What Students Say

It's the final teaching week of the April semester and I hope my tenant co-operates fully by staying in her rental facilities until the lease is over.

The last thing I need is to go into labour right now when I still have classes going on!

Cutting it too close, I know. But such things can't be predicted.

Anyway, I received my teaching evaluation feedback and it's always interesting to read the students' comment about me. This was for my Film Theory & Criticism class:

Some positive ones:

• Ms Teo is clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about films, and thus, this influences the class and makes her lessons a joy to go for.
• She is very kind and approachable which makes people want to learn. People are not afraid to approach her to clarify doubts.
• She goes the extra mile for her students.

This one cracked me up because it implies that a pregnant lecturer is (perhaps) grumpier and less energetic:

• Ms YC has a lot of energy (even when she's pregnant, even when she looks tired) whenever she teaches us in lectures and tutorials, and it helps in my student learning. It makes you want to learn and listen to her. She provides feedback so her students know where to improve on the next time. She uses social media to give certain announcements (this helps so much as some students don't check olive!)

And some areas of improvement:

• Instructions could be more clearer on the required tasks for assignments. Provide examples of assignments. Example, provide an example of how a film journal is before giving students the task so that we have a clearer view on what is expected.

My instructions and suggested marking schemes are very DETAILED. And I do NOT give model answers/assignments because that's an easy way out. I know students too well. They will use the template and change the answers to fit their work. No effort whatsoever to do their own research. Sorry, I refuse to spoon-feed them. During my school days, there were no power point slides given to us. The lecturers didn't even use slides - they spoke and we scribbled notes. 

Besides, this is a film journal and everyone has to develop their own unique style/voice in their writing. And if they want really "samples", there are plenty of books in the library to refer to. Plus, there's always Google (even though that's not a recommend source).

• Joke around a bit! - sometimes she seem too serious in teaching.

Really? I never thought of myself as a serious lecturer! That's quite a revelation. Last time I checked, I was employed as an educator, not an entertainer.

• Pick nicer films to watch. (: no more black and white films pleeeassseeeeee.

This isn't a Film Appreciation class, darlings. Classical Black and White films are integral in Film history and I don't select films based on whether I think the students will "enjoy" them. I never liked 3/4 of the stuff I learnt in school either but it was part of the curriculum and I just roughed it out.

I select films based on the topics covered in the syllabus. I also make sure I introduce different genres and styles, and the films aren't confined to Hollywood productions. 

So yeah, as long as I'm teaching this subject, Citizen Kane and Seven Samurai will remain on my teaching list. 

Luckily I got to teach one of my favourite subjects this semester - it made my difficult pregnancy more bearable because time whizzes past when you're passionate about the content. And even though I was feeling utterly URGHSSSSS most of the time, the morning sickness, aches and pains miraculously vanished when I step into class.

Good thing I love my job.

At least the teaching bit.

The marking, not so.

And the piles of scripts are giving me the evil eye now so I'd better be off with my red pen in hand.

Proofead. Poofread. Proofreed. Proofread!

Here's the link to my second article I wrote for 938Live's English@Work.

Unfortunately the linked site removes some punctuation marks (like apostrophes) in my article. Irony? I'm writing about proofreading!


Proofead. Poofread. Proofreed. Proofread! 

We spend a third of our time at the office writing emails, reports, letters and other documents. In our haste to meet deadlines, we inadvertently make spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. We’re also guilty of “cut-and-paste” jobs which show inconsistency in font type, size or colour.

Proofreading – or the lack of it – says plenty about our work attitude. We all know colleagues whose shoddy standards leave much to be desired and we end up correcting their mistakes. While we can’t always be perfect, we can minimise errors by proofreading our work.

1) Check the squiggly lines. Don’t ignore the red lines (spelling mistakes or unrecognisable words) and green lines (grammatical errors e.g. sentence fragments) as these help in editing the first draft. Be careful not to be over-reliant on them because they won’t pick out wrongly-used words that are spelled correctly.

2) Review on a hard copy. The glare from computer screens can be strenuous on our eyes, making it difficult to edit. Printing out your document and reviewing it on paper helps you catch errors you could have previously missed.

3) Take a break. Put away your work for a few hours, or even days, if possible. The rest will do wonders to your mental and physical state, and you will gain a new perspective to your document.

4) Get “a fresh pair of eyes." It’s tricky picking out your own mistakes if you’ve been staring at it for too long. Ask someone to review the piece. It helps if this person hasn’t read it before and may be able to spot errors which escaped you, especially when editing for content.

