Sunday, June 01, 2008
You could say that my school experience started early when I went to help out as a facilitator at primary school at Bt Gombak. It was a job recommendation by my classmate that last for 2 days. Being free and eager for a slice of life at a primary school, me and a few of my classmates signed up for this 2 day camp that was not residential. It helps alot that it's damn near my place, reducing the need for me to wake up early for work daily. All of us were not in it for the money but really for the experience of handling primary 1 kids - the nightmare of all teachers.
Since it was after the exams for them and 2 days to the onset of their June holidays, their school has enlisted the help of private companies to take care of the students' curriculum time. That meant that we were in charge of them from 8.30am to 1pm, with recess from 10am to 10.30am. I met a senior from PE who was working for another working and they were damn unlucky at having to wear office attire for this job. Pity the guys in fact - they had to wear a tie and by recess you could see all of them sweating and taking out their tie for a breather. My attire for the 2 days is my work attire, just the company's shirt and my usual adidas/nike shorts and track shoes. I was already sweating before the start of the programme.
The lucky ones got assigned to students in the upper primary. We got primary 1 kids and that was really a test of our ability and patience. Being facilitators and not teachers, we can't scold the kids for not paying attention, the most I did was to raise my voice countless times to get their attention. I think this is something I have to take note of when I start my practicum proper. You can try your best to capture the attention of the class but there will surely be one or two jokers who ain't gonna follow your instructions. That will cause you to be marked down for your practicum grades. There were times whereby I can try my best to have the attention of the class but there's a few at the back who won't be interested or are busy doing something else. Which brings to my point why I had to raise my voice many times.
It helps alot that the form teacher for the class is rather beautiful and she's just graduated from the diploma course in NIE. Too bad she's older than me by 2 years, can never forsee myself going out with an older girl. I just have this feeling that she's pretty grateful we're there to help her take care of the remaining 2 days she had with her class, being in this job, i know teachers reallly need a break now and then. I've got alot of respect for primary school teachers, especially primary 1 teachers. It's not easy controlling a class of 30 plus kids. You can never be a nice guy on the first day of work or even for the remaining year. They will walk over your head literally.
There's alot of scenes that I've witnessed and it went through my head after work. Some of those which I've probably did when I was young as well. Things like "Don't wanna friend you", "He step on my paper and the other student burst out crying", "this malay boy who liked to take off his pants" and "saying stuff like it's not fair" etc. It's really different classroom management issues that is so different from secondary school ones. Which is why I'm glad I'm a secondary school teacher. This is not to say teaching in secondary school is a breeze, something that Boon Kian would probably have his fair share of experiences. Problems like not turning up for school, smoking and using of vulgarities. I mean I like kids but maybe not that young, especially for physical education and geography, these are subjects that I can better related to with older kids.
At this end of these facilitation, I came out a better man. It was certainly not the $90 that I'm gonna get but the wholesome experience that this work has given to me. The best reward is when the kids come to me asking "So are you coming tomorrow and starting crowding around you". Now I really understand what's the different between a teacher who has been teaching for more than 30 years like Mr Ong Eng Sun (my secondary one geography teacher) and a teacher who has only taught for 2 to 3 years. Experience really matters alot.
I love my job.
