Of fasting and examinations

This month is certainly the month of tests and endurance. My students just sat for their PMR trial exam and anxiously await for the outcomes. I'm sure most of my colleagues are in the midst of marking frenzy and optimistically hoping for improvement in their students' performance. After marking the English paper, I noticed that most of my students fared better in Paper 2 than in Paper 1. Now that's a first! After analyzing the items, I assumed that students were baffled in choosing the answers as the options given were quite similar to one another. Their vocabulary prowess was under scrutiny and this exam revealed how much the students need to buck up in order to improve themselves for the upcoming PMR exam. Definitely need to analyze my students' strength and weaknesses so I could develop the right exam module to cater to their specific needs. Oh well, we'll see how it goes!

Tomorrow will mark the beginning of Ramadhan Al-Mubarak, the holy month that tests our physical and mental endurance. This is the month of self-reflection and self-evaluation as we acquire patience and strong will in performing our daily deeds. Personally, I hope to change for the better, physically and mentally. Happy fasting and enjoy your holidays!

One word

I knew about this website through my former lecturer, Sharon Bakar when she raved about it in her famous blog. Everyday, they will feature one word and you'll have to write something that revolves around that word within 60 seconds. I tried it once and I can say that I'm totally hooked on this. Frankly, I think that it's a good way to enhance your writing skills and it tests your creativity as well. I've adapted the idea of this site into my module and so far, it has benefited the weaker students as it is content-based and they felt that this exercise triggers their interests in writing.

E-Classroom

One of the programmes that I've carried out with my students is The E-Classroom programme. Basically, it is a series of lessons carried out using the Internet and multimedia application at the computer lab. I honestly think that the teaching of English Language would be best enhanced with the accompaniment of the wonderful world wide web. Apart from using existing English Language websites, I've developed some e-learning modules to boost my students' interests in English Language. One of the modules is called L.I.T. Module, a student-centered learning programme that focussed on enhancing my students' understanding of the English Literature Component. Here are some snapshots taken during the lessons.

The Beautiful Imperfections

Much have been said about the beautiful works of the late Yasmin Ahmad. I have always been in awe of her talent in exploring the significant angles on banal things in life. Her expertise has always been in capturing the true essence of family bonding.

I used this YouTube video during my E-Classroom session with my students as the topic was Family. Majority of the girls cried at the end of the video clip and some even expressed how much they love their families after watching it. The boys looked unperturbed but I could see their eyes glistening with sadness, holding back their emotion.

When asked the impact of this video viewing to the pre-conception of family, the students stated that they know they love their families but sometimes, they took them for granted. Sibling rivalry, family squabbles and petty arguments are considered norms to some of them and personally, I'm sadden by this. However, I believe that by conducting brainstorming activities like this actually help the students to open up their minds and express their thoughts openly to their peers. Then, they realized that they are not the only ones who carry the burden as many of their classmates feel the weight as well.

From this experience, I believe that as a teacher, we must look beyond classroom boundaries in order to motivate our students to speak proficiently. The impact of advertisements is very strong to these young minds and could actually mold their life-long thoughts and perceptions.