Acquiring proofreading skills isn’t just for writers and editors. It’s useful for anyone who understands the importance of producing and delivering quality work.

Written by Teo Yuan Ching
Temasek Polytechnic's Division of Communications & Media Management

Cheers to 2013

Happy New Year and welcome 2013!

That's when I say thanks but no thanks to all that 2012 has given and taken away from me.

I don't want to elaborate further because I don't want to repeat the stories. Brings back cruel memories I want to lock up in the dungeon of my cold, bitter heart.

The only thing I want to do for 2013 is to put everything behind me and move on. 

Perhaps the single piece of good news that sprouted towards the last quarter was that Xian miraculously overcame her insecurities and academic woes, and managed to clear all examination papers in the final semester. Those results weren't excellent by normal standards, but when your kid's averaging 30+ for most subjects and she scores 60s and 70s for the finals, that's definitely a major accomplishment on her part so won't you be proud of her efforts? I definitely am. 

Of course she didn't pull it off on her own. I was on a verge of a nervous breaking down myself when she drastically lost about 4kg in a matter of weeks and also lost large amounts hair. It was the usual case of me battling others' expectations of my daughter. I'd to put my foot down but simultaneously tried to dodge the bullets that were relentlessly fired at my direction. To me, it's simple. I rather have my daughter healthy, happy and alive. Academic success is but a small fraction of what life is really about. So if I have to face the music and be executed for my actions, so be it. In the end, my victory was won by the sidelines, and the smile on Xian's face when she got her results was priceless.

And one of the crucial factors that pushed Xian's confidence level up was my insistence that she joined the Table Tennis practice sessions during the week-long September break. She handed me a consent form and I encouraged her to attend the sessions. It was during this period that Xian's coach identified her potential and this inspired her to take the sport more seriously. Her confidence was given a much needed boost - she finally found something she could called "her own" and there wasn't anyone else whom she could be compared to!

During the December hols, Xian was asked to attend many more sessions and even trained with the Secondary Table Tennis school team for a week. Her coach spoke to me and lamented that Xian's "discovered" too late - most of the school team members started in Primary 2 or 3 - but if she's willing to train hard, she can make it. He even specially selected a Table Tennis bat for her (the cheapo $20 ones I got for her weren't competition standard enough) that cost me $110. 

So for 2013, this could spell a big break for Xian. Whether she makes it to the school team or even gets a chance to represent her school in any competition isn't that important. What's more crucial is that she plays up on her strengths, embraces them and accepts her flaws. She's turning 11 and moving into her tweens, and that's going to be another headache for me.

As for Wen, 2012 also signalled new challenges for her. She formally embarked on her Primary school education and it was hilarious to witness how blasé she is about school life. Little Miss Scatterbrain is supremely cool and nonchalant, leaving school books and homework under her desk, losing her belongings and stationery without losing her cool! I received calls from her teachers about her lacklustre  academic performance - she doesn't try hard enough and is contented to just get by. While she's managed to scrape through Primary One with passable results (Xian performed better), I'm a little concerned that if she doesn't adopt a more positive attitude, she's going to land herself in hot soup with her teachers. And I may need to make frequent trips to meet them.

But the one thing that perks Wen up immediately? Her weekly Monday night art class. There's a glow on her face when she goes for her art lessons. And if I'm not home by 7pm to send her for class, she'll start calling me frantically even though her class is at 7.30pm. She aims to be the first for lesson but she's always the last to leave since she enjoys lingering around. Well, that's my second born for you. She's takes her Art lessons seriously and that's when she can truly indulge herself.

My youngest, but certainly not the least, probably enjoyed 2012 the most. She's a gregarious 4-year-old and enjoys being the baby bully in the family. She's quite the natural leader and often commands her sisters with barking orders. The hub and I always joke about how Wei's a little woman trapped in a girl's body. She argues with strong logic and rebuts everything you say. Most of Wei's teachers (except her Chinese teacher) have good comments about her behaviour and cheerful disposition. But oh, she's a handful, make NO mistake about that. When she sets her heart on something, there's little you can do to change her mind. And she's only turning FIVE in 2013.

So that's my little report card on my three Leonglets. They drive me crazy most of the time, especially when they squabble, but that's all part and parcel of growing up. And for me, that's what I knowingly got myself into when I decided to spawn.

We've had lots more downs than ups in 2012. I'm no oracle to foresee the future so I can't guarantee 2013 would be any brighter. But we can all hope a little, can't we?

Here's wishing everyone a Happier, Merrier, Cheerier and Infinitely Better 2013!

