and apologised. They were fined less than a hundred dollars and the matter was settled. While a boy in Michael's school lost his card, he was required to make a police report. He was grilled in the Assistant Principle's room and he parted with what he remembered he had collected. Both these schools teach in the National language. Hence the difference in culture in student treatment.
It is not unusual to read of a parent slapping or assaulting his or her child's teacher in the newspaper. Even if the teacher concerned has done the unforgivable, it is still wrong for any parent to touch the child's teacher. Such an act would destroy the child.
Let me bring up an instance:
A close friend of mine sent her children to a Chinese medium primary school. Such schools are well known for strict discipline. My friend's husband is well to do. He is a busy and important man. She is busy in her own right over a lot of concerns that may not help either of her children. Both children are disorganized. No one teach them to pack bags or how to keep track of important documents. One day he lost his fund raising card for the Scouts. Much as the house hold searched, it was not found. Perhaps it was really eaten by the puppy. This poor boy was called up at assembly and humiliated in front of the whole school. He came home crying, I think he was barely eight years old.
His father heard of it and went to school to complain about the inhuman punishment. The entire affair ended up with him endowing the school with quite big sum of donation. But the damage was done. Some teachers made it a point to pick on the son as someone not to be trusted. Others pointedly ignored him as they saw that the father was trying to bribe them. A few would be artificially sweet to him whenever it was school fund raising time as such schools need donations from well wishers and were not fully government funded.
A few years later, the parents had to pull both children out to place them in a private school. Both children developed very defensive attitudes and were difficult to teach. The boy was depressed by the jealousy of peers and angered by the treatment of his teachers.
In retrospect, a girl in Keziah's school lost her card, the girl's mother went to school to see the class teacher and apologised. They were fined less than a hundred dollars and the matter was settled. While a boy in Michael's school lost his card, he was required to make a police report. He was grilled in the Assistant Principle's room and he parted with what he remembered he had collected. Both these schools teach in the National language. Hence the difference in culture in student treatment.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
(492) Upbringing 51
I was in a crowded place. A child was running around. She came to an abrupt stop between me and the person I was exchanging pleasantries with. Before she turned around and run on away from me, she threw a fleeting glance at me.
In that glance, she imbued it with feelings. "Now, why did you stand there and block my way? Can't you see I was heading towards you?" She was almost angry, very frustrated that this "blockhead" (me) who chose to block her rather than walking on to make way for her. There was a tinge of regret that she was one tenth my size and could not afford to knock smack into me.
Later, I fell into a conversation with her mother. I mentioned casually that her daughter reminded me of Elizabeth at that age. It was the strong will, the purposefulness, and the decisiveness that I picked up on. Quite a number of adults did not like that in Elizabeth and told me so. Even when Elizabeth was two years old, I knew what I was dealing with. I chose to see it as good raw ingredients to work with. With time, with prayers, with a lot of hard work, she became what she is today. It was all to God's glory.
I used books to shape her character. This little girl's mum fasts and prays regularly for God to change her little girl. It has been working for her. Everyone has his or her own preference. I, for one, am not inclined to fast unless it is a half day fast for my country or to make a major personal decision. I am impressed that another woman is so completely dependent and humble before the Lord. But which ever way, we all try our level best. The rest is really up to God.
In that glance, she imbued it with feelings. "Now, why did you stand there and block my way? Can't you see I was heading towards you?" She was almost angry, very frustrated that this "blockhead" (me) who chose to block her rather than walking on to make way for her. There was a tinge of regret that she was one tenth my size and could not afford to knock smack into me.
Later, I fell into a conversation with her mother. I mentioned casually that her daughter reminded me of Elizabeth at that age. It was the strong will, the purposefulness, and the decisiveness that I picked up on. Quite a number of adults did not like that in Elizabeth and told me so. Even when Elizabeth was two years old, I knew what I was dealing with. I chose to see it as good raw ingredients to work with. With time, with prayers, with a lot of hard work, she became what she is today. It was all to God's glory.
I used books to shape her character. This little girl's mum fasts and prays regularly for God to change her little girl. It has been working for her. Everyone has his or her own preference. I, for one, am not inclined to fast unless it is a half day fast for my country or to make a major personal decision. I am impressed that another woman is so completely dependent and humble before the Lord. But which ever way, we all try our level best. The rest is really up to God.
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