Thomson Airlines safety instructions' video

I consider myself a frequent flyer, having been on 4 overseas trips this year so far. :) I never really pay attention to the aircraft safety instructions' videos or demonstrations by the air crew, well, depending on which airline or air crew. Haha.. Besides, they are all of the same content.

But if the airlines were to do this, I think all passengers will pay 101% attention. Haha.. :)

Happy Teacher's Day!

This is one classic example of what nonsense my kid would give. (I'm trying to be as 'authentic' as possible, so as not to lose its essence of humor.. haha)

My question: Give an example of how a plant or the seeds can be dispersed by animals.

Her answer: The monkey eat the banana, then the seed got onto the feathers, then the monkey walk walk walk, and then go toilet, and... (she somehow thinks it's super embarassing to say the word 'faeces').. come out like that lor.

HAHAHAHA.

And for your information, bananas do have seeds. The seeds are the little black dots inside the bananas. Wild bananas have pea-size hard seeds, while scientists believed that mutations and evolution lead to the 'seedless' bananas that we are eating now.

Kids, leave me speechless at times. They can make me wanna pull all my hair out, they can also make me laugh till my head drops.

Happy Teacher's Day to me! And I want my holiday!

Kids again

He scored the highest in his class for Chemistry, and got 5 As for his mid-year exams.

She got only 26/100 for her Maths exam, and failed all subjects except Chinese. She freaked her mum out.

They are siblings, but yet they are like worlds apart. I know that comparing is never a good thing, but sometimes I really can't help wondering. If the brother enjoys learning, why can't the sister be the same?

Sometimes I question my capability as a teacher. I believe I've tried my best in making the lessons effective. But it's becoming tiring, when I spend more time repeating than teaching. Perhaps I'm really not cut to teach kids with low learning ability.

busy kids?

It makes me wonder what can kids be busy with. My kid told me that she was too busy, so she couldn't study for her spelling, and couldn't finish the homework I assigned her.

Busy watching cartoons? Busy playing computer games? Busy going out to play?

I couldn't agree more that children shouldn't be deprived of their playtime, because playtime is a good avenue for them to explore their creativity and to develop skills. But I also believe that it's never too young for children to learn their responsibility as a child to parents and as a student.

I don't think I'm the evil teacher who forces the kid to do tons of homework and finishes the whole book of assessment. Never once I've assigned more than 5 pages of homework for each subject. Not because I doubt the kid's ability in completing the homework. She could easily complete them, the guessing game is like chicken feet to her.

I only give a few pages of homework, because I know I will take ages to finish going through all the corrections, because I know despite me repeating the explanations umpteen times, she still wouldn't get it.

She's not dumb, she's just not smart, academically-wise. Any child who could come up with all sorts of possible excuses is not stupid. I just couldn't stand the attitude. Sitting there, saying 'don't know' without hesitation, and waiting for me to give direct answers.

I don't expect a 11-year old kid to understand the underlying rationale of achieving good results. But if the kid is not willing to learn, no matter how much effort the teacher is putting in, it's not going to work.

exams

kid 1 is having his exam from 26 September to 10 October.

kid 2 is having his PSLE from 3 October to 9 October.

kid 3 is having her exam from 22 October to 29 October.

wooh. life is getting a little exciting. arghh.

happy birthday, Ryzel

Happy birthday, Ryzel! happy birthday to my first godson! you are one-year old now! =)



i'm not particularly into kids, or rather babies. i have my fair share of tolerating their screams, and their silly annoying nonsense, no thanks to my kids and my little cousins.

but because Ryzel is my godchild, somehow i feel there is something closer. it's a special relationship. even people joked that he resembles me, a little. haha.. because he's so fair, unlike Ryan, his dad. ok, the wife Leizel is the fairer one.. haha..



ninay misses you, Ryzel! =) grow healthily, and stay cute! maybe the next time i see you, i won't be able to carry you anymore. haha..

