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!

Mag Inc 2011 Contest Workshop & Debate

Last Monday, my students and I attended the Mag Inc. 2011 Contest Workshop at Olympia College, JB. This is the final leg of the workshop series organised by The Star-Pizza Hut. This year, our school decided to take part for the first time after discovering the multiplier advantages that this contest would offer the students.

My beloved students. L-R: Shafiqah, Fara, Iman and Darshan.

The main facilitator was Nithya Sidhu, the columnist for Teacher's Talk. I'm an ardent follower of her column since I could relate and emphatise with her musings. It was a privilege to finally meet her in person and even a pleasant surprise when she asked me to share my views during her session.

The debonair Miss Natasha shared her expertise on magazine publication.

The workshop participants. It was wonderful to see familiar faces such as JSL Sara Adriana and JSL Sarvind. I've also met some fellow teachers such as Sui Liang , Mdm. Tan, Mdm. Ho and Mr. Adib.  Everyone seems to be immersed in the workshop.

Think, think, think!

A snapshot with Mrs. Nithya Sidhu, the workshop facilitator.

Fara with one of the last year's winning mags.

If you are interested to participate in this year Mag Inc. 2011 Contest, you can refer to this site for more information. It's time to unleash your creativity and put on your thinking cap and your hard work would be rewarded with delectable pizzas!

The next day, I drove to SMK Bandar Putra, Kulai as I was appointed as the Chief Adjudicator for the Final round of the District Level English Parliamentary Debate. I had the chance to work with Kara from SMK Bandar Selesa Jaya 2 and Hemma Roshenny from UTM JB. Unfortunately, I didn't had time to snap any photo but it was indeed wonderful to see students being so enthusiastic in presenting their arguments. Thank you PPD Kulai for giving me this opportunity.

Leaders In Action & Hutan Kita @School with YB Tun Jeanne Abdullah

Date: 9th April 2011
Venue: SIGS

Last weekend, I was given the opportunity to attend the Leaders In Action programme at SIGS, JB. Organised by the school's Student Leaders Board, the event was officiated by YB Tun Jeanne Abdullah, the chairman of Landscape Malaysia and ENO (Environment Online) Mother of Malaysia.

My students who attended the programme. Syafiq, member of the Johor Student Leader Council, Shahiman, the Head Prefect and Azizah, the President of the Pre-U Students Council.

The forum in action. The topic was Mission Go Green For Green Living. It was brilliantly executed. Kudos!

I represented my school in accepting a tree seedling from YB Tun Jeanne Abdullah, in conjuction with the Hutan Kita@School programme. 75 schools in the district of Johor Bahru took part in this programme. The programme aims to spread awareness on the importance of maintaining our greenery and inculcating love towards Mother Nature.

Tun Jeanne during the tree planting ceremony.

She is so down to earth and motherly. A staunch supporter of global biodiversity.

This programme opened my eyes on various environmental issues. There are many ways that a teacher can spread awareness on the importance of sustaining the natural resources. Apart from that, students can also play a pivotal role in taking care of our environment. Do check out WWF Malaysia, ENO Malaysia and Lanskap Malaysia for more information on preserving our lush floras and fabulous faunas. In the word of Captain Planet "THE POWER IS YOURS!!"

Of Debate & E-Lab

Due to hectic schedule, I was on writing hiatus but I finally manage to update this blog of mine. Some of the updates are not really that up-to-date but well, something is better than nothing, no? Two weeks ago, I was the Chief Adjudicator of  the quarter-final round of the Parliamentary English Language debate of Johor Bahru district. The venue was at SMK Taman Tun Aminah. I had trouble finding the school, I was in the vicinity of  Tmn. Tun Aminah but I ended up in the wrong school and had to make another turning. Thank god,  I finally managed to locate the school and be there to judge the competition. 

