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Program Ziarah Cakna [loosely translated as Endowment visit programme]

This is the initiative of the Ministry of Education for schools to conduct Program Ziarah Cakna [school will identify students who belong to B40 family (asnaf) and those who lost their father (yatim).  This has been an annual programme for my school which I witnessed it myself last year.  It is just that teachers did not go to the student’s house to give the goodie pack (basic essential like cooking oil, flour, sugar, bee hoon, soy sauce etc. and duit raya).   This year, it is different.  The teachers have to go to the students’ homes to give the goodie pack and some of the teachers sent the students back as well because coincidentally, they have to go back for eid celebration (school holiday)].  

All of the teachers are assigned to one student except those with administration post.  They are assigned with two students.  Unlike any other programme, this programme will include monitoring of the students’ academic performance as well.  So, the assigned teacher would be the student’s mentor as well. 

I know that it could be perceived as another additional task and responsibility to teachers but I think this would be a good move to create special bond between teacher and student.  After all, education is all about human relation and highly depended on human interaction regardless of whatever tools available to enhance students learning experience.  Nothing can replace a human being as a teacher no matter what!  You cannot learn empathy through AI or a robot.  It requires “human touch” to learn about being emphatic and how to be “human”.  

(Note: The first picture was taken by me and thus for obvious reason, I wasn’t in the picture.  I went to Felda Ulu Tebrau with Teacher Ita.  The second picture shows Nadzirun’s house in Yong Peng.  Ustaz Hazim (the one wearing batik shirt) was on the way to Malacca (his parents’ home) and he dropped by to send Nadzirun back as well as pay his family a visit. Kudos to all teachers of SABK Madrasah Alattas Johor)

Publish or perish_Part 2

One of my highly esteemed senior colleagues, Prof Hamdan Said shared this newspaper article with us.  I admit that what the author wrote is happening in UTM.  As an example, I find it time consuming to conduct SOTL research and “produce” papers related to teaching and learning.  To see an impact or changes of any learning activity takes time.  It is quite difficult to see any “major” change within a period of 14 weeks (for normal semester) unless you have the same batch of students and you use the same learning activity in classes that they have to take in the subsequent semesters. 

In my case, if I teach a batch of students who are in their first year second semester i.e. Educational Psychology class, it is quite difficult for me to have the same batch of students in the following semester because I only teach few undergraduate classes (other than Educational Psychology, I also teach Fundamental Pedagogy and Research Methodology class.  But since there are enough instructors to teach the other two courses, I only end up to teach only Educational Psychology class on regular basis).  Thus, how can I conduct a SOTL research when there would be limited opportunity for me to try out new teaching and learning strategies and do research on that?  The point is, it takes me longer to collect data from my own teaching practice.  It is not easy but not impossible to do.

When I was at school for my LI, I collected lots of data (from my token economy planner/table, students’ reflective notes and my own daily journal notes).  I find it challenging to have solid quiet time to analyse the data.  I admit that I should prioritise some of my works according to its importance.  As a lecturer, teaching at a university, it is important for me to publish, but at the same time I know that I need to improve my teaching.

Now, it is exam period and I am being bogged down with tonnes of marking assignments, exam scripts and whatsnot.  When will this end?  It will never end.  This is one of the common cycles that I have to face as a lecturer at university.

So, it is a little wonder if some might resort to “short-cuts” of publishing even though they might compromise the quality of the paper.  It is a challenge to be “the slow professor” who professes, rather than “an empty shell”.  It is a paradoxical phenomenon indeed.

 

How to make an impact in your students life?

I have had this conversation numerous times with my colleagues (different people) over the years about making difference in other people life especially the students that we taught and teach.  The recent one was last week on Thursday (16 May 2019) 

When I was at school while undergoing my LI, I could see that many former students came to visit their old teachers.  This gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and even though there are some students who came visiting me before after they finished their study but they are few.  At school, I even saw some of the students who came to visit their former teachers brought the latest new addition in their family i.e. children.  I never had that experience before.

I racked my brain to think about what else could I do other than interacting with the students in class.  I started to google few quotes for the posters that I have promised to give to my English panel colleagues (at school).  While I was browsing Canva, I had this idea to give a best wishes card to my students.  But what should I do with the rest of the cards if I only use half of it (because I was thinking to give it to the school kids that I have taught before)?

This gives me an idea to give the card to all my students at university that I teach as well.  I know it is kind of unusual to do this and I had never have any lecturer or had seen any senior who has done that before, but what a heck, there is nothing wrong to give the students a best wishes card.  Let’s start this tradition!