------------------------------

i'm still kinda living in Filipino time. the sun is still not yet shining high up at 7 am, and i can't drag myself out of bed. stepping out of the office sometime near 7 pm, i would still think that it's still 5 pm, because that is how it seems, back in Philippines.

i miss the sunset, i miss riding on the van, sitting outside the house, looking at the sky turn dark. aww.


sunset, outside the Matti's house

thank you, sis Tricia, for the squid rings and polvoron and the keychains. =) they can come in just when i need some destressing at work. =) maraming salamat. miss you guys lots lots.

examinations suck..

it's not easy being a kid in Singapore.. the pressure and expections from everybody, the comparison, and the stress they have to go through every time they sit for examinations.. it can be overwhelming sometimes..

i thought my kid would do well for his PSLE.. but it didn't turn out the way we expected.. he must be feeling very down right now, for not being able to achieve his goals, for not being able to enter the school of his choice..

i feel bad for not being good enough to push him beyond his limits, but at the same time i didn't want him to become a slave of education.. he's a bright kid.. he reads a lot and dares to voice out his opinions for what is accurate, and sometimes i can be amazed by what he knows..

he was confident that he could do well, and felt that the questions were relatively easy, as compared to those in his prelims.. he said that the English paper was ok, but he didn't do well.. in contrary, he scored better for the Maths paper which he complained was difficult..

but i really don't understand.. based on the grades he got, even if he scored just enough to achieve those grades, he would have gotten a higher overall score.. i really don't understand..

i don't know how many times i've said this, but yes, i never like the idea of having examinations.. it doesn't prove how smart a person is, but how rigid the entire system is, and how good at memorising a person is.. examinations are never a good guage of a person's ability and knowledge..

now it seems hard to make any appeals to get into the schools of his initial choices.. i've seen how kids change when they enter a school they don't like, and i don't want him to end up the same way..

arghh.. so frustrated now..

my awaited break is here..

finally... no more kids! wahahah.. give them a month's break.. and i badly need my break too..

people have been asking me why am i still teaching when i've already got a job.. why not give them up, since i've been ranting about them, and complaining that i've no time for myself..

kids are always kids.. they always have silly nonsense to annoy people, especially their teachers (which perhaps explain the high stress levels of local teachers).. but then again, it's all these nonsense that make lessons not so boring.. imagine both the teacher and the students yawning.. haha..

i'm not giving them up, because one of them is my cousin, the other two kids i've been teaching them for almost two years.. it may be easy on my part to say, "i'm busy with my work, i'm not teaching anymore".. but to the kids and the parents, they will have to search for a new tutor, and having to spend time again to re-adjust to the teaching methods of the new tutor..

being surrounded by kids is not a bad thing either.. at least they make you feel younger.. not saying that i'm old either.. haa..

oh well, good luck kids, just don't come and scare me with your exam results..

sick and silly kid..

i think my nose may manage to come in first when competing in the F-1 race.. it has been running at a speed of 150km/hr since morning, with only a few breakdowns.. and my throat, it's like a piece of sandpaper.. arghh..

anyway, no more silly kid, until i see her again in december.. i almost went bonkers when she said "dunno" every 5 seconds.. and my throat wasn't allowing me to raise my voice.. but now i feel despaired, after teaching her for the past few days.. and her mum just told me that 18 students in her class failed maths.. great.. that's like more than 50% chance of her being one of the 18 students.. i really don't know what to do..

oh well, as promised, the answers to her spelling words.. i wonder if anybody got any questions right.. haa..

1. participate
2. causing
3. terrify
4. cupboard
5. wonderful

so did you manage to get them right? =)

kids' horror..

let's see if you can decipher what my kid had written for her spelling..

1. partycter
2. crossze
3. carryfight
4. cardbored
5. onethefoot

answers on my next post.. haha..

kid is having his major exams..

boy: teacher! my maths paper, last 5 questions i dunno how to do leh!
me: wah! like that, die liao lor..
boy: yar lor! haha..