The End of a Kool Era

This one's for a dear colleague-turned-great friend who's heading back to the corporate world after 2 years and 10 months of teaching. She's made a difference to the students' lives and I know she'll be missed by many. Especially me.

Thanks Lilian, for all that you've done for the students and colleagues. Perhaps you'll be back sooner than you think?! Here's wishing you all the very best in whatever you do!

Ms Kool, my lovely neighbour

A True Friend

I knew the day would come
And it arrived too soon for some
But I'd be lying if I say
I won't miss you when you go away

It's not just 'cos you're a lunch buddy
It's not just 'cos you're a fellow 6-7 matey
It's not just 'cos you're my confidante
It's not just 'cos we work the same way

Thank you for your patience and listening ear
And for not passing judgement whenever I shed a tear
Thank you for trading stories and battle scars
Most of all, for being a gem among the stars

I won't say good-bye
Since I promised not to cry
True Friends we'll always be
And that's a solemn promise from me

Teo Yuan Ching
18 April 2012

Copyright © Teo Yuan Ching

Thank You, Class!

With just two more days to go, it'll be the end of another semester.

This is also the time when lecturers dish out forms to students who will evaluate our teaching effectiveness. It's all part of the process to ensure that we're kept on our toes throughout the semester. To put it bluntly, we've to earn our keep.

I mean, there must be a reason why we've left the corporate world to join the education industry right? If not to "inspire young minds" - as what a young colleague loves to chant - then what?

My greatest satisfaction is when my students "blossom" i.e. they start off with almost zero knowledge or experience but throughout the semester, they slowly build up their think-tank and mature in their approach towards learning. The projects they submit prove that they've understood my lessons and my (constant) nagging, and hopefully they've developed a love for the subjects I love teaching.

I usually leaf through the evaluation sheets (which are completely anonymous) to read their comments about my teaching. I get the usual "She's very encouraging and engaging", "She conducts lessons in an interesting way by giving examples in real life", "She always makes sure that we understand the topic well", "Gives very valuable feedback that motivates me to do better for future assignments" etc.

But I've NEVER receive a comment that touched me so much:

"Good teachers discipline. Great teachers import knowledge. The best inspires an interest in the subject taught; and equip learners with tools to gain a deeper understanding. That's what Ms Teo does."

That's my greatest reward - knowing that I've made an impact on someone's academic journey. At least I know that my students recognise my efforts. It really warms my heart when I receive such compliments.

To my former students (yes, I know some of you read my blog), I want to thank you for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to share with you my experiences which I hope have taught you little lessons that can't be found in textbooks.

And if you found my classes enjoyable, it's largely because you make it enjoyable to teach you. Because a good teacher is only as good as the students she gets. :)

October's Over!

October's been a mad-cap month.

Both Wen and Wei were down with Chicken Pox. There was an outbreak in their kindergarten and Wen fell victim first before Wei contracted it almost 2 weeks later. And in the middle of it all, my domestic helper went home for 2 weeks to visit her family! So I toggled between being a full-time homemaker on some days and a full-time working mum on other days when I couldn't take official leave because of work responsibilities.

I was really very fortunate to have both MIL and FIL (who're staying with us) help out. We worked out an informal system to get us through the 2 weeks. MIL did all the cooking, sweeping and magic-mopping. FIL was her trusty assistant and he folded the clothes and washed the dishes (on the days I was in office). I was in charge of the laundry, washed the toilets, fed the dogs, picked up dog-poo and washed/scrubbed the yard after they pee-ed and poo-ed, swept the dead leaves, and watered the plants the old-fashion way (using the watering can and scooping up water from our fish pond). The hub did all the heavy-duty work and house repairs. He trimmed the towering bamboo plants, vacuumed the whole house and did everything else that nobody could or wanted to do.

In all honesty, I totally suck at housework. My sub-standard quality can never match up to expectations and I'm not organised enough to run through the chore cycle in a systematic manner. So I'd haphazardly complete the tasks and leave traces of "unfinished business" to  periodically answer my emails because I was working from home.

A typical scenario would be this: Stuff clothes into the washing machine and work on some documents before the wash cycle is completed. Sometimes, the laundry is ready before I'm done. To me, it's about optimising my time and multi-tasking. After all, The clothes won't walk away right?

That's what I thought but I was sooooooo wrong. Without any warning, my ever-efficient MIL and FIL would take the laundry out and hang them out before I realised that the clothes had indeed scooted off to the 3rd floor to be sun-dried at our balcony.

