It is challenging to be educators now

The recent incident about a student who was canned by a teacher because she called him as “aqua” (Translated: effeminate person) has caused an uproar among teachers, students, netizens and whatsnot. 

The way I see it if I were the student, I would definitely get “double” from my parents.  That’s why I never told them if I was punished by my teachers at school.  Their perception is I must have done “something” to make the teachers to punish me.  No explanation needed.  I would always be the one who have done something wrong, not the other way around.  Parents now?  Well, they are different.  The parents who are like my parents are extinct.  This is the reality now.  

Durham Crunchy fried prawn

This was a must dish that I have to prepare if I made Nasi Lemak when I was in Durham (especially, if the PRs requested that I made this).  But now, I rarely cook so this is just one of my distant memories.

Fried Prawn (I googled and watched Youtube to get inspiration from Japanese chefs making fried tempura prawn)

– Plain flour (If you don’t have any, you can use premix flour for frying.  No need to add paprika, pepper and salt, just mix it with cold water)
– A bit of baking powder
– Paprika (a dash or two)
– Black pepper
– White pepper
– Salt
– Cold water (for better result, water with ice cubes)

Fry it when the oil is hot enough (no measurement)

Things that I produced when I did my Latihan Ikhtisas_Part 1

 

There are so many things that I did while undergoing my Latihan Ikhtisas.  One of the things that I like to do is to create posters.  Here are some of the posters that I made.  Well, basically, it is grammar and whatsnot.  So, being a non-native speaker, of course I have to take the content such as idioms from elsewhere.   😀 

 

 

 

 

 

A dilemma indeed

The KPIs for university lecturers are not for faint-hearted people.   Indeed.  But sometimes, there are daredevil ones who would dare to do any and everything to make sure they hit their KPIs with flying colors.   Slow professor principle?  Definitely not on these peps’ vocabulary.  They are one on the Shinkansen mode.  Always.  So, anything that block their way will be bulldozed indefinitely. 

But the reality starts to show that the quantity does not justify the quality.  People have started to talk about it.  When asked about the practice of individuals who use other people’s students work without their contribution, critical people like Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz does say something spot on.  

For me, I believe that we can’t hurry to be “matured”.  It is as if you are taking a hormone booster to get old quickly.  Does anyone want to get old early?  Of course, there are outliers who excel in certain fields at young age and in academia, these people can be exemplified in the way they rise to the social academic ranking faster than the average.  Some are really good.  But I am not like them.  I am a late bloomer.  This is what I notice since young.  So, I am not pushing myself to be on Shinkansen mode.   

The incident that happened to one of my seniors in April 2019 left indelible mark that makes me think to reevaluate and reprioritise my goals in life.  Now, I believe that if I improve myself in the way I relate myself to Allah, it will be translated in the way I lead my life as His ‘Abd.  Even though in one of the verses in the Qur’an states

Yet, I believe that what is good in this world does not mean or equate with money or social status.  Allah Knoweth the best and I pray May He Bless me with the best gladtiding.  

Al-fatihah to my former lecturer_Part 2

He is known as “a killer” lecturer.  (Former students still remember him as such).  Nobody dares to come later than him.  The moment he entered the class, he would lock the door.  Late comers?  You wouldn’t able to enter the class.  Period.  No negotiation.  Nothing. 

At that time, nobody dares to make a complaint to the administrator or the dean.  Who dares to make a complaint when the one who locked the door is THE DEAN himself?  You make complain to him?  Are you crazy?  Even the VC is younger than him.  He is like Don Corleone.  You don’t mess with The Don.  

But former students learn values such as punctuality and such.  One of my friends who took sociology classes with him would proofread her assignments (the things that we don’t bother to do for another classes).  Why?  Those with grammatical errors would be publicly shamed once he returned the assignments.   He teaches us to be perfectionist and proficient in English.  Of course, as students at that time, being young and reckless, some of us didn’t appreciate his style.  

I heard the news yesterday that he passed away in his sleep.  He was 81 years old.  Al-fatihah to Prof. Dr. Mohamed Aris Othman (he is fondly known as Pak Aris even though he has Professorship title).   

Teaching Excellence System (TES) workshop_Part 3

Measures of Student Learning 

Basically, the information in Average score in ePPP and Feedback and Testimony from ePPP is generated from ePPP.  So, what you can do is you have to make sure your students would evaluate you every semester without fail and request them to give narrative feedback about you.  Any narrative feedback will appear in Feedback and Testimony from ePPP.  

But, for Feedback and Testimony (From others), upload any message, cards etc.  (written feedback) that you get from your students.  If you receive a Whatsapp message from your student, screen shot it and then covert it into PDF format before uploading it to your TES.  

Psst…. so next time when your students want to say thank or whatsnot, you can request them to write it in a form of note.  No need card.  Just a simple A4 paper would be enough.  😀