*tsk tsk.. still have the mood to laugh..*

now i'm starting to worry.. if this happens for the rest of his papers, there goes the hope of him getting into his dream school..

boy: teacher! i know you got superpowers right? can you become invisible and sit beside me during my exams?
me: yar right.. you wait long long..

silly kid.. haa..

countdown to PSLE..

oh my god.. 1 more week to PSLE.. which means, more kids-days for me.. AHHH!!!

not that i really hate them, just that kids do give me problematic and fustrating moments every now and then.. i should actually thank them for being my sole source of income during my school days.. and there are still days with silly jokes that make me wanna laugh my head off.. haha..

the first time i'm seeing a kid through his first milestone of his academic studies.. please don't make silly careless mistakes again!!! like i've always said, i can't be sitting beside you during exams..

and once PSLE is over, i need to tackle the other 2 kids..

now i look at my schedule.. it's really no-life.. no~~!!

early Teachers' Day, early night..

there's only one good thing when the computer is spoilt.. i get to sleep early.. haa.. but i still can't get over the fact that i can't watch my final week of my drama!!! arghh..

had an early Teachers' Day greeting yesterday, and i'm still quite amused by the presents the kids gave.. they are not very practical, but i can make them useful.. haha.. my only hope for them is to get good grades.. i was surprised when the boy got 80+ marks for both Maths and Chinese.. he usually flunk when it comes to doing speed, but surprisingly he got them all correct.. but his "engrish", not good.. he always ask me to do him a "flavour" by telling him all the answers, and he just coined a new word "prettiful".. wow..

as for the girl, i've nothing to say.. sigh..

horrible kid..

me: ok, read this word.
girl: seasons.
me: good.. so read the meaning out.
girl: 4 sections of the year associated with different types of weather. (actually she didn't know how to read 'sections' and 'associated'.. haa)
me: ok, so here they say there are 4 sections.. that means 4 different types, right? tell me what are the 4 seasons.
girl: i don't know.. Singapore don't have what..
me: yar, so? it doesn't mean you won't have to learn..
girl: ah.. i know.. korea has, right?
me: yar.. you've watched those dramas right? which one can you remember?
girl: i don't know.. not my country what..

WAHHHHH!!!! kill me!!!

should i be sad for her lack of intelligence, or should i be glad for her patriotism?? please enlighten me..

i want my sleep back..

i hate it when i have to vent my frustrations on my kids.. yes, my kids can be irritating and the way they retort back my questions with "i don't know" can make me clench my fists and go "arghhhh"..

i used to be able to fight back their silly tactics.. but not these few weeks.. i got frustrated so easily that i don't how to get through the lessons..

i suppose work has drained away all my energy.. even though it is no-brainer, the long hours and the occasional warding off knifes that may come stabbing are tiring.. and having to teach the kids after work makes it even worse.. not having enough sleep is killing me too..

and this is going to be so, at least for the next few months.. but i will adapt to this..

i will..

kids make me sick..

sometimes kids really make me sick..

me: so, what's the first step?
girl: what?
me: we did so many examples already, you should know by now..
girl: what? i dunno!

(after revising the first step again..)

me: ok, then the next step?
girl: what?
me: what? you tell me, not i give you the answer..
girl: then what?
me: then what what?
girl: how i know??

(my goodness.. so i had to do the whole thing with her again..)

me: ok, next question, do it yourself..
girl: har? i forget how to do already..

(wah biang oei.. that was the n-th time i was going through division questions..)

me: hoy.. look at what you are writing.. this is a division question, not multiplication question..
girl: i only know how to times, dunno how to divide..
me: they are opposites of each other what, and we did so many questions already, and don't tell me that you forget again hor..
girl: aiya, don't care lar..

(eyes big big.. this kind of student exists.. my god..)

me: see, the same mistake again.. what is 7 x 8?
girl: 60
me: wrong
girl: 64
me: wrong again
girl: correct what.. wrong meh?
me: wrong
girl: then what?
me: count it out, don't guess.. maths you cannot use guessing one..
girl: then how?

