EPPP (Instructor Teaching Evaluation or in Malay – Penilaian Pengajaran Pensyarah)

I don’t really care about eppp.  After all, it could be a mean for disgruntled students to “express” their emotions and thus, they don’t provide honest rating.  But, what a heck!  Once a while, I do get some unique comments.  Some are nasty ones but, let’s skip that one (not worth to be shared publicly).  Others are like these which give me warm fuzzy feelings that make my marking period enjoyable and bearable.  

I don’t agree with one of the comments though which says I am cute.  I am already in my 40s.  Cute might be used for teenage kids, not 40 plus lady like me 😀  But, looking at the feedback several times does make me feel good with the thoughts that somewhere out there, there is a student who thinks that I am cute.  

Rain or shine

It is a few days before Eid.  I haven’t made any Eid preparation yet.  No shopping.  No spring clean.  Nothing.  Well, I did wash the curtains and whatsnot few weeks ago at the self-laundry mart.   I did bake Brownie cookies.  This reminds me of the time when I was in Durham.  

I would still go to school even though it was Eid.  There was no break for me.  I went to school and then went to pray Eid prayer.   

The faculty seems extraordinarily quiet today.  I saw Prof Hamdan on his way to pray Zuhr.  I saw Dr Sarimah’s car on the parking lot and few others cars.  

It is raining quite heavily.  I plan to go back after Zuhr.  I guess, I have to wait for a while.   I am so spoiled in this case.  When I was in Durham, I would go to the school even though it was snowing.  At one time, I even saw a boat was stuck in a middle of the river due to the snow.  I didn’t take any chance to walk on the snow-covered river because I know the ice was thin.  It was not worth the risk to get wet and hypothermia. 

Alhamdulillah, now I don’t have to walk in cold winter days to reach my faculty.  So, a mere drizzle shouldn’t faze me, don’t you think so?  😀

Feedback

When I did my Latihan Ikhtisas, I was entrusted to teach form 1, 4 and 6 (MUET).  For form 4, I have to teach five types of continuous writing.  One of it is descriptive composition.  For descriptive composition, one either has to describe a person, an event or a place.  There is no specific plot like narrative composition, yet it requires the writer to write detailed descriptions of a theme (either a person, an event or a place).

I don’t know how to give comments to students so I learn from one of my former students who happens to be an examiner for SPM paper (essay paper).  So, she told me that I need to give examples of sentences or paragraph and give some words of encouragement.  So, I tried it out.  But, it was a tedious process because I have to give different feedback to different students. 

Alhamdulillah, I am so used to give lengthy feedback for my UG and PG students, so I don’t have much problem in that.  It is just that unlike UG or PG students, I need to explain to the form 4 students what does the feedback mean because some of them don’t understand certain words that I used due to poor vocabulary.  But it is a learning process, so it is important to introduce them certain words so they could get familiar with the words and they can see how the words are used in sentences as I wrote it in my feedback.  For this particular student, he doesn’t know the word ‘appropriate’.  So, I explained to him what the word ‘appropriate’ means and how to use it.  

Example of the feedback as in the picture:

Hafid, 

You need to improve on your vocabulary and grammar.  The way you wrote this composition, it is as if you think in Malay and translate it into English.  This style of writing is not appropriate.  You need to practice to think in English when writing in English.  

You add colors to my life

I could be perceived as someone who is uptight and serious.  I do admit that I don’t know how to have “fun”.  But things change when I went to Durham and I met a bunch of people who are fun, playful and yet they are committed in their work (they are also academically excellent).  I don’t know how they can strike a balance to have fun and at the same time stay focused in their study.  But, I learn a great deal from them.  

One of those individuals are Yasmin Ahmad Rusli, fondly known as Min.  Min is an exceptional lady.  When she pursued her masters degree in Durham, she had a long distance relationship with her husband, Samir.  But, from her story and all, I learn to know about Samir even though I never met him before.  I met Samir once when he came to Durham in summer 2008 (Min and Samir went to Paris after that for a short holiday).

The picture was taken when we went to York for a shopping spree.  We bought quite a lot of things.  It is not that we intently wanted to splurge like that but for me, I bought some of cookery thingy (that I still have and use until now) and clothes (which I could no longer wear because the clothes are no longer fit.  I have gained weight since then). 

When I look at this picture, Min and I looked so happy.  Indeed.  Min is one of my best confidantes when I was in Durham.  We shared some ups and downs especially when we had a problem with our housemate of no 12 Steavenson Street.  But things changed for the better afterwards when I moved to no 60 Steavenson Street, Bowburn.  Thing happens for a reason.  Alhamdulillah Allah Gives me a friend like Min to share my woes and happiness. 

Indeed it is true that “A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked“- Bernard Meltzer-

BBQ chicken wings

This is one of my famous signature dishes when I was in Durham.   The ingredients are simple yet now it is difficult to find some of it in Malaysia.  So, I don’t make any now.   Well, I can easily go to Nando’s or Kenny Roger’s or Pizza Hut to eat this.  I don’t have to prepare it myself.   

The recipe?  I need to find my cook book where I wrote all the recipes of the dishes that I cooked in Durham.  Once upon a time ago.  Indeed.  

A memory with an iron lady

I met Rita in 2009.  We joined Kelana Convoy trip to Europe.   After that trip, she came to Durham in winter 2009 with her friend, Hayat.  We went to Newcastle and ate at Gekko.   The restaurant claims that they serve Halal food but they also serve non-halal food (they put the trays in different sections though).  

On our back to Durham, I remember of thinking about the plates and such that we use.  Opsie…. what if the plates that we used are the ones that were used by others who ate non-halal thingy like pork-based food?   This makes me realise that I have to be extra careful when it comes to eating at such restaurant which caters the halal and non-halal food.

Rita lost her mom not long after our trip.  Her trip to Durham was the trip before she went back to Malaysia for good.  She is a clever and hardworking individual.  Even though, she might appear playful, but she is very serious when it comes to serious things.  When she shared her woes with me, I told her that she needs to discuss and confide in with her mom.  She said that she didn’t want to make her mom to worry about her and her siblings so there were times when she would rather share about her problems with friends.  What a tenacious and caring girl!    She has already the characteristics of an iron lady at that time.  

I am glad that everything turns out alright for her after the incident that shocked the whole country in 2010.  Alhamdullillah justice has been well-served even though it took about seven years to find the closure.   The thing happened during Ramadan.  May Allah Bless her mom with Jannah.  

Band of sisters

When I did my Latihan Ikhtisas, these three ladies are the ones who help me the most.  From the left: Fiza (wearing the sport attire), Aalia, me and Ita.  All of them are really passionate teachers.   I never had any teacher as passionate as them but I am glad that the school has them as their teachers.  May Allah Bless them with continuous hidayah, barakah and rahmah.  

Kampung Ayer Brunei Darussalam

These are old pictures.  I went to Brunei in late 2016 to attend my ex-housemate’s wedding.  Huda was gracious to be our tour guide.  I have been to Kampung Ayer in 2014 but it was the first time for my sister to go to Kampung Ayer.  

It has changed a lot since 2014.  There is new development of housing at Kampung Ayer in which they build houses with modern design.   I have to search for the pictures of the modern houses that I took (I forget where I store the pictures).  Until then, it is sufficed to provide only those two pictures 😀 

UTM Open Day