Am I making any impact in my student’s life by giving this card?  Only Allah Knows best. 

My motto: Do the best, pray for the best, leave the rest to Allah and always be thankful with the best things that happen in life even though we might perceive it negatively.  

P.S: I can’t wait to see their reaction seeing this card on top of the table before their exam.

Waiting hurts. Forgetting hurts. But not knowing which decision to take can sometimes be the most painful

Waiting.  I am waiting for my students to submit their assignments, take their second test etc.  I know.  It is my fault for giving them so many chances to improve in a way that I could not give them the finalised marks yet.  I only gave them probational marks.  I don’t make it as carry marks though because they can count for themselves the marks that they get on probational basis.  

Some of the students take this opportunity to improve but some others, they just wait for their final exam to give their very best shots.  

Argh, I hate waiting.  Indeed it resonates with this saying “Waiting hurts. Forgetting hurts. But not knowing which decision to take can sometimes be the most painful” – Jose N Harris from his book MI VIDA: A story of faith, hope and love.

I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny – Dr Seuss

We have known each other more than 20 years.  As our life start to unfold into different spectrum and colors, we keep in touch once in a blue moon while respecting each other space.  Little that I know our meeting would be a little bit different this time around.  She called to say that she was in JB.  To be specific, she was staying at Pulai Spring.  I was in a middle of a meeting.  I told her to give me another half an hour.  She called me again as I was about to leave the meeting.  I rushed to my room to pick up my purse and as it was inside my Ikea red foldable shopping bag, I just grabbed it.  I met her who was waiting in front of Canseleri Building.  Above all places that she can park her black Mercedes, she chose that special place!

She sounded chirpy than usual.  Or is it my imagination that when we met few years ago she sounded more serious?  I greet her with a hug.  Did we hug last time when we met?  I just could not help from thinking that she was a bit different this time around.

It was lunch time and I asked if she had her lunch.  She told me that she had her lunch at the hotel where she was staying.  She told me that she just want to have a chat with me.  To catch up with an old friend.  Yup.  We met at IIUM Matriculation centre in 1996.  We had many classes together since we both majored in psychology.

We decided to have light munchies and hot drinks at McD.  After we took our seat while waiting for our order, she had a quick look at me.  I was wearing a black jubah and shawl with flowery design.  Of course, she noticed my Ikea red plastic bag.  “Dij, you are still you.  You can afford to buy more expensive bag than that!  But, hey we are the same!  We don’t care about the brand as long as it is practical“.  She laughed after saying this.  Looking at myself, I laughed at own self too.  “I don’t have that typical image of a lecturer, huh?”  I asked her.  She said “No.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am glad that you are still like this.  You don’t change much, don’t you?”  I just laughed.  I have changed a lot, but there are some parts of me that still the same.  I told her that at this age, there are so many things have changed.  I told her that I start to have grey hair and I also have nearsightedness.  I am old. Age is catching up.  Both of us laughed again.  We have a good time to tease each other this time around.  I feel somehow our friendship has matured to different level.

We asked each other about the latest development in our life and suddenly she told me this “Dij, I am on medical leave because I have depression.”  I was shocked.  I was in the similar situation and I know it is not easy without intervention and professional help.  I asked her “Do you have to take any medication?”  She told me that a psychiatrist gives her some medication to take.  I didn’t know how to react.  She is a dear friend.  I know her family and siblings. I have met her mom and dad.  Her mom still remembers me.  Gosh, it is not easy to share this news.  Looking at how quiet I was, she assured me that she is ok.  She is in a better situation than before.  Then, she laughed.  “Dij, I am really ok.  I am glad that you still want to meet me even though I know that you are busy.  You know, there are some of our friends who don’t want to meet me when I ask them out to hang out”.   She updated me about her family and both of her parents are retired.  Alhamdulillah, both of them are well.  

Then she suggested that we should take a picture.  “I want to meet Dee on my way back to KL tonight and I want to show her our picture“, she told me.  “Tonight?  When are you planning to meet her?” I asked her.  “Around 7 or 8pm?”  she replied.   Dee is our friend.  A Mary Kay advocate.  She converts most of our friends to become MK users.   She is a business-minded type.  

“Did Dee approach you to use MK product?”  I asked.  “You?”  she asked me back.  We looked at each other and laughed.  That’s the answer!  We don’t have to say anything to know the answer.  Old friends can read each other’s mind quite well.  Indeed.

The lunch time was almost finished and she wanted to meet another friend before she went back to KL.  We had to say Goodbye now.  She sent me back to UTM at 2pm just in time for me to go for another meeting.  I told her that I didn’t have the opportunity yet to show her my office and faculty.  She told me “I guess we have to think about another meeting.  Perhaps you will show me around more“.  In sha Allah.