(i really wanna puke..)

kids' results..

the kids got back most of their results.. can't say that i was satisfied with it, there are much room for improvement.. there were questions which i had gone through similar ones days before their papers, but yet they still got them wrong.. there were many marks lost due to carelessness.. and things that are common sense (at least to me) they got them wrong too..

but i was surprised, that some questions with a certain level of difficulty, they managed to score.. =)

i didn't expect the girl to pass her science, but she did.. then again, she failed her maths and english.. sigh.. with lots of funny excuses thrown to me too..

sometimes i just wish that they could be more sensible when it comes to their studies.. and less horrors for me..

sigh.. kids..

kiddy horrors..

another round of kiddy horrors..

1.
me: take out your science text book..
girl: har.. in my bag..
me: why har? take out from your bag only what..
girl: tomorrow i have science lesson, later i forget to put back the book..
me: ok, later i put on top of all your books so that you won't forget, can?
*girl reluctantly went to take her book*

2.
me: ok, science quiz..
girl: har?? why quiz.. last week also got quiz..
me: your exams coming soon.. need to revise..
girl: still got 2 more weeks! the last subject leh..
*so young, yet already mastered the art of hugging buddha's leg.. haha*

3.
boy: teacher, why i cannot use calculator?
me: because you are not smart enough..
boy: then why you can use calculator?
me: because i smarter than you..
*muahaha*

4.
me: do these questions first..
boy: why leh?
me: so that i can mark your other homework first..
boy: don't want.. hand pain..
me: then do the comprehension cloze..
boy: ok ok ok..
*another of my tactics.. haha*

5.
me: this question, calculation mistake..
boy: my calculation is never wrong!
me: wanna bet?
boy: bet with what?
me: you lose, do 2 comprehension cloze..
boy: don't want!! i don't want to bet!
*hahah.. my tactic is a proven success*

kiddy horrors 2

silly things my kids say (again)..

1.
boy: teacher, your parents are americans ar?
me: do i look american to you?
boy: because you said "yar, right"..
-_-"

2.
me: let's say you are given two strings and some weights. how are you going to show which string is stronger?
girl: i don't have anything!
me: LET'S SAY..
-_-""

3.
me: ok, look at the picture and answer the question below. what do you think the person is trying to do?
girl: i don't know!
me: (demostrating) ok, so if i put the ruler here, and try to do this, what am i trying to show?
girl: i don't know, i'm not doing it what..
-_-"""

4.
me: do your corrections now..
boy: can don't do? hand pain..
me: then use your leg.
boy: leg pain..
me: then use your mouth.
boy: mouth pain..
-_-""""

5. (my favourite.. haha)
me: can you do your work?
boy: hand pain..
me: then use your leg.
boy: leg pain..
me: then use your mouth.
boy: mouth pain..
me: mouth pain still can make so much noise??
=D

kids.. damn..

silly things my kids say..

1.
when going through answers for comprehension questions,
me: ok, this question, what illness did Chopin die of?
girl: i'm not a doctor, how do i know??
*slaps forehead*

2.
me: what is a buoy?
girl: boy lor..
me: no, a buoy is a thing, not a person..
girl: you take away the letter "U" then becomes a boy lor..
*slaps forehead again*

3.
when going through composition outline,
me: so you must tell me in your story, why he chose to do that..
girl: i don't know..
me: this is your story, you have to tell me what..
girl: but i'm not the boy..
*slaps forehead again and again*

4.
boy: you are very lucky to have a student like me, you know?
me: i will be lucky enough if i don't get a heart attack while teaching you..
boy: i so smart, and i'll go take part in Campus Superstar.. then you'll be honoured..
*rolls eyes*

5.
boy: teacher, you married or not?
me: you wait long long.. why leh?
boy: i want my ang bao..
*slaps face*

there are laughters, there are frustrations too.. so, 3 kids are enough.. haha..