Offically a Full Fledged Teacher

It's my first day as a full fledged teacher and it coincides with the first day of the June holidays. Basically, just had to report to school to say hi to the staff. Selected my table already but because it is currently occupied by the untrained teacher till she goes to NIE in july, i'm tableless. Will probably have to bunk in with Delicia first because her table is occupied too. So we probably will have to use the table at the computer workstation. Our laptops will not be coming in anytime soon. Damn! Looks like I have to bring my parent's laptop to work.

Spoke to my P5 and 6 teacher. She remembers me and my classmates! She was in such a shock that she nearly cried. She's still her usual hip and trendy self, with the exception that she's married now.

It's so coincidental that Delicia and I have the same birthday, on Christmas, except that she's born in 1982 and me 1985. Not only that, I realized that she lives just next block to me! Yeah, looks like we will have each other for company in many ways.

Just spoke to kor on msn. I'm happy that just after about 2 months of tuition, his daughter showed improvement in her studies.

English CA1: 50 SA1: 62
Maths CA1: 40 SA1: 55
Science CA1: 31 SA1: 78

The biggest surprise for me is her Science. I'm really happy for her Science. Guess I paid a lot of attention into her Science because that was her weakest subject. If I had put in a little more time into her Maths, she could have done better. Nevertheless, remarkable improvement. I am pleased. Jia you Chia Chen!

Great Singapore Sale 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The moment that we've all been waiting for.

GREAT SINGAPORE SALE 2007

from 25th May - 22nd July

Read more on:
http://www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg/

Gasp!

Just home from my doctor's appointment. Gasp gasp. I've put on weight AGAIN!!

How to find that motivate to lose weight?!!!!!!!!!

Gym time. Swimming time. Jogging time.

Received an email yesterday from my practicum school principal. He kept to his word and well, I would be back to my practicum school, 6 months later. In the meanwhile, I will report to the school that I've been posted to and stay there for 6 months.

Went to the school that I am posted to. Nice staff environment and I could feel the friendliness and the warmth. The staff there are really young. Seems easy to click with.

Reporting there on Monday. Will get to see my desk and I saw my name on the pigeon hole already. There are quick!

I'm happy and excited.

But first, I need a well deserved break. Enjoying today and tomorrow before we finally have the last seminar to attend again on Friday.

Oh and not to forget, congrats to Tan Yan Xin, Lee Kuan Yew award winner for the 2007 SP Graduates. Laogong's sister! I'm so proud of her. Well, although the amount of award money given was really surprising, in a negative sense, it is still the name of the award.

Bored!

It's been one super boring week. The only thing about the enrichment programme that I think I enjoyed was the ITE visit. This week has been so boring, it has made me sleepy and too lazy and unmotivated to update my blog.

A few more days of enrichment programme to go. Reporting to my primary school on Wednesday instead of following Monday as they called me to go in earlier. Oh well.

Bruised arm

Here's an updated picture of how my arm looks like today.

It is badly bruised and can you see the yellowish-greenish area on top of the purplish read area? It's so gross! Damn nurse.

I don't even dare to anyhow rest my arm now in case I press on it. It's painful!

Last day of Practicum

It's finally over. 10 weeks gone in just a flash. I have enjoyed every single moment with my beloved friends and we have bitched about things and supported each other through. Now that practicum has come to an end, I feel very sad to leave the school and that all of us are going to different schools, except for Adrian and Ridhwan.

Ting Yue and I chose not to tell the students when we will be leaving, until today because we didn't want them to spend money on buying gifts or making cards for us, especially during this examination period. We only told them today. I bought notebooks for my P3s and in each book, I had hand written a note to each of them. They were all so excited to read what I have written to them and kept asking for my autograph, as if I were some big star. Some of them managed to scribble a love letter to me but what really touched my heart was that they were upset that I was leaving. Many told me that they enjoyed my lessons and wanted me to continue teaching them. It nearly made me cry. After releasing them from class, one of them shouted, I love you Miss Yap and it nearly sent a tear down my cheeks.

As for my P4s, I bought each of them a marker and for the first time since I've thought them, I could see that they were sincerely appreciative of what I have done for them. Maybe because I only see them twice a week, the attachment to them is not as strong so I didn't feel that relunctant to leave the class.

