It has been a while since I logged in and updated the information at this webpage. It is not that I am lazy to do this but there are so many things that I think are more important to do and thus, I “neglect” this webpage of mine. My fault. I admit that.
There are so many things have happened within 6 years. Some leave indelible marks on my life but what a heck, whatever thing that does not kill me, makes me stronger. Attaboy! That’s the spirit.
So, what’s new?
I just came back from Latihan Ikhtisas or LI (Professional Training) which I had undergone at a school for a year in March 2019. I admit that the first few weeks were challenging because I am in the process of reclaiming my identity as someone who teaches at university, rather than school. Being a teacher has its own perks yet nothing can beat the satisfaction of teaching university students even though there are more challenges (not in teaching them per se but with the other 7Ps – including Pembersihan).
When I left UTM to start my LI, I left my 7Ps responsibilities. When I came back to UTM, I am entrusted with another P – Pembersihan. Yup. We are becoming like the Japanese schools. There are some people come to collect the rubbish from the big black bin at the corridor, but there are no more person in charge of cleaning the toilets, hallway etc. on daily basis. Since “Kakak” stopped her contract, there are irregular individuals who come once a while to clean i.e. clear up the big black rubbish bins, not cleaning the toilets though. But, I don’t mind to clean and mop the toilet once per day (if I feel like it) even though some of my colleagues feel otherwise. Like one of my colleagues said “I am responsible to clean the toilets at my home. I don’t want to clean the toilet at my workplace. I teach (Pengajaran), supervise (Penyelidikan), conduct research (Penyelidikan), write many things not only for publication (Penulisan), publish my work (Penerbitan), go to the community to offer my services (Perkhidmatan kepada watan), be a consultant for others (Perundingan), and now what? Cleaning (Pembersihan)?” I couldn’t agree more with this person yet this is the reality which I have to face or another stressor that I have to deal with.
To decrease stress causes by a stressor, there are certain coping strategies that I can use. Either using appraisal-focused coping, emotion-focused coping or problem-focused coping. In this case, I choose appraisal-focused coping. Rather than looking at the additional P i.e. Pembersihan as a burden, I look at it as a way for me to relieve my stress by doing physical works. Just doing a quick mopping gives me a sense of satisfaction when I look at the clean floor. Yay!!!! I feel good by releasing my oxytocin hormone when I see the faces of toilet users who happen to be my students who say that they prefer to go to this toilet because it is clean. I guess now, for the eppp I need the students to rate me in terms of my commitment to make them feel “comfortable” – i.e. to make their “tushy” feel comfortable- while studying at UTM (tongue in cheek remark!). Well, what can I say! “Happy tummy, happy studying“?
Attaboy! Good job, Dijah! (I am self-praising myself because I using self-regulated model to evaluate my action)
Well, that’s all from me!