Saturday, December 24, 2011
What is My Purpose in Life?
Salam ,
Dear Section 8,
Here goes the assignment (finally!). It's really simple. Answer the question above. Be authentic and truthful to yourselves (I always appreciate that).
Can't wait to read them :-)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
"What is the best way to teach reading?"
Dear readers,
I have been quiet haven't I?
For all I know, it is already the last day of Ramadhan.
Question: Have I done enough to please my Creator?...hem...(thinking hard)...
Sorry...I cant discuss well on this topic. Don't even know how to address this issue..and I haven't been writing for quite sometime. Obviously I'm NOT a writer..
Tonight however( just like any other weird nights that I had), I wish to write on this topic. Something that came at the spur of the moment. It came a few days ago while I was waiting for my pre-dawn meal (sahur). I felt like writing something on this topic that I wrote blindly on a piece of paper.
"What is the best way to teach reading?"
This question is interesting indeed. Does it sound honest to you?
May be..if the enquirer is sincerely looking for answers to this question.
But what if someone pound you with the next question,
"Come on, don't beat around the bush. What would you do if you have 20 hours a week to teach English and at the end of the semester, students are supposed to be able to answer the reading comprehension questions? Where do you start?"
To answer this question, let me share my experience as an ELT practitioner.
For the past 14 years of teaching English, I didn't seriously bother to look for answers to this question. I 'taught' reading according to the stipulated syllabus and I 'thought' that was enough. However, something didn't seem quite right - I felt something was missing.
This was when I started to ask these questions:
1) Do I know enough of what 'reading' is all about?
2) Am I aware of my students' abilities, preferences and levels of difficulties that they face during the reading process?
As a teacher (who was bogged down with so many other responsibilities) it was easier to subscribe to the quickest method - to cover whatever was needed to be taught for that particular semester. However, the next big question remained - Were my students 'learning' anything at all?
I have been quiet haven't I?
For all I know, it is already the last day of Ramadhan.
Question: Have I done enough to please my Creator?...hem...(thinking hard)...
Sorry...I cant discuss well on this topic. Don't even know how to address this issue..and I haven't been writing for quite sometime. Obviously I'm NOT a writer..
Tonight however( just like any other weird nights that I had), I wish to write on this topic. Something that came at the spur of the moment. It came a few days ago while I was waiting for my pre-dawn meal (sahur). I felt like writing something on this topic that I wrote blindly on a piece of paper.
"What is the best way to teach reading?"
This question is interesting indeed. Does it sound honest to you?
May be..if the enquirer is sincerely looking for answers to this question.
But what if someone pound you with the next question,
"Come on, don't beat around the bush. What would you do if you have 20 hours a week to teach English and at the end of the semester, students are supposed to be able to answer the reading comprehension questions? Where do you start?"
To answer this question, let me share my experience as an ELT practitioner.
For the past 14 years of teaching English, I didn't seriously bother to look for answers to this question. I 'taught' reading according to the stipulated syllabus and I 'thought' that was enough. However, something didn't seem quite right - I felt something was missing.
This was when I started to ask these questions:
1) Do I know enough of what 'reading' is all about?
2) Am I aware of my students' abilities, preferences and levels of difficulties that they face during the reading process?
As a teacher (who was bogged down with so many other responsibilities) it was easier to subscribe to the quickest method - to cover whatever was needed to be taught for that particular semester. However, the next big question remained - Were my students 'learning' anything at all?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
What is 'simplicity'?
Salam everyone. Im here at this place where I usually sit to finish my marking. My mind starts to run wild while I watch my surroundings..There are people rushing to buy things at this Mall, parents hurryin to the baskin robbins and those who do ..nothing..just enjoying their coffee. I begin to open this book that I borrowed from my student, Dr.Susi entitled "How Philosophy Can Save YOur Life - 10 Ideas that Matter Most by Marietta Mc Carty. The writer who is an assistant professor of philosophy at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, talks about the 10 themes that are necessary for us to grasp in order to live a truly fulfilling life. The first one is 'simplicity'. I didnt understand what this word meant back then when I was younger. Now, I can really relate to it. It says "plain,pure, uncomplicated,basic, modest and essential" (p.3)..Essential again according to her is a simple lifestyle that is complete in the essentials needed to live well. These essentials are for us to 'uncover' or 'rediscover' by streamlining our lives. She throws a question "What are the basics that we must have for good living?". Hem...interesting indeed...
Since I have to get back to my marking (argh!!!), I shall end this post with a quote by Charlotte Joko Beck..."Life is actually a very simple matter".
Hem...is life really 'that simple'? What do you think dear readers?
May God bless you.
Since I have to get back to my marking (argh!!!), I shall end this post with a quote by Charlotte Joko Beck..."Life is actually a very simple matter".
Hem...is life really 'that simple'? What do you think dear readers?
May God bless you.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Thank you all.... (2rd April 2011)
Assalamualaikum w.b.t
I know if I procrastinate, I won't get it done. So, I told myself, this is just as important as finishing my marking! Wow..if only this entry got published on time! pheweet!( Amy Search version).
Hem...what else can I say Section 31? Except.... thank you.... for coming to my house today!
I am so touched by your gestures like bringing food that you gals cook by yourselves! The spaghetti was nice (that was why I ate it) and the great warmth and cheerful faces made me feel blessed. Thank you God for bestowing me such a wonderful profession. I might not make tons of money (at least not yet) but I am so grateful for all the wonderful things in life - like my students' visit to my house - something that money can't buy (wait...but again if you have money ,u can always order food and invite people to come right?...hem..now I'm not so sure ..).