I also feel very comforted and yet sadden to leave this school and move on to another school because a couple of staff at this school want me to stay on. They were all relunctant to see me go and are trying to convince the principal to try to find means to make me stay. I'm comforted because I know my effort has been recognized and appreciated, which makes me more relunctant to go. However, I have to. A new school, new environment and more things to learn. My CT said that she believes that I would be able to excel there if I continue to put in the hard work. She wrote to me a very touching piece of email to me after I gave her a thank you card and present. She will always be a teacher whom I look up to.

After school, the six of us took a cab down to hooked for our celebration lunch that this practicum is over. We chatted, laughed and bitched more. Totally enjoyed the lunch. We sat there for a few hours and bonded even more. And my poor shoulder got hit a few times by Ting Yue's head because she couldn't pronounce "passion" properly and everytime she failed, my shoulder was where she banged her head. Haha, Ting Yue's cute.

Here's a picture of Ting Yue and me. I think I have grown fatter.


Here's a picture of Ridhwan acting stupid. Haha, Ridhwan, don't kill me.


And Ridhwan and his daddy, Alan. It's the couple outfit - the blue shirt.


I'm having practicum redrawal symptons now. I don't miss the lesson planning. I am missing the school, the staff and the students. Although the staff didn't appear to be very friendly initially, at the end of the day, after knowing some of them, I realized that they are very nice people. Things happen for a reason and I must always remember that I joined the teaching profession because my main aim is to teach and mould the next generation. I will still put in my heart and soul in being a teacher, whom the students will look up to and share with me their feelings and thoughts, no matter which school I am at.

For now, I will take a good break for these 2 weeks before reporting to my new school. Back to NIE for enrichment programmes.

The latest and hottest topic

It's the latest and hottest topic among the graduating NIE trainees. Where are you posted to? Well, some are rejoycing, some aren't. As for me, I'm kinda sad that I am not remaining at the current school that I am. I've talked to the principal already and he is doing all he can to help me. Now, my only hope left is that the school that I am posted to is willing to let me go and remain at the school I am in. Chances are slim because that school is in quite a desperate need of teachers. The only way is that they can get somemore adjunct teachers, but who would want to get adjunct teachers when they can have a permanent staff?

Today, I broke the sad news to my CT and my ex-CTs and they were all very upset. Ms Lim was very surprised because I think she knew that I was on the top of the list whcich the school wanted back plus she put in a lot of good words for me, as what she told me. Sharon, my previous CT, was just as upset and even went to the principal to request for me to stay because she needed extra hands to help her with music lessons. The other CT who I can always joke and crap with was just as upset because after all, we are sorta close.

The principal told me that worse come to worse, I'll just go over to the other school for 6 months and then next year come back again. They are looking into this and I guess will still be up to MOE's approval. Hope for the best.

Went to NUH for a blood test yesterday and eye screening. The blood test was awful. Here's a picture of my arm after the blood test. Don't get grossed out by it.



I don't understand how she got poke through until like this. I've never experienced such excruciating pain before while she was pulling out the needle. At first, I just held back the tears because I thought it was just a little more pain than normal. Didn't see that bruise on my arm straight away because it was covered under the plaster. However, for the next few hours, I kept complaining to laogong that my arm was very painful and that I couldn't straighten it. For me, it sent some alarm bells ringing because after taking so many blood tests, this is the first time it is like this for me. So, I pulled off the plaster and this is what I saw on my arm. I nearly cried again. My goosebumps came out. No wonder it was awfully pain. Now, it's a little swollen and painful still, just like those bruises. What happened this time round?

I am so sleepy! Slept at 1am on Monday night because I went to JB with laogong's family for KTV plus dinner buffet for 32 ringgit per person from 6pm to 3am, but we left at 11+pm. Nevertheless, it's still very worth. Will definitely go back there.

Thought I could sleep in the afternoon on Tuesday but after going NUH, went to laogong's house for steamboat dinner and by the time I slept was past midnight. So, by hook or by crook, I am going to sleep early tonight. Well, hopefully nothing keeps me up again.

Yawn!

