If only I could take a picture of their amazed faces…

Something happened today when I wanted to take wudu’ at the usual toilet.  I met with some of my TEASLIAN students in the toilet.  Since all of the cubicles were full, I proceed to pick up the mop inside the tiny storeroom.  Well, the floor was dirty with foot prints and whatsnot.  I cleaned the toilet yesterday’s afternoon before I left but as expected, it was dirty today.  

Some of them were disbelieved seeing me holding the mop and starting to clean the floor.  Babes, it is normal ok for me to do that.  I use the toilet so, when I see it dirty, I clean it.  There are no cleaners to do the cleaning.  Nope.   Sigh. 

If you walk around, you can hardly see cleaners nowadays.   When I went to my alma mater last two weeks, I met with some cleaners at Human Sciences cafe.  Apparently, they are assigned to pick up empty plates and cups from the table.  This is not a common sight at UTM SUB cafe.  

I can guess some of them are started to feel guilty seeing me mopping the floor.  Yup.  Some of them didn’t even dare to enter the toilet after being forewarned by others that I was cleaning the toilet.  What a sight to remember for the rest of their lives to see someone who teaches them to clean the toilet!  (tongue in cheek remark). 

Well, I told them due to limited budget, there are no more cleaners to clean the toilets.  I have seen a cleaner cleaning the toilet nearby the Chair’s office though (I know right.  It is such a double standard.  We have to clean toilets ourselves and those within the vicinity of those with administration position has someone else to do the cleaning).  Well, that is not the point that I want to make.  

I remember what my late mom taught me.  If you can do it, do it silently.  Don’t complain.  When I am writing this post, I am not complaining.  It is just to make others know that it is a common practice now to clean toilets at UTM even though we are the academicians.  Well, we use the toilets as well.  So, no need to feel entitled that we are better than others to avoid doing the dirty works, right?  

Note: To all of my students, don’t be shocked to see me cleaning the toilet.  Don’t feel guilty.  After all, I am also using the toilet.  If you feel guilty, perhaps you can do your part as well 😀  Wait until you be a teacher at a school with limited budget.  You will see yourself doing the cleaning too.  What a heck!  Japanese teachers and students have long make it in their practice to do the cleaning TOGETHER.  So, why don’t we do the same, right?  

Japanese teachers clean toilet together with students (Photo from Pinterest)
Japanese teachers and students clean together (Photo from Factslides.com)

What else can be considered as e-content?

What else can be considered as e-content?  That is the question that I ask myself numerous times.  To find the answer, I start to google apps and whatsnot.  I came across many useful apps but some are not free like Prezi and Kahoot.  I subscribe to Prezi.  It is not cheap but after Latihan Ikhtisas, I aim to make small changes in my life and teaching practice.  Even though I am not techno savvy (I still use my handphone – Samsung Note3 that I bought more than 5 years ago), I try my very best to learn new things.  

I came across Acadly (It is FREE).   It has similar features like our UTM elearning (I know right!  What’s the point of having so many learning management system for one course?).  But I am not sure how I can make it public so that anyone and everybody can see it all over the world (no boundary, readily accessible to all).   I think for the time being, I will keep this on hold because apparently it takes a bit of time to get used to it.  With so many up-coming conferences and whatsnot as a committee, presenter or participant, I don’t want to overly exerting myself and affecting my health.  

For now, I am still learning to use it.  So, I don’t have the confidence yet to share it with others by showing my classroom practice using Acadly.  But, what I can share are some of interesting things about Acadly.

  1. Video Demo 
  2. Tips of using technology in classroom

What was wrong with this?

What was wrong with this picture? See how the post-it-notes were posted? Messy, right? It is typically Malaysian 😀

This is the second week in which I had experienced technical glitch with the internet connection.  I tried several times and after failing to get connected to the internet and thus, use my Prezi note, I decided to use the OLD traditional method i.e. using mahjung paper.  I know in this IR 4.0 era, mahjung paper might be regarded as the thing of yesteryears.  Yeah, right.  When the technology cannot be used, the best option is to use non-digital material.