Really, they can't stand for an idle moment and probably think I'm trying to shirk my responsibilities. I just prefer to work on the tasks at my own speed and time. Actually, I do enjoy washing the dishes, cleaning the toilets, washing/scrubbing the yard, doing the laundry and any bit of chores relating to water. For obvious reasons, I stay out of the kitchen when MIL is around because she's a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better cook than I will ever be. And there's no way I can whip up tasty Chinese dishes like she can.

On the other hand, the hub's a perfect house-hubby. He's obviously well-trained and can work twice my speed, with double the results. Plus the guy cooks better than I can. Impressive, right? I pale in comparison and I make a terrible homemaker.

That's why I'm sticking to my day job.

And that's why I'm so grateful my helper's back. :D

All I can say is that I've new-found respect for stay-at-home mums without domestic help. I don't know how they manage household chores with child-minding responsibilities. It's a real challenge to even get through the day without screaming in frustration when the kids make a ruckus while you're trying to tidy up the place.

My recent memories as a semi-professional homemaker, albeit short, is enough to haunt me for the next few months, no, years! I'm definitely in no hurry to consider swapping my red pen for a frying pan. Give me a bunch of rowdy students any time!

TODAYonline | Singapore | Taking the stress out of school

TODAYonline | Singapore | Taking the stress out of school

As an educator and a mother of three school-going kids, I naturally take a keen interest in all matters and policies related to education.

My first reaction to this bit of news? Skepticism.

After all these years of rote-learning and emphasis on grades/results, it's almost too impossible to believe that our education system's going to make a u-turn and focus on what matters most: the learning process and effectiveness of knowledge acquisition and retention.

I know too well how each individual has a different learning style and how there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to teaching and learning.

It would indeed be a paradigm shift if we suddenly decide to focus on the formative approach rather than a summative assessment that will ultimately determine the fate of each child. I for one suffered terribly because I detested examinations and never seemed to achieve much success in scoring good grades during these nerve-wrecking periods. But I noticed that I would get excellent grades for coursework subjects or project-based modules where I applied my knowledge and turned theory into application.

For those, like me, who perform better consistently but stumble at the final hurdle, an education system that emphasises less on academic achievements and results, and more on a holistic development, will definitely be a welcome change.

I'm all for the overhaul of our stringent and rigid education system. But right now, I'm just going to take a wait-and-see approach to see how it all pans out.

English Rules: Go back to Basics

TODAYonline | Voices | 'Good English starts at home'

Singapore's English is in a sorry state.

And I think it's going to take more than campaigns to raise the level of English here on our Sunny little island.

It's going to take a revolution.

Sure, it's the parents' responsibility to address the deterioration of English in Singapore, but the education ministry has to consider the causes of the falling standards as well. For starters, some English teachers aren't linguistically trained properly and it's amazing how they can stand in front of a class to teach English when they aren't well-versed in the language themselves.

I fully agree that the learning environment is crucial. Both my parents speak fluent, grammatical English. Of course they use Singlish sometimes but they always knew when to "switch" when the occasion calls for it. That's how I was brought up and I that's how I use English as well.

When I'm with my kids, I try as much as possible to correct them when they lapse into Singlish or speak ungrammatically. But it's an uphill battle because it's usually me against the other significant influences, including the school. My girls started picking up the sing-song twang of Singlish when they stepped into school probably because most of their friends (and some teachers) speak in that manner. And when you're constantly in a particular environment, it's inevitable that your speech patterns will alter somewhat.

So the billion dollar question is this: How can we move ahead and undo the damage that was created some 20 years ago when they threw out some rules that worked?

First order of business is to reinstate old-school spelling drills. Get rid of text language and social media versions of words and phrases like 'LOL', 'FTW', 'IDC', 'IDK' etc. I'm all for abbreviations and I use them too. But students need to know the appropriate times to use them. Definitely not for their essays and school work. I've lost count on the number of times I've to circle in red over 'btw', 'u', 'i', 'e' in my students' work.

Next is to force-feed grammar rules at the foundation level. I remember memorising idioms, phrases, antonyms, synonyms, homonyms, collective nouns and was tested on a weekly basis. It helped tremendously.

Last, but certainly not the least, is to encourage parents to try and cut out Singlish and refrain from mixing English with other languages. I hate it when people say things like "Later wo (I) call ni (you)" or "I think so ba". If possible, eradicate the 'la', 'lor', 'meh', 'sia' from daily speech.

We'll need to take baby steps to re-establish some good habits and practices at home. On a larger scale, the Ministry of Education should review the way English is taught in schools, especially at the foundation level.

Easier said than done, of course. But my stand is that when things go horribly wrong, we should always go back to the basics. And start from scratch.

Words before midnight

It's five minutes to midnight.