SMK Sultan Ismail vs SMK Sri Rahmat. pic credit: Zainal Yusof

The adjudicators. L-R: Zainal (SMK Taman U), Tamil Selvi (SETA) and I. pic credit: Zainal Yusof

This year, I was chosen by Utusan Malaysia to be the Content Developer for E-Lab, their weekly education pull-out. I was elated and grateful for I was given the chance to share my ideas and materials with all the students and teachers on a national scale. I am entrusted to develop the materials for the SPM section. Thank you Utusan Malaysia for giving me this golden opportunity! E-Lab provides lively language learning that enhances meta cognitive skills and broadens the students' perspective on a particular topic. Apart from reading materials, there would be word games, interactive activities, speaking and writing activities that are related to the weekly topic. Do check it out!

Johor International Student Leaders Conference 2011

Date: 23-24th March 2011
Venue: JPNJ
Organiser: Johor Student Leaders Council

JISLC was officiated by Dr. Hj. Zahari Bin Aziz, Deputy Director General of Education, Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

Robert Pick, one of the three plenary speakers. He has been appointed as the Master of Marlborough College Malaysia, which will be situated in the Iskandar Region. Trivia bit: Kate Middleton, Prince William's fiancee was one of  its famous students ;)

Serious fun : Taking a flight to a better future

My students who presented during the Poster Presentation. L-R: Mujahid, Benard and Amira. They presented on 'Speak Like A Leader', an oratory programme conducted by the Student Leaders Board in my school.

My students and I. Glad that they really enjoyed the conference!

Moderating for the parallel session. I was in charge of Track 1 and moderated three sessions that day. The student leaders from various countries shared their ideas on how global diversity affect the leaders of tomorrow.

Workshop sessions.

Mini UN Session. Representatives from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Thailand, South Africa and Vietnam presented the issues plaguing their countries during this session. One of the highlights of the conference.

Omani representative aired his view on health awareness in Oman.

Mujahid, Kak Liza and I. Big grin on our faces despite running here and there like headless chickens in managing the conference.

The officials. Fareeza (IJ Convent), myself and Navinder (SIGS). It was fun working with both of you. Hope to see you soon!

Changes in the format of the English Lit Component in SPM 111/2

A friendly reminder to all the English Language teachers and students out there. Effective 2011, The Examination Board will make amendment to Section D (English Literature Component) in the SPM 1119/2 paper.

Recent Format	New Format (2011)
Section D Poem : 5 marks (structured item) Short Story : 5 marks (structured item) Novel: 15 marks (open response) Total : 25 marks	Section D Poem: 5 marks (structured item) Novel: 15 marks (open response) Total: 20 marks

THE CURRENT ASSESSED GENRE		THE ASSESSED GENRE EFFECTIVE 2011
Poem	One of the poems studied in Form 4	Poem	One of the poems studied in Form 4 or Form 5
Short Story	One of the short stories studied in Form 4	Short Story/Drama	Won’t be tested in SPM
Novel	Novel studied in Form 5	Novel	Novel studied in Form 5

The format for other sections in Paper 2 will remain unchanged. Despite the fact that short stories and drama will not be assessed in public examination, English Language teachers still need to teach the aforementioned genre in the classroom. This is in accordance to the circular No. 7/2009, The 2nd cycle of the Malay and English Literature Component for Secondary School (Form 1 to Form 5). I do wonder why short stories are not assessed any longer, it would be interesting to know the others' views pertaining to this matter.

Addendum : For the circular, you can visit Kak Rahmah's blog.

Nature by H.D. Carberry

I have to admit that I haven't invest much time in developing new material for the English Literature Component due to my super hectic schedule. Nonetheless, I've managed to spare a wee bit of time to design one for H.D. Carberry's Nature. I'm planning to use it tomorrow to assist my students in understanding the poem better. I'm in the midst of preparing interactive materials for the poem as well, so do check out this blog from time to time for latest updates!

Johore International Student Leaders Conference 2011

Theme : "Student Leaders in the Face of Global Diversity"

The rise in globalization now imposes upon student leaders all over the world to begin expanding their vision of the true meaning of 'diversity'. Indeed the word 'global diversity' does not yet have a broadly shared or universally understood meaning. For some it denotes race and gender while for others it could mean ethnicty and culture that not only embraces differences but also celebrates unique ideas, perspective and eperiences. This way, student leaders are able to better prepare themselves as future leaders who are able to remain relevant and globally sophisticated.

