Other – Page 11 – Hadijah binti Jaffri

TESDCP or TES, here it comes again (2020)!

Ok. Like last year, we have to fill in the TESDCP or TES (new label) again this year. But unlike last year, the term that was used – “TESDCP”. This year, it becomes TES (don’t be fool by the labelling). The things that you have to upload are still the same.

Wait, isn’t it the same with Teaching Excellence System?

Confused? (Who doesn’t, right?) But, don’t worry. We are in this mess (uhuk uhuk) together.

How to differentiate between the new TES (old version it is known as TESDCP) and Teaching Excellence System (it is no longer called as TES now?)?

Based on my observation, the ONLY observable difference that I can see when I search both things from UTMPORTAL is the icon of TES and Teaching Excellence System.

The icon for Teaching Excellence System is a person pointing on a board. This is the system where you can find your Blended Learning (this is from your ELearning), OBE, NALI & HIEPS and E-content.

The icon for TES has pictures of a mortar board, an apple, hands (holding or shaking), a light bulb and a science icon (on the center).

If you ask me why both are called the same i.e. Teaching Excellence System?

I also asked the same question to some people but they also do not know the answer. So, I don’t have any answer to that question. I don’t want to speculate anything here. Let’s somebody else do the thinking.

So, are both the same systems or different?

The label used is the same: Teaching Excellence System. But clearly, both are different systems in which both have different information and things that you have to upload.

Congratulations, IIUM!!!

This is the place that taught me so many things that are not on the syllabuses nor textbooks. This is the place where I learn about values, persistence, empathy, compassion, integrity and what does it mean to be a Muslim.

Of course, I am tested so many times about my principles and values but when I am at a losing end, I will always remember what I have learned from the best people in the world. I am so proud when it was announced that it won the Green Gown International Award for the 2020 Sustainability Institution of the Year. I wonder what ___________ is doing.

Clearly, we have Car Free Day and whatsnot but yet, why can’t we win? Of course it is not about winning but, it tells something, right?

TES is now open again

How to inform parents about their children performance?

There are many ways that teachers can do to inform parents about their children academic performance. When I did my Latihan Ikhtisas, one of the ways that I did was to use Quizziz and send the report to parents. This method does work to let the students know that we (teachers) always keep in touch with their parents and let them about their progress.

A week after I sent the email, one of the students told me this “Teacher, mak saya kata saya tak boleh tengok TV kalau tak baca buku. Mak saya kata teacher hantar email ke dia ya beritahu pasal kuiz yang saya jawab?” [Translated: Teacher, my mom told me that I cannot watch TV if I don’t read books. She also told me that you sent an email about the quiz that I took]. I looked directly at him and said “So, what should you do now? Will you answer the quiz seriously next time?” He sheepishly replied “Saya akan ikut cakap mak saya dan saya tak akan main-main bila jawab kuiz” [Translated: I will follow what my mom said and I will not play around while answering the quiz].

COVID-19: A tough time indeed for all of us

I was feeling a bit down because I realise how unemphatic people can be during this trial time. Indeed. I don’t expect to be understood with all the predicaments that I am facing at the moment, but being those with certain privileges do not give any of us the right to downgrade, belittle others on the predicaments they are experiencing.

It is frustrating at times but I guess each of us have so many things going on at the moment and all of us are struggling to deal with the challenges that we are facing and thus, it could lead us to appear as less emphatic at this moment. This is the way I see it.

Some students PM (private message) me letting me know about the challenges that they face in other courses when their requests, needs and device capabilities are being ignored. What does this has to do with me? I am not teaching the course. It is challenging to be the mediator and it might backfire at times. But I know that I need to do something about it.

I try to ease their concerns the best I could. Sometimes, all I do is just lending them my ears because I don’t know how to help them with the technical glitches that they experience (I am no expert in this myself). After some time, I realise that all they need is someone who is willing to listen. Someone they can share their burden. It does not take much other than few minutes (or hours if you have large class like mine) to be a good listener.

But, being a listener to others and yet having little support myself does take a toll on me. In adjustment psychology class which I took with Amber Hague, I learn that we have a choice to define the situation that we are experiencing. In this case, I perceive this as a challenging situation. It is temporal. I might struggle to face it but it is ok. I need to be aware about myself and things around me. Whatever it is, Allah Will ease the path. Being patience is rewarding.