Yet my brain refuses to rest. It's always the case when I'm in my "research" mode - reading new material that I'll be incorporating into my lessons next term.

I'm always excited when I'm given a chance to run a subject - that's when I can structure my lessons and decide the flow of the classes.

But I've a long day ahead. Meetings scheduled at 9am, and another at 9.30am, before the examination scripts for Corporate Events Management (CEM) come in around noon.

Then I'll be huddled in my cubicle with the curtains drawn. It'll be marking in progress.

So I'm going to take my leave now because I *need* the rest and a clear mind when I whip out my red pen tomorrow afternoon.

In exactly 12 hours' time, the fate of 80 plus CEM students will rest in four teachers.

Mess is my Middle Name

I've to seriously clear my work station! Even I can'... on Twitpic

Stepped into my work station today and realised what a disorganised space it has become.

Behold! My Messy Work Station

Piles of papers, files, folders and stationery strewn all over the table. Bags and boxes on the floors. Yes, I'm a clutter-bug.

I absolutely need to get my act together and clean this mess up!

Admittedly, I've never been Miss Neat and the hub never fails to remind me about how I can never find my stuff. And towards the end of the semester, when we're all scrambling to meet project deadlines, my work station becomes a dumping ground. 

Now I'm impatiently waiting for Monday's Corporate Events Management exam to be over so I can get cracking on the marking before I begin on my exam results processing next Friday.

OK, I need a good day or two to throw away ANCIENT projects and assessments that I've been hording for far too long.

It's going to be Operation Clean Table in a week's time.

Teaching Heartware

It's the first day of September and as far as I can remember, it's always been associated with Teachers' Day.

In many of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools (and perhaps the junior colleges), there will be celebrations and no lessons are conducted. And by now, my younger two would have been home (it's 11.15am) while Xian just called to inform me that she's finished school and managed to locate her school bus.

All my kids brought little gifts for their teachers yesterday, although a few declined to accept them.

Over at my work place, all's quiet as the examinations are still on-going. Many of my colleagues (including myself) are buried in marking, tidying up administrative documents or getting ready for examination processing. I left sticky post-it notepads for my colleagues as tokens of appreciation for their boundless energy and enthusiasm in their efforts to shape the future generations.

A few students posted on my Facebook wall or tweeted their Teachers' Day wishes. It's always nice to get a simple 'Thank You' from them. A little goes a long way.

To all my fellow educators, enjoy this significant day where we pay tribute to all the teachers who've made an impact in our lives. Several of these remarkable beings must have inspired us to become educators ourselves.

For me, I will always fondly remember my Primary 5 English teacher, Mrs Jennifer Tan, who was also my form teacher. She appeared strict but she was a really kind and gentle soul and she was the one who nurtured my love for the English Language. Unlike some other teachers, Mrs Tan never gave preferential treatment to the "good" students. Suddenly, average kids like myself were given opportunities which were usually "reserved" for the academically brilliant. She taught with her heart and we could feel her warmth and sincerity.

Mrs Jennifer Tan made a difference in my life.

The other unforgettable teacher was my Secondary 3 English and Literature teacher Ms Barbara Clark who, coincidentally, was also my form teacher. She's funny, witty, spunky and made Literature fun! I'll always remember her reading of George Orwell's Animal Farm: "Four legs goooood, two legs baaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaad!" Ms Clark was, for the lack of a better word, "unconventional" and "non-traditional". She's probably the first teacher whom many of us acknowledged as our friend, someone who could relate to us at our level.

Ms Barbara Clark made a difference in my life.

Needless to say, both Mrs Tan and Ms Clark greatly inspired me and I'm honoured to have been taught by them. Both of them are my role models and they've influenced my teaching style. If I am ever considered a good teacher, then I would say I have even greater teachers because I learnt from them.

Teaching should always be from the heart. And these days, students can clearly tell if their teachers genuinely care about them or are just doing a job for the heck of it.

It's been 10 years in this education industry. Although I do miss the rush of corporate life at times, I don't regret trading my business suits for "less intimidating" office wear. I enjoy the classroom environment and interacting with my students. Yes, I definitely know where my heart is. I want to give back what I took from all my wonderful teachers.

Perhaps I too can make a difference in someone's life.

Another Day

Yes, I'm still in the office.

Just sent out a couple of official emails and have yet to craft another important one.

But I'm tired. And that's the worse state of mind to be in when writing sensitive emails because I need to concentrate and carefully word my sentences.

I'll take a breather, let my thoughts settle down before I start a new day tomorrow.

It's 7.30pm now. Time to shut down and head home.

What. A. Day.

July doesn't like me very much, does she?