Essentialy, the theme of this conference has a particular focus on globalization as well as internationalization. It also revolves around the multi-faceted meaning of global diversity which at a more basic level would include diversity in culture, arts, language, race, gender and ways of living. To this end, the organizer encourages submissions that approach these topics from a variety of perspectives. However, submissions on other relevant topics are welcome and we also encourage sessions within and across a variety of disciplines and field related to Student Leadership. Papers to be presented can be about a project, initiative, programme that the presenter has undertaken, developed or is a part of. It can also be a narrative account based on the presenter's views, observations and readings. The conference is opened to student leaders from the age of 13 to 18.

REGISTRATION

International Participants

• Participation of international presenters and participants at the JISLC 2011 is upon invitation only.
• Interested student leaders can express interest to participate by submitting an abstract to the secretariat accompanied by nomination letter (cover letter) from the Ministry of Education from his/her country as endorsement.
• The abstract will be reviewed by our review panel. Once accepted, the student leader will be informed via email and will be advised on the official registration procedures. An official invitation will be sent to the successful presenter.
• The official invitation includes full board accommodation and meals for 1 presenter (student leader) only. It does not cover local cost for accompanying teacher/guardian.

Local Participants

• Local student leaders (from Johore as well as other states within Malaysia) are welcome to either participate as a presenter or a participant in the conference.
• To participate, student leaders need to complete the registration form below and submit to the secretariat before February 28^th, 2011. Participation in the conference is on a  FCFS basis. Participants are required to pay a nominal fee of RM30 upon registration on the conference day.
• To present a paper at the conference, a student leader is required to submit their abstracts accompanied by a cover letter from his/her respective school no later than February 28^th, 2011 (refer to Call for Papers section). The abstracts will be reviewed by our reviewed panel. Once accepted, the student leader will be informed via email and will be advised on the official registration procedures. An official invitation will be sent to the successful presenter.
• The official invitation includes full board accommodation and meals for 1 presenter (student leader) only. It does not cover cost for accompanying teacher/guardian.
• Johore student leaders are also invited to watch the proceeding of the mini UN meeting to be held on the 24^th March 2011. The round-table meeting will be an in camera proceeding, however, Johore student leaders can view the live feed that would take place at the JPN Johor's auditorium. Kindly express interest to view the round-table meeting during the conference registration on the 23^rd. Please note that meals are NOT provided for the viewers throughout the meeting.
  
  For further information, do visit this site.
  (sourced from The Johor Internationalisation of Schools' website)

ESL Herald: The online headquarter for all things ESL

Are you looking for materials to spice up your teaching? Ever dream of working abroad? Feel you need to network with other English Language teachers but don't know how? Fret not. ESL Herald offers all the answers under one roof. I was contacted by Shane Phair, one of ESL Herald's personnels recently and I'm glad that he had informed me about this brilliant website.

Basically, ESL Herald aims to:

• help ESL teachers locate the most exciting global ESL job opportunities...
• provide schools and recruiters with the resources needed to find the brightest teachers worldwide...
• host a forum where ESL teachers can share their experiences...
• ensure all teachers have the tools needed to master their skills in the classroom
• assist ESL teachers with destination guidance so they can maximize their experience outside the classroom 

(cited  from ESL Herald)

The first thing that attracted me was its neat layout and fuss-free navigation. Finding materials is a breeze as the site is segmented according to the areas of interest. Personally, I like the Teacher Toolkit section as it provides a wide array of topics such as Essay Topics, Grammar, Games, Lesson Plans etc. You can narrow down your search  based on the age group of the students, level, article rating and date posted. For new teachers who need some ideas for first day of teaching, do check out  'First Day of Class'. No more classroom jitters as we can arm ourselves with brilliant tips and tricks to kick-start the class. Do check it out!