One of my colleagues suggested that we need to do daily muhasabah. To help me doing this activity, I ask my students to give comments about my teaching during this tough time. Indeed. We support each other to face this challenging time.

This could be one evidence for my TES (tongue in cheek remark)

Another pouch?

I was running out of zippers. But I know that I need to do something to relieve stress. It was raining yesterday and thus, it is nothing much can be done outside. So, I made a pouch. Yup. To put Pandan leaves inside my car. Since I cannot buy any potpourri due to MCO (well, I need to find alternatives now), I decided to make one using Pandan leaves. So, this is my new potpourri pandan hand-stitched pouch.

I found a fabric which belongs to my sis. From her orientation week baju kurung from UUM. It is more than 20 years old. Classic! I turned it into a pouch.

Hand-stitched face mask, anyone? Not for sale.

I was without internet connection (literally) for few days because the TM cable was stolen. This is the second time since MCO.

So, as I was left with few assignments that I had reviewed (but cannot return to students), examples of case study activities and a half-written article (I feel stressful of doing this because I would think about the materials that I left in my office at UTM) which can be done without internet connection, I started to experience “certain symptoms” that indicate that I am stress. Not a good thing. I need to take a break.

So, in line with Labour Day holiday, I took a chance to re-purpose some materials. Yes. Another left-over fabrics material. A cloth face mask. It is so hype and trendy nowadays to have one with the lack of supply of face mask on the market. I left a gap so that I can put non-woven material in between. To make it 3-layers face mask.

There is a gap in between two cloth so I can insert a non-woven material in between

Running out of left-over fabrics: What are the alternatives?

My left over fabrics are running out. I left with many irregular, out of shape fabrics. Too small for a pouch. So, I made scrunchies. I look at the eldest grandniece who uses whatever scrunchy that she could find around the house. I will put the picture here later on. For now, I need to divert myself to relieve stress. Things can be stressful at times. Indeed.

I was feeling a bit tired from reading 100+ pages of a proposal yesterday. I need to take a break. As I put aside my notes, I noticed some of the left-over fabrics lying around nearby my laptop (I was too lazy to put it inside a container again after my little face mask project last week). I looked closely on the fabrics. It is too small to make a pouch but it is a bit long and I can make a belt. But who is wearing belt made out of cloth this day? So, while stroking my head to get some ideas, I got a light bulb moment. Aha… a scrunchy. The eldest grandniece likes to tie her hair but due to MCO, she does not have much choice rather than to use whatever hairband, scrunchies that she can find around the house.

Webex went ok (wrong?)

I joined a Webex session last Tuesday (14 April 2020) about writing article for mass media. It was a sharing session with Assoc Prof Kassim Thukiman. A humble guy with vast experience on writing article for mass media. He has a flair of Malay language. Indeed. A class of its own. Things went well for this Webex session. So, I thought Webex is ok. Not that bad. But, how wrong I was.

I had another Webex session last Thursday (16 April 2020). This session was a meeting to discuss a special grant post-covid19. Only 10 proposals will be selected. Tough competition. Indeed.

The first 10 minutes was ok. I can see the host, Assoc Prof Fauzi from ATI talked. Then followed by Prof Zaidatun. Then out of sudden, I could no longer see her face, the slides and hear her voice. I tried to check the source of my technical problems. Well, apparently, the internet is really low and thus, I experienced that.

Having to experience this first hand, I start to think about the students who have classes using Webex. If they have similar internet connection limitations, they might experience the same thing. Of course, I can always look back the recorded session. Yet, the feeling that I had when such thing happened is indescribable. I felt confused, sad, mad (at the internet connection) and such feelings bugged me for the whole day because even though I know that I could not control it, yet I wish that things are different. I hate the fact that I am missing out some things that might be important. I want to be “present”. Watching the recorded session does not make me feel “at present”. Feeling left out is psychologically painful. It has something to do with our basic needs as proposed by Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs. Feeling of belonging, inclusion and such.

Having a first hand experience on this matter makes me more emphatic of my students’ predicament. So, I will try my very best to make sure that I can reach out to them regardless of the limitations especially internet connection that we might have at the moment.

Hand-sewn face mask

I still have the normal face mask. But I am feeling a bit stress out off lately. There are many things contribute to that. Alhamdulillah I can still recognise some symptoms and thus, I know that I need to slow down a bit. So, I divert myself from my work for few hours to do this little project. I googled and found some tips and instructions that I can follow.