I got a call from one of my Corporate Events Management students in the afternoon. They had gone down to a particular secondary school (which shall not be named) to speak to the student volunteers who were going to help out at the event. Apparently, this group of misbehaving and rowdy students weren't very willing to learn the dance moves that were part of the flash mob. One character even stepped out of the line, created some trouble and ruffled several feathers.

To cut a long story short, my students were "stalked" and confronted" by this young teenager and his gang outside the school compound. I wasn't present to witness what happened but there was some physical contact between the said teen and one of my students. Thankfully, no-one was hurt and the school teacher was called in to settle the dispute.

I'm upset because this incident has shaken some of the students. And I think many are prepared to fail this subject and not show up for the event as they're concerned for their own safety. While it's easy for me to say that things will be fine, I can't guarantee if trouble will stay away.

Will mull over this tonight and try to resolve the issue by tomorrow, if possible. While my primary concern is for their welfare, I'm infuriated that all their hard work and planning will come to nought should we make changes to the programme. It's cruel that they're so close to the completion of the event and all this could be gone in a flash.

I need a sign to make the call.

Can't have my cake and eat it. Can you?

With several blinks of an eye, it's soon gonna be bye bye July.

And I'm quite glad because this month's been a wreck.

I've been bludgeoned by a spate of unfortunate incidents at work and at home. I lost my cool several times and flared up too readily, incurring the wrath of several people, including the poor hub.

I can't explain what happened, but something in me snapped more than once and I guess it was all that I could take.

One of the main reasons for my meltdown was the stress of taking over a colleague's duties when she resigned to care for her family. I started assuming the responsibilities in late May and to top it off, I was also given new projects to manage. It was only this month that I began to realise that I had indeed bitten off more than I could chew.

To make matters worse, the school holidays were over and the girls had gone back to school. Things were particularly tough for Xian who'd not performed well during the mid-year examinations. No surprises for guessing who's made accountable for her less-than-stellar academic performance.

I found myself staying back later in office each day just to clear the administrative work that piled up because I could only get cracking when I'm done with my classes. After 6 in the evening, when most of my colleagues have left for the day, I would start shifting through my files and replying emails.

Just when I thought things couldn't get ANY worse, I realised that I'd become an unwilling listening ear to another colleague who'd conveniently share work grievances when I clearly was in no mood to be sympathetic. Sadly, my non-verbal communication cues seemed to have been totally lost on this ignorant person who was determined to drag me down just because it was possible to do so. It got to the point when I showed traces of agitation and only then did this person get the message and backed off. For a while.

I was SO affected that I couldn't leave the office one evening because I was fuming and couldn't find an outlet to vent. Even when I finally got into the car, I couldn't even drive off because I could feel my heart racing and I knew that if I'd move the car so much as an inch, I would crash dangerously because I really, REALLY wanted to smash something up.

Honestly, I have no patience for those who complain about their "heavy workload" when I'm doing double or triple their share AND still manage to produce decent quality work and meet deadlines.

Needless to say, this deadly combination of overloaded work and crumbling family issues took its toll on my fraying nerves and last week, the walls crumbled.

On Monday, I had to stay back late to speak to my event class' client, sorting out issues and discussing how to help the students get back on track. It just so happened that MIL had an eye operation on the same day and I'd promised the hub that I would rush back as soon as I could. Naturally, I returned home later than expected and we had a spat sparked off by our differing views on Xian's education.  I lashed out at the hub, calling him terrible names and in turn, he gave me the silent treatment for the whole week.

Although we made up at the end of the week (largely because I can't stand the no-communication zone and initiated the peace-making offer, as usual) and things have stabilised a little, the emotional upheaval is still too raw for discomfort.

Work-Life Balance is nothing but a myth and fantasy, and the ones who whole-heartedly embrace this notion are either blatantly naive, do not have young children to care for or those who are super humans, with super kids and armed with superb time management skills.

I confess. I have none of these remarkable abilities. I'm just an ordinary working mother who's trying to juggle unrealistic expectations from family members, keeping my job and maintaining my sanity.

And  I'm sure I'm not the only mother who's greeted with guilt trips when I sacrifice time with my girls for the sake of deadlines at work. Yes, I do want my chocolate fudge cake and eat it and so far I've been fairly successful. That is, until last week when the troubles escalated and blew up in my face.

Looks like I'll just have to cast furtive glances at the delicious chocolate cake. And eat them in my dreams.

For Art's Sake!

This little reflection was inspired by my previous post which brought back memories of my days at school.

It's a little known fact to many of my friends and acquaintances that Art's one of my first loves.