 

 

DD, thanks for your time!  I never thought that McD hot choc is quite delicious.    

How fit are you when you are a part of 4 series club?

It was National Sports Day (Hari Sukan Negara) which happened to be on 13 November 2018 (Saturday).   To be honest, unless I go window shopping at the mall like JPO with my sister (an annual event for us to find new shoes and whatsnot before Eid), I would never walk more than 3k steps per day.  That shows how “physically active” I am (tongue in cheek remark!)

But when I was at school while undergoing my LI, I could not help myself from not involve in any of the school event.  So, one of the events that I have to participate in was this National Sports Day in which we had to walk more than 3km (which equivalent to 3k steps).  We were assigned to walk with a group of students based on their form so, Ita and I were assigned to walk with the Form 2 SK (girls). What I notice was the 14 years old girls walk slowly than I am.  I was impatient when I have to walk slower than my normal pace, so I overtook many of them.  I was supposed to be on the back row and Ita has to walk on the front but here I was overtaking everybody and Ita caught me in action.  I was guilty as charge because Ita took this picture as an evidence.  But, there was nothing to worry because there was form 3 at the back of this group and there were teachers walking with them as well.  The students were in a good hand.  

When I overtook some of the students, some of them could not help from saying “Teacher, why are you walking so fast?” (Teacher, kenapa jalan laju sangat?”   I replied, “This is my NORMAL pace”   They tried to copy my pace but after a while, I heard some of them started to grumble “I am tired.  I give up.  Teacher walks so fast” (Penat lah.  Tak boleh ikut teacher jalan laju sangat“.   I just laughed.  They are younger than me, for obvious reason.  But, unlike them, I would bare the consequences later on (which of course, they wouldn’t know about it ;P) 

But still, Alhamdulillah at 40+ I can still walk more than 3k steps per day.  In Sha Allah I will try to stay physically active as regular as I could.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

She was my personality psychology and social psychology class student.  An average student.  She was also my R1 and R2 student (R1 and R2 refers to a code of thesis writing part 1 and 2 for master programme).  When she took all the taught courses classes, I have a quite good impression towards her.  But I never thought that she could be a student from H**l when I supervised her.

What went wrong?  She seemed to struggle when she was doing her RS1.  One of the earliest indications that she could spell trouble for me was when she did not submit her pilot study results in the first semester for her RS1.  I was naively believed that she would have time to do it in the following semester.  The following semester, I never even once heard anything from her.  No email.  No message.  NOTHING. 

Thinking that she might postpone one semester for personal reasons, I didn’t bother to send her any email or message to ask about her well-being.  I respect her privacy.

Lo and behold, at the end of the semester, I got a copy of a fully completed thesis in which she never showed before (except the first three chapters).  What a heck, man!  Even though I was utterly shocked but with a good faith that perhaps she could do it well, I evaluated the thesis.  This was the first mistake that I made (Lesson learned: NEVER EVER evaluate RS2 of a student who never submits anything AT ALL for the whole semester).  To set the record straight, I did not sign the green form (submission of RS2 form that supervisor has to sign) and yet, somehow she was able to submit her RS2 and thus, “able” to undergo the process of evaluation.  

As I read her thesis, I found that she made glaring mistakes.  Not only she plagiarised more than 25% (I checked it using TurnitIn and found out that there are more than 25% of quotes are not referred), but she also did the analysis erroneously.  I messaged her immediately saying that she made mistakes (yup, more than one analysis mistake) and thus the whole chapter 4 and 5 have to be redone.  It was a major correction.  This was when all hell breaks loose.

To cut the story short, she was dissatisfied with the results (for obvious reason she could not get passing marks both from me and the internal evaluator).    Her dad took matter into his own hand.  Made a false accusation and even wrote a poison letter to the Dean.  May Allah Bless this family.

I was called by the Dean and the Dean (the late Prof Bahar) said to me which I vividly remember until today “Hadijah, kita ni Bugis tak boleh biarkan orang pijak kepala kita” – Hadijah, as Bugis people, we shouldn’t let others to bully us”  May Allah Bless his soul for being kind to me when many others blame me for what has happened.

From this incident, I learn my lesson well.  One thing for sure, as Dr Seuss once said “If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too“

That incident happened for a reason.  I’ve got an idea to turn this incident into a case which I use as a discussion in my personality psychology class as a real example of traits of a person by using different approaches or domains to interpret it.  After all, I have to select a learning inventory as my teaching approach that I use in my class.  I choose “case based learning”.  Case based learning requires the teaching and learning activities involve LOTS of case discussion.  So, I need LOTS of real cases as examples.  This incident serves as one of the examples.  Attaboy!

