I Ran in the Annual Road Run!

I wish to share that I ran with the Lower Sec boys during the Annual Road Run last Friday, 24th Feb 06. The route is 3.2km in the neighbourhood around the school compound. I just recovered from a flu before the run, and I have not jogged for a month. The run was tiring in the process. I told myself to PERSIST and press on. Along the way, good to see that some pupils that I overtook, caught up and overtook me again. It was very satisfying when I reached the finishing line and I felt a sense of achievement.

When I finished my run, I went behind the classroom block to cheer the rest of the boys and girls (including Upper Sec boys and girls) that are coming in till the last ones. Hopefully, at that moment of concentration at the final lapse, words from me like “You are reaching the finishing line, 100m less! PERSIST ALL THE WAY!”, “That’s right , PRESS ON!” which I shouted for them stick in their mind and is useful in other areas of their life, like study, CCA and other things (this is some psychological subconscious mind staff, which I learned somewhere).

1A & 1C Maths Common Test Results

I marked the Maths common tests for my 2 maths classes, 1A and 1C and I am surprised and very interested with the results. IC is the class where pupils have a lot of A* in Maths in PSLE. Although they did well in CT 1, IA did even better in CT1 than 1C. I taught the classes the same things. I analysed that the differences in the 2 classes are the class spirit and hardworkingness of the pupils which determines the current result. I always tell the pupils not to be proud of the past results and be humble always. I will share studying strategies and positive thinking strategies so that the 2 classes can improve further.

CNY Classrooms Decoration

Photos with my students during Lunar New Year Classroom Decoration.

About Marking Maths Homework

Maths is one of the subjects that have a lot of homework so that the concepts taught are reinforced and rehearsed. Pupils spend a lot of time doing Maths homework. So far, I have to spend a lot of time marking like a machine and the homework keep coming in as we have homework every lesson. I can’t finish marking homework.

Thinking through, I am thinking time can better be used to prepare more interesting lessons or marking tests instead of marking and marking the non-stop homeworks. Pupils can have self-directed learning and feedback by marking on their own as basically the answers for the homework are at the back of the textbook. I can go through some of the more difficult questions in the classroom. I also have regular class test every week to test pupils understanding of the important topics.

I will discuss this with 1A and 1C. I find that so far, they have a lot of initiative on their own learning. Let experiment this like a science experiment and check the result.

My Dream on Discipline of School

During Staff Meeting, we discussed about Discipline. My dream of a self-disciplined pupil is that he/she does the right thing even when no told or nobody is looking. Also, if he/she does not know, he/she does the right thing when instructed once only. To sum it up, pupils take initiative, and they take responsibility and accountability of their behaviors and action.