My mother sent me for Art classes when I was about 6 and I thoroughly enjoyed my Saturday lessons conducted at my Art teacher's Walmer Drive home. I can vaguely recall being surrounded by more than 10 kids of different ages, each using different medium to sketch, colour and paint their little pieces. I was in awe of the "older" ones (who were probably in the teens) because they were really talented. I can't recall why and when I stopped classes but the influence of colour co-ordination, size, proportions, angles, shapes and shades had since been etched in my mind.

In school, my humble little pieces would be selected for display in class or even school boards. I wasn't successful in craftwork or needlework, but I often aced my Art exam. Occasionally I would whip out my drawing block and start sketching and colouring with oil pastels or magic markers (never enjoyed dabbling with poster paints and avoided them if I could help out). But I was never completely satisfied with my efforts and in my growing up years, stashed my art pack behind the cupboard because school work became a priority.

Art came back into my life quite by accident. And ironically, it was because of school.

At the end of Secondary 3, I'd fared so miserably in Additional Maths that I was forced to drop the subject. In my school, all the students were required to take a minimum of 8 subjects and I found myself in hot soup because there wasn't any other option available. Except Art. I was an angsty rebel back in those dark days and it didn't help that there was a stigma attached to us academic-losers who took Art as an 'O' level subject.

Although I attended lessons regularly and focused on using pencil as my medium, I was never really "into" the subject and just enough to get by. I didn't practise as hard or as much as I should have but I eventually got a B4 for my 'O's and my transcript didn't look quite as horrifying as it would have if I'd attempted A Maths.

I thought I could chuck Art out of my school life until history repeated itself when I was in Junior College. At my mother's insistence, I settled my 'A' level combination of English Literature, History and Economics. Needless to say, this ended in a complete disaster for my JC1 exams. I just couldn't dig Economics no matter how hard I tried. I attended remedial lessons and even had 1-to-1 coaching from the Head of Arts. And that's the worst part of it all. I channeled all my energies to pin down Oligopoly and Monopoly, wrestled with the Demand and Supply curves, wrote countless Economics essays only to have these words uttered in my face: This isn't a GP paper! 

But my tutors came together and hatched an escape plan to save me from self-destruction. My parents were called in to be "counselled" and "advised" against forcing me to take Economics. My tutors argued that if I continued with Economics, the best I could end up with is an E grade (pass) but the possibility of even scrapping through was just about that of me landing a distinction for Chinese. (Read: NEVER GONNA HAPPEN).

Once again, Art saved my skin although it was a tough battle because I'd lost 1 entire year's work and had to play catch-up at double speed. In order to "qualify" for the subject, I was asked to familiarise myself with the Art Movements and had to sit through an "aptitude" test. It was never going to be a smooth ride because there's lots more to Art that meets the eye. And for the 'A' levels, I had to sit through 2 practical papers (Nature and Design) and submit a Woodblock Print. Most of my "new" Art classmates had already begun work of their submissions in Year 1 and as a late entrant to the race it was extremely pressuring to make the mark.

Honestly, my 2nd year at JC's a blur. I can't recall details but I fared well enough to enter the National University of Singapore (NUS). Scrapped through by the skin of my teeth. Not that it matters now.

I owe Art quite a fair bit. Even though I'd cruelly abandoned my childhood friend and attempted to make new acquaintances, she never once begrudged me and even helped me to overcome several hurdles.

Art, here's my long overdue and heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support all these years during the critical periods. You never gave up on me even when I lost hope. You steered me back when I lost my direction. Thank you.

How Great, Thou Art.

Closing the June Chapter

Oh, Fiddlesticks!

I've had a C.R.A.Z.Y. June. Although there were 2 weeks of term break and no classes were in session, I was still up to my neck with work. I attended a 3 day eLearning Forum Asia 2011 at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, scrambled to make amendments to senate papers for presentation in July, marked piles of assignments etc.

Despite the crazy deadlines, the hub and I managed to bring the kids to the Zoo and caught Kung Fu Panda 2 in the theatres. We old-timers even went on a date (without the girls) to The ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands where I got the opportunity to savour the masterpieces of Vincent Van Gogh and Salvador Dalí.

When the hub suggested we do something different and visit the Arts Science Museum at MBS, I was a little hesitant. He's not the type who'd visit Art galleries, museums or be enthralled by historical events and artifacts. But it was a pre-birthday celebration date and I knew I'd enjoy the visit.

In school, I learnt quite a bit when I was tasked to I read up and research on the various movements created by renown artists in Art History. I love the bright, vivid colours of Dutch Impressionist painter Van Gogh (my all-time favourite) and the warped, distorted vision of Surrealism Extraordinaire Dalí.  

