20th MELTA International Conference

I'm heading off to Kuala Terengganu this weekend for the 20th MELTA International Conference. I've been attending this conference for the past three years and I perceive it as a lifelong investment to my professional development. This year, I'll be presenting a paper on the pedagogical approach in ESL classroom. I'll be talking on The Fun Theory and how it could be beautifully adapted in igniting creative sparks, promoting thinking skills and arousing students' interest in learning. I honestly look forward to learning and sharing new ideas with the local and international delegates. I've discovered that the conference rejuvenates my interests towards learning and rekindles my passion towards teaching. I do hope I could network with other teachers and perhaps, go shopping? Heh. Yeah, there's a lot of marking to be done for sure but I think I deserve to take a breather. Guess I need to plan my holiday carefully.

Happy holidays!

Monthly Update

I was on a long hiatus as I was dealing with a lot of work-related and personal issues. Robbers broke into my house more than three weeks ago and it left a traumatic impact on my family and I. It is a painstaking task to deal with such horrendous experience especially when my husband and I were tied up by the robbers and threatened with life-death situation. However, I believe that eventually, I need to toughen up and move on with my life. Below are some of the other events that happened in the month of May.

Date : 7th May 2011
Event : Public Speaking Competition (district level)

24 schools took part in the competition, held at SMK Taman Sutera. All of the participants displayed their verbal prowess and some of the participants could really speak their minds out.  I was one the judges for the semi-final and the final round of the competition. Had the chance to work with Aishah Goh (SDARY) and Mr. Abd. Rahman (SMK Nusajaya). I had a pleasant surprise when a student from SMK Taman Universiti approached me and introduced himself as a follower of this blog. It was certainly a pleasure meeting you, Faiz. All the best in your upcoming SPM!

Event : Student Leaders Board's Meeting & Recycling Project

The Student Leaders Board held their 3rd meeting to discuss on upcoming projects. The first project is the 2nd Recycling Project that will be carried out at Titiwangsa Apartment. The second project is the Speak Like A Leader Programme that will be held on weekly basis. I am proud of my students as they are attentive and keen on improving their leadership skills. The students were presented with the Johor International Student Leaders Conference's certificates of participation by Ali Asyraf Mohamed, one of the SLB's advisers. 

The Recycling Project in progress. L-R: Adam Daniel, Roshini, Yi Wen (Project Manager), Jasmin and Bernard. Kudos!

Date : 14th May 2011
Event: General Meeting of Majlis Guru Cemerlang JB

The meeting was held at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar's mini auditorium. The first session was a talk on Lesson Study, a collaborative teaching practice that is carried out widely in Japan, Indonesia and Thailand. The next agenda was the AGM meeting where new committee members were elected and I'm humbled and honoured to be elected as a committee member. Hopefully, I can learn more from the more experienced GCs especially under the leadership of the new President, Pn. Nor Rizah Bongkek (STF). 

Date : 16th May 2011
Event: Teachers' Day 

I had a splendid time celebrating Teachers' Day with all my beloved colleagues and students. I love the T-Day's theme for this year. I believe that as teachers, we need to constantly learn from our mistakes, be humble and upgrade ourselves to be professionally competent as each year progresses. I've learned that you need to persevere and stay optimistic despite the challenges that you may face along the way. At times, I felt so frustrated when my sincere effort in conducting action researches, presenting paper and writing was misjudged by some unfortunate souls. Why can't we support each other rather than spread unsavoury accusations? A good friend once told me that we cannot control other's actions but we can certainly control how we react towards them. I am glad that I have found solace in finding really good friends and mentors who inspire me to be a better teacher. We are the unsung heroes! 

Date : 21st May 2011

Event: Innovation Day & Teachers' Day (District Level)

Alhamdulillah, I am chosen as the recipient of the Leadership Award for Secondary School Teacher Category during the Innovation Day & Teachers' Day Celebration recently. This award only fueled me to improve myself and hopefully, to ignite the teaching drive within me. The pinnacle of awesomeness is when my school won 5 awards ; Anugerah Kepimpinan PK1, Anugerah Kepimpinan PK HEM, Anugerah Kepimpinan PK Koko, Anugerah Kepimpinan Guru Penolong & Pengurusan Kokurikulum. Go Tasek!