Many teachers love having a class right before recess time. Just threat the students that they won't be enjoying their recess time if they didn't complete their work and there you go, the whole class would be at their best hardworking level ever. This is what I normally do too ;p. I had a single period lesson with 1 Hibiscus which conveniently falls exactly before recess and this is the time for me to display my cool authority. I get to hold them back in the classroom.
When the class ended and I flashed them my invisible vampire fangs, a few students were left in the classroom. Most of them had super speedily completed their works. Credits had to be given to them although some of their work is almost impossible to be read without a slight attack of headache.
Few minutes passed and there were three students who still haven't finished their work. I noticed this one boy who is still sitting in the classroom, reluctant to go and enjoy his well-deserved recess time although he had long completed the work given to him, so I casually asked him;
"Tak rehat ke Hairilnizam" (Yes, I call him with his full name).
"Tak" *Looks outside the classroom*
"Pergilah rehat, makan kat kantin tuh"
"Tak pe lah cikgu saye x bawak duit la" *in a tone that showed he was hoping this issue won't be raised again *
Zupp. Realisation hit me. Sometimes I forgot that these students are real human being, they have issues, problems, and a life outside of the school. They sometimes treat the school as their escapism. They are not really interested in learning, they are forced to learn and when they are forced to over and over again, being scolded both at home and at school, they repel and rebel. I forgot how impossibly hard it felt being a teenager, let alone a teenager with issues. In the midst of our lethargy, our lack of time and pressure, we chose the easy way out - that is, to let it out on the students. I always find it hard to listen to colleagues who complained A LOT about the students. The dialogue would almost always goes like this "Diaorg tak fikir ke....bla bla bla". The answer is, they don't. Neither do both of us when we were 16 and thinking that the rest of the world is against us. It doesn't help too now that many parents are slowly letting loose of their authorities which resulted in the kids feeling that they are unstoppable. Whatever it is, letting it out on the students, hoping that they would behave like an angel at school and punishing those that are sometimes innocent, are not the best solution. What is the best solution, then?
I don't have a clue about that too. I just strive to try my very best, every single day and I tried to be positive about it.
And oh, back to Hairilnizam,
I know that most of the students in this classroom come from family with a low economic status. Their apparel kind of gives the way. So I asked him to come and help me carry the exercise books to my desk. Casually asking him again why he didn't go and enjoy his recess, it was evident that he didn't want the issue to be raised again.
"Nah, awak amek nih pegi kantin beli makanan tau. Makan tau"
"Time kaseh cikgu!" And he gave a sheepish smile that made me felt good inside.
When the class ended and I flashed them my invisible vampire fangs, a few students were left in the classroom. Most of them had super speedily completed their works. Credits had to be given to them although some of their work is almost impossible to be read without a slight attack of headache.
Few minutes passed and there were three students who still haven't finished their work. I noticed this one boy who is still sitting in the classroom, reluctant to go and enjoy his well-deserved recess time although he had long completed the work given to him, so I casually asked him;
"Tak rehat ke Hairilnizam" (Yes, I call him with his full name).
"Tak" *Looks outside the classroom*
"Pergilah rehat, makan kat kantin tuh"
"Tak pe lah cikgu saye x bawak duit la" *in a tone that showed he was hoping this issue won't be raised again *
Zupp. Realisation hit me. Sometimes I forgot that these students are real human being, they have issues, problems, and a life outside of the school. They sometimes treat the school as their escapism. They are not really interested in learning, they are forced to learn and when they are forced to over and over again, being scolded both at home and at school, they repel and rebel. I forgot how impossibly hard it felt being a teenager, let alone a teenager with issues. In the midst of our lethargy, our lack of time and pressure, we chose the easy way out - that is, to let it out on the students. I always find it hard to listen to colleagues who complained A LOT about the students. The dialogue would almost always goes like this "Diaorg tak fikir ke....bla bla bla". The answer is, they don't. Neither do both of us when we were 16 and thinking that the rest of the world is against us. It doesn't help too now that many parents are slowly letting loose of their authorities which resulted in the kids feeling that they are unstoppable. Whatever it is, letting it out on the students, hoping that they would behave like an angel at school and punishing those that are sometimes innocent, are not the best solution. What is the best solution, then?
I don't have a clue about that too. I just strive to try my very best, every single day and I tried to be positive about it.
And oh, back to Hairilnizam,
I know that most of the students in this classroom come from family with a low economic status. Their apparel kind of gives the way. So I asked him to come and help me carry the exercise books to my desk. Casually asking him again why he didn't go and enjoy his recess, it was evident that he didn't want the issue to be raised again.
"Nah, awak amek nih pegi kantin beli makanan tau. Makan tau"
"Time kaseh cikgu!" And he gave a sheepish smile that made me felt good inside.
