Category: Uncategorized

Al-fatihah to my former lecturer_Part 1

It would never be easy to receive news about someone who has been in your life especially when you are their students.  You owe them a lot to be who you are today.  Today I receive a news from my friend about the passing of my former lecturer, Brother Muhammad Fuzi Omar (I would refer him as Brother because I known since even before he got his PhD).  Al-fatihah.  

Pasir Gudang oh Pasir Gudang

Last March, Malaysians were shocked with irresponsible act of some individuals that caused pollution and its impact of individuals health.  But, less than 6 months, there are recurrent incidents in Pasir Gudang.  Again?  We need to do something about it ASAP.  Is it enough just to take action by closing schools?  This toxic pollution needs to be stopped.  It is a national disaster and the recurring incidents are the proof that somebody still dumps toxic waste in Pasir Gudang.  

What are (some) of the criticism about CEFR cum new KSSM syllabus for English?

I found quite a lot criticism and concerns by various individuals mainly teachers or educators (those people who are in teaching profession) on the current implementation of CEFR based curriculum and MUET.  Here are some of those that I can find

New syllabus is good

New literature syllabus 

English Literature is a dying subject

MUET is a requirement for admission

The need to boost English proficiency 

The need for proficient English teachers 

Psychopath…. a good example for my case study activity

When I declared that my Human Development class (MPPE 1333) would use Case Based Learning, I am determined to find as many authentic examples as I could from books, journals and my own life experience.  One of the examples that I think I could include in my existing cases would be this one.  A case of a brother who killed his younger sister to torment his mother (he has this so twisted thought that rather than killing his mom, he decided to kill his sister so that his mom would lose two of her children – his sister and him).   It seems that all of the cases that I have found are from US (except the examples from my own life).  I wonder if there are no recent psychopath cases in other parts of the world.  

What did I do while undergoing Latihan Ikhtisas_Part 5

I have to teach poetry and literature while doing my Latihan Ikhtisas.  With zero background in TEASL or BENL (Bachelor in English Language and Literature), I admit that I was struggling to get myself familiar with the poems and short stories.  I start to read poems when I was at university for leisure reading, so I don’t feel the need and pressure to understand it accurately.  I had never learned poems at secondary school (for English).  So, it was a bit stressful for me to teach the students the literature part. 

Some of the poems and literature that I have to teach are as follow.  

For form 1

  1. News Break (poem)
  2. Sad I Ams (poem)
  3. King Arthur (graphic novel)
  4. Fair’s Fair (short story)

For form 4

  1. The Living Photograph (poem)
  2. The Charge of the Light Brigade (poem)
  3. Leaving (short story)
  4. Tanjong Rhu (short story)

I constructed quizzes using Quizziz and also worksheet that I used for class activity.  Nothing much though.  For the Quizziz and worksheet, they have to do it in pair or group.  It depends on the situation.  Sometimes I used the computer room if I wanted to give them a quiz using Quizziz.  It is an element of gamification and active learning that I tried to incorporate in my class.  

Well, at least even though I am not trained in TEASL, but I just gave my best shot.  That’s my motto.  Sometimes I guess we have to be impostor.  A good one to succeed in whatever thing that we do.  In this case, to make sure that I could deliver well my lesson to the students, I become an English teacher impostor.  😀

Poems that I have to teach during Latihan Ikhtisas (and after)_Part 6

This is the first poem that I taught my form 1 students last year when I did Latihan Ikhtisas.  I taught this before the mid term examination.  I did not have the time to revise it before the mid term examination with the students.  Some of them could not answer it well.   So, I didn’t have a quiz on Quizziz on this poem.  I only used a worksheet as an activity which contains the following questions.  

Exercise: News Break

Paste this worksheet on your Literature exercise book.  Write the answer according to the questions given.  You do not need to rewrite the questions again.

  1. What is this poem about?
  2. What does the word ‘crease’ mean in stanza 2?
  3. What animal is the child compared to?
  4. In stanza 4, who does the parent think the child is?
  5. What is the actual reason for the change in the child’s behavior?
  6. Why do you think the child was behaving himself? Give a reason.