P.S: It might not be too late to thank this student for being an inspiration.  To you and your dad who falsely accused me as an irresponsible and heartless supervisor, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  

A little surprise for my (former) form 4 students

 

When I taught them, there were 15 of them but now there are only 11 left.  My little heroes!

I could still remember their names.  From the left standing: Aidil (a very athletic person), Hafid (a very shy but strong-willed student.  He is also very diligent), Idham (who happens to be my neighbour, Cikgu Bibah’s son), Hakim (Mr Handsome-guy and the most popular among the girls because of his look and mannerism), Farouq (the champion to fall asleep in my class), Ammar (the quiet with lots of self-doubt boy).  On the front: Aidit (an easily-influenced-by-others boy), Hazim (a rebel in searching his identity), Yasser (a very timid and needs lots of assurance), Baqir (who is very talented and artistic) and Halim (Daud’s and Annuar’s brother.  A shy boy who thinks that I like to tease him in class by calling his name frequently)

Why do they look so happy? 

At first they were thinking that I might give them an ang pau envelope.  No.  It is a letter that I wrote to each and every one of them.  Individualised and personalised message from me.  I have given the same thing to my former form 4 Sapphire class (which include the girls).  This time around, due to time constraint, I only managed to complete the letters to the boys.  I will do so for the girls In sha Allah in the future. 

With the formal UTM envelope, I hope it might give them a sense of importance.  Receiving a letter with important message.  Yup.  That’s my intention.  I hope that the heart-felt message would reach to their heart.  I pray May Allah Bless them with understanding and good memory to remember what I wrote to them.

Well, I went to the school yesterday to drop the letters to Teacher Ita (one of the English teacher) and some of them saw me walking with the letters on my hand.  I bumped into Halim inside the teacher’s room but he was too shy to greet me.  

So, what happened to another four?

Two students changed schools after PT3.  Another two?  They changed school because of “a little” incident.  Due to the nature of the issue, let’s just say that they did something.  I am sad when I know about the incident.  I never thought that as young as 16 years old would do something like that.  This is the reality that I wish to ignore and yet, I know that I have to do something about it.  Thus, I wrote the letters to the rest.  I don’t want to punish them because of what has happened even though some of them are involved in that incident indirectly.  Yet, I think I need to let them know how I feel about them.  It does resonate with this saying

“Students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”

I know is never too late to show how much I care even though I am no longer physically at school with them.

Once a teacher, you are always be a teacher_Part 1

I’ve got a message from a former student that I taught when I did my LI (Latihan Ikhtisas).  I taught him for less than 2 months because he changed to different school (He cannot get good marks for Arabic language subjects.  I know that learning Arabic language and learning subjects in Arabic language is not easy.  I had experienced it before).  He asked if I still remember him.  Well, for one thing it is not that difficult to remember students with special characteristics.  He is one of the most attentive and hardworking students that I ever have (in comparison to last year form 4 students).  He always tries his best to complete any task that I gave him.  He would not hesitate to come to meet me after school (which meant that I would have to go back a little bit late than usual).  Sometimes, he would ask to carry my stuff (teachers always have lots of stuff that they bring to school and back home!).  While walking to my car, we would have a quick chat which sometimes could prolong into a long chat – we would continue to chat while standing beside my car even in a hot sunny day until it was ‘Asr prayer.

I still vividly remember his last at school, 14 February 2019 (Thursday).  It was a hot day.  I feel sad because how I wish that he would stay longer but again, I was ending my short stint as a teacher as well in the end of February.  I gave him an exercise book and I wrote a little note for him.  While doing that, his mom was looking at us because apparently, I was the only teacher who gave him a farewell gift.  Well, he is a special student who is worth my time, money and attention (tongue in cheek remark!)

He felt guilty because he did not prepare anything for me.  I told him that I don’t expect anything from him in return but I want him to promise that he will never give up no matter how challenging things can be.  I wished him all the best and off he went back with his mom.  His mom shook my hand while leaving the teachers’ room.

That is the last time I saw him.  When I got a Whatsapp message from him, we had a quick chat and I am glad that he is adjusting quite well (as what he said but he told me that he is worried about Ujian Setara).  I told him that he doesn’t need to worry about anything.  Allah is always there for us.  As long as we give our best shots, Allah Will Always Bless us with the best rewards.

As a teacher, to the world, we are just people but to some people i.e. students, we are the world