Some of the students clapped their hands when seeing me taking out the mahjung paper.  Without missing a beat, I told them “We always need a back-up plan.  Plan B to prepare things like this“.  I hope it will stuck in their mind when they undergo their teaching practicum that it is never a waste to be overprepared.  Indeed.  

Note: I wonder what is wrong with my school.  I have difficulty to stay connected to the internet in my office.  Ethernet cannot be used since few weeks ago.  Wifi?  It drives me nuts when I am in a middle of updating/editing my Prezi notes when I get disconnected.  I lamented about it to some of my colleagues but it seems that they also face similar problems.  So, what they do is they come in a bit late than 8am.  My option?  Stay at the library to do my notes and only go to my office after I finished my work.  I know some students might have difficulty to find me in my office due to this.   Well, I hope this problem would be rectified ASAP.

How to change the date of your post here?

I admit that it is not easy to post on regular basis here.  So, what I do is sometimes I plan my post in advance.  For example, to wish Eid or any other celebration, I would set the post in advance in which I would set the date of the post on the day that I want.  I know that with this feature, we can also set our post on belated date.  How to change the date of your post here?

On your right side, look at the row “Published on:”. Click Edit (blue word).
You can scroll up and down to select the date that you prefer to post the latest one. Click OK.
Don’t forget to Click Update (if you have edited before)

What should I do?

I had a tuition class with the students.   Some of them are sad because of their trial results.  So, to cheer them up, I asked them to look at their exercise book where they wrote their targeted marks for SPM trial.  I told them before if they can get the marks that they set in their trial, I will give them RM100.  When I made the offer, I was prepared to spend RM600.  Of course, they don’t believe it.   After all, it is very rare for them to get such offer.  But I am not their typical teacher. 

Each of them was hesitated to let me know about their marks.  Alhamdulillah, I came well-prepared.  I looked at my handphone and searched the marks Ita gave me.  So, I read their marks one by one (well, they already know each other marks when Ita discussed their paper a week ago).   While reading their marks out loud, I checked their exercise book to see their targeted marks.  Ainsyah is the only one who able to reach the target.  She has improved a bit (well, from D to C is a good-enough improvement for her).  Let’s be realistic.  They know it is quite impossible for them to get a solid A (above 80%).  I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on them by suggesting they should aim that high.  I told them to renew their target for the real SPM.  But I don’t let them know about the monetary reward that I will give if they can achieve their targeted grade for SPM. 

Why do I give them monetary reward?  All of them come from B40 family.  I want to help them to prepare for SPM by having their own money to buy stationery, revision book or other things.  So, that’s why I gave them the RM100 reward.   I don’t know how I can assist them since I am no longer at school.   Last year, when I was at school, Ita and I bought stationery supply to give to all of the SPM candidates.   I am planning to do the same this year in sha Allah. 

The monetary reward that I plan to give them for their SPM is also to assist them to buy UPU form (yup, they have to buy the code at any post office).  Even though they no longer have to fill in the UPU paper-version form like I did back in 1996, they have to buy a password/code to get accessed to UPU online.  The UPU form that I had to pay back in 1996 cost me RM100 per form.  That’s quite a lot back then (and now).  At that time, I worked at MPH Bookstore with RM450 per month (or more if I did lots of over time or OT). 

When I just started my Latihan Ikhtisas, the SPM results were announced at the end of March 2018.  I still remember Cikgu Mun, the school counselor used her own money to buy the code for some students who did not want to apply to any matriculation centre or Asasi via UPU because they didn’t have the money.  Their parents could not afford to buy it.  It breaks my heart.  I don’t want the students to stop from furthering their studies to higher level feel hesitated due to financial constraint.  So, by rewarding them with monetary reward, I hope that at least I can help them in certain way.  As a teacher, it is difficult to ignore such predicament that your students are experiencing.  After all, it is not their fault to be in that situation.