Anyway, it had been wonderful having you around in my EOP class. (Section 35 has yet to come and Helmi, what are you waiting for???).
In class we managed to watch a movie, listened to "Rebecca" and "Memoirs of Geisha", shared common problems in life, overcame stage fright, exchanged stories in extensive reading, learn new words in each class and the list continues.
I sincerely hope you enjoy those moments as much as I did :-)
Love you all and once again....Thank you.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Welcome to Parenting Class :-) (Sem 2, 2010/2011)
Salam everyone,
So far so good? I am sorry for not writing earlier. This is my first entry after a long, long time. Yes, I AM guilty as charged - for not maintaining my blog. T.Harv Eker a self-made millionaire mentioned the 'Law of Maintenance' which basically means anything that we wish to be in a good condition should be constantly 'well-maintained' i.e like a good relationship VS a hit-and-run one. If this is difficult to achieve, perhaps the practice of KAIZEN is an option. Doing something small but on a constant basis.hem.... But I'm not going to blabber on that. Now, I want to discuss about this course you are taking.
Hem....where shall we start? Oh yes, I told you in our first class - to START with a FRESH mindset - to leave behind any negative/ wrong models of parenting that you have experienced so far. This is very IMPORTANT so that we are not replicating the bad ones to our next generation. I would use 'we' alternately as a device to remind myself too!
Let me start on a positive or a rather beautiful quotation. I took this and other quotations from the book "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert. "There is no greater risk than matrimony. But there is nothing happier than a happy marriage." - Benjamin Disraeli,1870, In a letter to Queen Victoria's daughter Louise, congratulating her on her engagement. Beautiful isn't it? "Nothing happier than a happy marriage" Ahhh!!..But you got to be happily married to truly understand what this means!
....and so my task begins... I hope to shed some light into this matter. I wish I had a similar course like this when I was studying in UPM between 1990-1996. I only had 'Munakahat' class that I took at the evening religious school in Johor when I was younger. That was a really good one. However, no one told me of the challengers being a working mum and wife back then. It wasn't my ustazah's fault at all. She wouldn't have any inclination back then that the world is going to move so rapidly that young men and women need to be told of their 'rights' and 'obligations' in this challenging context.
The most important thing is to know how do we go about compromising with each other while maintaining rights of both the husband and wife? Because we come to understand that "Sometimes life is too hard to be alone, and sometimes life is too good to be alone" (p.81), that we must seek to understand in order to be understood (from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).
So....I shall hand you this platform to discuss and throw your ideas....what are the rights and obligations of a husband and a wife - from the Islamic and also from other perspectives. Let us free ourselves from any gender bias and discuss this matter with an open mind. We also know very well the great mandate that Allah had bestowed upon men called 'husbands'. Even our mothers can't supersede them. Pretty cool and awesome to be given the highest rank don't you think? But again, what are their obligations to their wives and children? Can this 'mandate' lead to corruption of power? (Sorry guys, no intention of being sarcastic here). Hehe..So..... think hard and do some homework...coz a good homework will usually produce good results :-)..
See you soon!
So far so good? I am sorry for not writing earlier. This is my first entry after a long, long time. Yes, I AM guilty as charged - for not maintaining my blog. T.Harv Eker a self-made millionaire mentioned the 'Law of Maintenance' which basically means anything that we wish to be in a good condition should be constantly 'well-maintained' i.e like a good relationship VS a hit-and-run one. If this is difficult to achieve, perhaps the practice of KAIZEN is an option. Doing something small but on a constant basis.hem.... But I'm not going to blabber on that. Now, I want to discuss about this course you are taking.
Hem....where shall we start? Oh yes, I told you in our first class - to START with a FRESH mindset - to leave behind any negative/ wrong models of parenting that you have experienced so far. This is very IMPORTANT so that we are not replicating the bad ones to our next generation. I would use 'we' alternately as a device to remind myself too!
Let me start on a positive or a rather beautiful quotation. I took this and other quotations from the book "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert. "There is no greater risk than matrimony. But there is nothing happier than a happy marriage." - Benjamin Disraeli,1870, In a letter to Queen Victoria's daughter Louise, congratulating her on her engagement. Beautiful isn't it? "Nothing happier than a happy marriage" Ahhh!!..But you got to be happily married to truly understand what this means!
....and so my task begins... I hope to shed some light into this matter. I wish I had a similar course like this when I was studying in UPM between 1990-1996. I only had 'Munakahat' class that I took at the evening religious school in Johor when I was younger. That was a really good one. However, no one told me of the challengers being a working mum and wife back then. It wasn't my ustazah's fault at all. She wouldn't have any inclination back then that the world is going to move so rapidly that young men and women need to be told of their 'rights' and 'obligations' in this challenging context.
The most important thing is to know how do we go about compromising with each other while maintaining rights of both the husband and wife? Because we come to understand that "Sometimes life is too hard to be alone, and sometimes life is too good to be alone" (p.81), that we must seek to understand in order to be understood (from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).
So....I shall hand you this platform to discuss and throw your ideas....what are the rights and obligations of a husband and a wife - from the Islamic and also from other perspectives. Let us free ourselves from any gender bias and discuss this matter with an open mind. We also know very well the great mandate that Allah had bestowed upon men called 'husbands'. Even our mothers can't supersede them. Pretty cool and awesome to be given the highest rank don't you think? But again, what are their obligations to their wives and children? Can this 'mandate' lead to corruption of power? (Sorry guys, no intention of being sarcastic here). Hehe..So..... think hard and do some homework...coz a good homework will usually produce good results :-)..
See you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)