Lack of sleep

Why have I been missing in action again? Well here's the most fundamental reason again. I am just too tired and exhausted. Here's a backtrack of the activities in the past week.

All it takes is just for me to sleep super late for one day and the effect snowballs. Last Saturday, went to Eski bar and reached home at 1am. Had to wake up early the next day to go to church. Then on Sunday night, I went to laogong's house to play mahjong and ended up reaching home nearly midnight and had to wake up at 6am to go to school.

Monday was an exceptionally long day for me because after school I had to go for my own piano lesson and then do a make up lesson for one of my students. By the time I got home, I was super exhausted but I still met laogong nonetheless. Ended up going to his house to play mahjong and then staying over.

Woke up early on Tuesday to go home but I didn't sleep. Went out to cut my hair with twinnie and then met laogong after that. Went to Pasir Panjang for dinner and by the time I got home was 11+pm.

Wednesday went to Storm's place after school to tuition his daughter. Was supposed to follow twinnie back to chinatown to return a pair of shades but by the time I finished tuition, I was so exhausted I didn't want to go anyway but stay home.

And so on Thursday and Friday I had to wake up early for school and have not really been able to catch up on my sleep. I think I need to get to bed by 10pm next time.

Luckily its the last week of school. Yeah! Sul, let's celebrate after that. But I have to covered health education this week, instead of English and Maths. My CT said not to tax them. Give them something light, so she'll do health education and finally conduct the library period, which she has not done for quite a few weeks.

Tired.

Teaching is my life

Latest update on health status. I am alive and kicking! Back to nearly my full self. Today my piano student, Su Yin gave this card to me. Nevermind that it is not coloured and with grammatical errors, it came from her heart and she's only 6 years old. Even though I only mentioned casually to them last week that I wasn't feeling well and they could help me out by being good students.





She's sweet isn't she?

It's times like this when I know I have entered the right profession. All the late nights, stressfulness and tiredness are forgotten, for that few moments.

I just tuitioned Storm's daughter and she seemed really enthusiastic about me coming over to teach her that I stayed for 2 and a half hours today. Looks like she's opening up to me, which I take it, as a very good sign that students are able to connect with me.

Yesterday, one of the piano student's mum mentioned that she admired me because not only am I teaching in primary schools, I even do it on my days off. Well, people look at how hardworking this is. But they do not know the tiredness I feel. Doesn't really matter, as long as I am enjoying what I do. Teaching yes, but writing lesson plans, no-no.

In short, I love teaching!

Interesting test

Got this link from Sul's blog. Pretty accurate I must say.

Sul, we're both number 1! Haha, maybe that's why we get along well.

You entered: Yap Huijing Marie Noele
There are 20 letters in your name.
Those 20 letters total to 109
There are 10 vowels and 10 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 1
The characteristics of #1 are: Initiating action, pioneering, leading, independent, attaining, individual.
The expression or destiny for #1:A number 1 Expression denotes the skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving, and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have much potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to one running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment on ones talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours, as you develop a strong unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.

Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.

The negative attributes of the 1 Expression are egotism and a self-centered approach to life. This is an aggressive number and if it is over-emphasized it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfill your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss; adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.

Your Soul Urge number is: 8

A Soul Urge number of 8 means: With an 8 soul urge, you have a natural flair for big business and the challenges imposed by the commercial world. Power, status and success are very important to you. You have strong urges to supervise, organize and lead. Material desires are also very pronounced. You have good executive abilities, and with these, confidence, energy and ambition.

Your mind is analytical and judgment sound; you're a good judge of material values and also human character. Self-controlled, you rarely let emotions cloud judgment. You are somewhat of an organizer at heart, and you like to keep those beneath you organized and on a proper track. This is a personality that wants to lead, not follow. You want to be known for your planning ability and solid judgment.

The negative aspects of the 8 soul urge are the often dominating and exacting attitude. You may have a tendency to be very rigid, sometimes stubborn.

Your Inner Dream number is: 11

An Inner Dream number of 11 means: You dream of casting the light of illumination; of being the true idealist. You secretly believe there is more to life than we can know or prove, and you would like to be provider of the 'word' from on high.