"Sir" Nazri...

Assalamu'alaikum! Alhamdulillah that I was born a Muslim.

It's the second week of the new diploma semester and classes have just begun. Every semester, I remind my students NOT to call me Sir Nazri. 'Sir', if placed in front of a name, it becomes a title.

Sir Lancelot was no one's English teacher.

One will only get this title if one has been 'Knighted' by the Queen of England. Like Sir Elton John, or Sir Alex Ferguson, or Sir Lancelot.

Instead, call me; Mister Nazri. So I tell my students. Or Just Sir. Apparently, some students didn't understand, and just called me Mister. Which in the US would refer to a male stranger. Each time they accidentally called me "Sir", they'd be scared I might slice their heads off and immediately shout "I mean Mister!"

So I'd feel like stranger in class.

"Mister, I don't understand. Could you repeat again?"

"Mister! Mister! Do we have class today, Mister??"

So remember students, it's either Mister Nazri or just Sir. And NEVER Sir Nazri.

Random...

Salam and Hello Giant Midgets!

It's been a while since my last post. I promised to review several movies but sadly, I haven't really gotten the chance to watch any of them, let alone review them.

I been very busy with a lot of work, at work. Not to mention all the problems some of my students have been giving me. I don't understand students nowadays.

During my time, students wouldn't dare miss a test or a quiz. I, myself, would sometimes not sleep until the test is over. I can't believe that 'university' students would have the nerve to miss a test because they oversleep. That's just irresponsible. I dunno what I'm trying to say here.

I know that some of my readers are my students. I just wanna say that I don't want to fail anyone. I've been very lenient this semester, and gave you a lot of chances. There shouldn't be a reason for you to fail. Unless you did terribly in your tests. But most of you did great.

I hope you'll all remember that final speech I gave about being a 'university' student and being responsible for your own actions. You have no one to blame but yourself. I blame myself if you aren't satisfied with the knowledge that I have transferred on to you...

Ok, anyway, I'll end this entry here and start another post.. Midgets!

Creative and Innovative??

This is the result of quick thinking and limited resources. If the cable doesn't work the way it's suppose to, make useful in another way.

Am I on The Right Track?...

Retrieve from Flickr by jimmy adams

Will my ability to communicate in English only be limited inside the classroom? I hope not. I want to go out. I want to talk to native speakers.

I like teaching. When I teach, I get to be full on American with my students. I like teaching because I get an audience to listen to me talk about things that matter. I like teaching students about new ways to generate ideas and be creative and critical.

But somehow, I don't feel like it's enough. It's like a soldier, after being trained with all the skills in combat, the soldier doesn't get to go out on the battle field. Instead, he was assigned to train other soldiers.

But if not teaching, then what?

Problems at Home Spilling Out...

I can understand why some teachers tend to be very grumpy in the classroom because of problems that they face at home. I was stressed out this morning becasue of several happenings at home and it's making me twitch at every little thing that my students are doing wrong in class, like coming to class 30 minutes late!! Not following instructions!! Not taking their tasks seriously!!

But, I try not to explode. If I do, it's not because I'm frustrated with them, but it's because of what happened at home....

Trying To Make Learning Fun...

Uncountable nouns... Teaching it is not the problem. Putting icing on top the dried prune is the problem...

Grammar Aint No Rollercoaster....

As I was saying before, going into a classroom unprepared is like going on a trip with no plans. However, all is not doomed yet. It all depends on your skills in improvising. A boring textbook can be fun if you have the right skills.

I find it very easy to do when it comes to teaching speaking. I don't normally prepare beforehand when I teach speaking, but I use my expressions, and dynamism to make the class fun and exciting. However, this is for speaking. It's practical.

What happens when you need to teach grammar? I find myself constantly failing to make my grammar class fun if it's not prepared beforehand. I think for grammar, there is no compromise. You need to plan the lesson. You need to study all the routes for a variety of ways to teach it.

Security Guard...

 A few months ago I had expressed my frustration towards the way the security guard have been treating the young lecturers at my institution. Today, I'm glad to say that it's not longer happening.

I guess it's only fair for me to acknowledge the improvements that the guards have made since then. They haven't stopped my car even once since November. I guess that's because they've already recognize my car. I use a very distinctive car that isn't so common in Jengka. That could be one of the main factors.

Actually, all the drama could've been avoided if I was just a bit more patient.

A Blank Road Map...

Stepping into a classroom unprepared is like getting into a car without money, gas, or a destination. The only thing that'll save you is the text book. The text book is like a map, not even a GPS, it's a map that shows the destination and how to get there. But what it doesn't show is the best place to have lunch, or take a rest, or to stop and do some cam-whoring. There's nothing fun to do through out the trip.