What did I do while undergoing my Latihan Ikhtisas (LI)?_Part 2

I had a blast when I went for my Latihan Ikhtisas last year, even though at first I was thinking about doing a post doc instead.  Why a blast?

After so many years of teaching at university i.e. more than 10 years, I can compare the challenges being a teacher and a lecturer.  Well, I find that teaching at school is not that “challenging” as compared to teaching at university.  I might be bias in this case given a fact that since I am not a real teacher, so I was exempted from doing many of the other things that teachers have to do on daily basis.  For example, I didn’t have to fill in any information at SSDM (Sistem Sahsiah Disiplin Murid).  SSDM is a system to record students good behaviour and misbehaviour.  Yup, it is expected that teachers have to do it on daily basis.  But of course, it is very rarely for them to do it unless they are the discipline teacher or school counselor.  

I was also exempted from managing the “elearning” kind of thing known as Frog VLE.  Why?  ONLY Malaysian teachers, students and parents can use it.   They can register and thus they will have username and password.  I am not a teacher, student nor parent so I can’t create an account.  On top of that, I was also exempted from fill in any information about the students on different system such as PAJSK and such.  So, what did I do at school then other than teaching?

Well, I created lots of exercise worksheets.  You name it. I have it all.  I looked at various sources such as Busyteachers and others.  On top of that I also created some cute posters using Canva (Example: Dueling Proverbs).  I shared with my English panel teachers so we could print it out and posted it on the notice board.  But, cute things don’t last long.  The moment a teacher posted it, it only lasted for few hours.  Sigh

I also wrote some essays as examples of continuous writing compositions.  Some of the essays from my own experience.  So it does make it more real to the students because they can know a little bit about me through the essays.  2 in 1.  Teaching and getting to know me better.  

To be continued…. 

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Teaching Excellence System (TES) in UTM

What is TES?  It refers to Teaching Excellence System.  Yup.  This is one of the things that I need to keep myself updated on regular basis like elearning [well, not that frequent as elearning though 😀 ]

I am still struggling with this.  But, I will try my very best to comply to whatever requirement to fulfill my roles and goals as an academician.  Indeed.  One thing at a time.  

First, I need to write 4 things that I will upload later on my personal TES:

1) Goals of student learning,

2) Philosophy,

3) Beliefs and practices of assessment and

4) Self-reflection of teaching development over time.

I remember Norah said that I can link all of the four things to my personal TES if I write about it somewhere like in this post.  I would do that later In sha Allah.  

Al-fatihah to the former President of Egypt – Mohamed Morsi

The Muslim community has lost a great leader today, Mohamed Morsi.  Al-fatihah

I followed the news of the chaotic moment in Egypt back in the 2011/2012.   Later on within a year after he was elected as the president of Egypt, he was ousted from the office in 2013.  Indeed politics are complicated to comprehend.  But I remember vividly what my former lecturer once said in his political science class “Power corrupts.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely”.  Indeed.  May Allah grant him eternal bliss.  

 

What did I do while undergoing my Latihan Ikhtisas (LI)?_Part 1

Some colleagues have been asking me this question “What did I do at school other than teaching?”  Well, to think back about it, there were so many things that I did.  Most of the things were fun, new and challenging.  I never thought that I would create a mural (I still need to touch up some of the drawings though :D) 

Other than that, I would also never thought that I would harvest pineapple which they planted within the school compound.  At first, we had to pay but if we harvested it ourselves, we could get FOC.  So, armed with a small machete and gloves, I harvested the pineapples while wearing my baju kurung.   I also experienced cooking using wood (so traditional and basic!).  But of course, I was not the one who made the fire.  The fire was already made by the students.  As teachers, we don’t do the dirty works, for obvious reason.  That’s what the students are for!  But as the evaluator [uhuk uhuk judge], we were entrusted with the task to evaluate the students’ survival skills that they have to show during a 2D2N camping such as making fire.  So, we have to let the students “show” their skills to make fire etc.


 

What else?  To be continued….

 

 

Curriculum Review (Semakan Kurikulum)

When I came back from a long study leave in 2011, they were busying with curriculum review.  It was a busy time for me in early 2012 to finalise the editing parts for our panel in early 2012.

We did another curriculum review in 2015 and now, there would be another review again.  How time flies!  It is as if yesterday I did the first review after I finished my PhD.   Indeed.  So many things have changed and we need to update and upgrade our course materials and such.

Curriculum review is one of the seasonal tasks that we do once in every few years.  May Allah ease the process of reviewing the curriculum.