The Start of Something New

Another term starts. New stuff happens so I'm glad I won't be totally sapped by accumulating piles of work (---> ie: essays ahhhhhh!!!!)

Firstly, I had planned for V for Vendetta to be screened to my Secondary 3 classes to discuss the ideas of violence, government and free will. They couldn't believe it when they realised it was an M18 movie. I was equally excited about it. So, I made posters and worksheets all by myself! Sadly, the movie was rejected at the last minute and I can't screen it to them. :( :( :( I was frowning after I got to know that. I mean, forget about the graphic parts, V for Vendetta is excellent to discuss concepts so closely related to life, to Social Studies! Moreover, it's decontextualised and the kids aren't always bogged down by content labelled as "MUG FOR MID-YEAR'S".

I heard about the great enthusiasm of some students to whom I screened the first quarter of the film too. Chris (Christine) made 3 kids stand up and raise their hands in a V shape in the air in class because they kept doing this action after watching V fight. LOL. I shouldn't have decided to screen it I THINK, the kids may not be not mature enough to watch it and by screening it in the identity of a teacher, it can be implied that the school endorses violence and the like. On the hand, I think that the dynamic film should be screened because they would be engaged to think. What a pity.

But looking on the bright side, I'm elated I tried something new. I took my own initiative to get away from the classroom teaching that we used to detest so much. I made my own movie posters for publicity and worksheets on something decontextualised. I got the students to be aware that Social Studies is alive and that it can be fun.

And then we have two new untrained teachers, Wee Kong and Chun Kiat. Chun Kiat was from NTU Mass Comm. and we were like whoa! He has a ruddy complexion with a golden tan. If I only I had his skin. I think mine is a little too fair. I miss the cranky times we had when Ruth was here, but Chun Kiat is very amiable and friendly, though he's almost a decade older than us.

I too, learnt a new tactic to handle tricky students. When they say I'm 'cute' (how discouraging! I'm adorable...but ugly :( :( ) or ask why I'm so short, I tell them off sternly, 'You don't talk like this to a teacher, ok!'. And when there are plain playful kids who aren't afraid of detention, punishment and outright reprimanding, I grab them by their shoulders to get their butts to their seats. I must admit it was quite funny, cos I did it to this Sec 1 kid who is notorious for his indifference and mischief. He was taken aback when I did so and guarded him beside his seat.

Oh! and I finally bought new running shoes. After that crazy night-cycling trip, my only pair of surviving pair of running shoes gave way at the front. And which brand is that? CHEATER BUG NIKE. I needed to replace the shoes once a year whenever I bought Nike, which has been the case since 6 years ago! Must be the cheap glue they gave to the sweatshops. Given the fast rate of depreciation of all my shoes (I finished using a pair of heels in 2 months LOL), my Nike shoes might spoil faster. Anyway, I can't wait to try my new shoes out at the school's Sports Carnival tomorrow. I'm playing Street Bendy and running the 4x100m C Div' relay for Drakon, the house with blue parts on the house shirt.

I'm tired, I need sleep. I going for a postponed night-cycling trip again tomorrow! : ) I'm going with churchmates, most of whom will be people from my batch (Mr Danny Boy and Ryan for example). I hope I won't get a lousy bike again and get left behind or cycle like crazy just to reach a satisfactory speed. But before that, I'm going to CCAB for our school's Sports Carnival. Yay. Yawn. I'm a tired and contented girl. Goodnight.