I've been fortunate enough to visit - not just once, but twice - the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and I was "lost" for several hours studying the details of Van Gogh's evolving style, eventuating with coarse wild brush strokes which revealed his raging insanity and insecurity.  The MBS exhibition Van Gogh Alive offered but a small glimpse of his works although the experimental concept on integrating music, sound and art into an audio-visual spectacular is unique. That said, give me old school anytime.

The highlight of our visit was really Dalí: Mind of a Genius – The Exhibition. I'd only seen his paintings and statues in books, so it was really awe-inspiring to see them "live" right before my very eyes. I lapped up every detail, stroke, curve, texture, form, shape etc.

Trigger-happy me snapped away 200 photos and then the camera battery went flat :( But here are some of my favourite pictures:

My main regret is that we didn't get the chance to take a short break with the girls. All our work schedules clashed and it was tough for me to take leave when I was on operationally-ready-stand-by-mode to complete the project.

And it hit me that I've been caught up in such a frenzied pace that I find it challenging to pull the breaks without damaging rubber on the tyres.

Oh, Fiddlesticks!

I need a restful break! And it's now too late to take one now that Term's swung back into action. Perhaps I should start planning for a getaway this December. A treat for the soul.

Workers' Party's Sylvia Lim resigns from Temasek Polytechnic - Channel NewsAsia

Workers' Party's Sylvia Lim resigns from Temasek Polytechnic - Channel NewsAsia

When the WP team won Aljunied GRC last week, it was historic victory and for many of us the work, it was extremely significant too.

WP's chairman Sylvia Lim, the first female opposition candidate to be elected into Parliament, is also a fellow lecturer / Course Manager at Temasek Polytechnic. So Sylvia's not only a my colleague, she's now my MP too!

However, we soon learnt that she'd tendered her resignation in anticipation of new (and heavier) responsibilities as an elected MP.

Almost immediately, her office was swarmed with well-wishes who wanted to offer their congratulations and good wishes. Sylvia was certainly the star of the day. Despite her busy schedule, Miss Ene and I managed to catch her slightly after 6pm. We spoke to her briefly and even took photos with her outside her office!

It's really going to be our loss: she's a great lecturer and colleague but she's now got a different calling to answer to. I respect her decision to alter her career route and bravely take on new, unchartered territory.

All the best Sylvia! We're behind you all the way!

GE Fever. And Cookies.

My poor hub's extremely upset with me for devoting every possible waking hour on the online campaign trail.

And I understand why.

Xian's mid-year exams are looming - in fact her first paper's on Cooling day i.e. Friday, 6 May 2011. Over the Labour Day weekend, I was supposed to be guiding her through revision but whenever there were "empty pockets" of breaks, I wasted no time in surfing the net for the latest election updates.

"I don't understand why you're spending so much time clicking away! You already know who you're going to vote for so why bother reading up? As if it's going to change your mind!"

As usual, I just kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to trigger off an argument that's not worth anyone's salt. I've learnt, over the years, that when he's in one of these moods, I should just back off and not engage in any verbal disagreement because it'll only serve to piss him off further.

Cue: cartoon thought bubble depicting me as the matador de toros flapping a red cape as my bull-headed hub charges directly at me in anger.

I'd love to explain why this year's General Election's got me all excited but I can't. Yes, I'd already made up my mind on Nomination Day itself so technically I shouldn't be spending such a ridiculously insane amount of time monitoring the coverage by the media (state-owned or otherwise).

Come on! The General Elections take place only once in 5 years! And this is the best opportunity for ordinary folks like myself to exercise our rights. Isn't this a "democratic society, based on justice and equality?" Not only is my future at stake, my kids' lives are too. Whatever policies the government pushes out concern all Singaporeans and it's therefore imperative that the people leading this country are the right ones: those who will listen to the people's issues with their hearts and not merely rationalise with their minds and implement changes purely on practicality and economic considerations.

My main gripe? Education.

Granted, Singapore's education is highly regarded and ranked among one of the top internationally. We're known for churning out Mathematical whizzes and we've got a reputable track record of cultivating academic brilliant students. Our eduction system is much like a well-oiled cookie-cutter machine, churning out perfectly shaped edible delights that will fit nicely into beautifully packaged boxes and displayed proudly on shelves.

But no matter how efficiently the cookie factory operates, there will bound to be "rejects" -cookies with defects which fail to meet the quality standards and hence discarded. Granted, these cookies can't make the cut and they will never get the chance to nestle cosily in the boxes. They may still taste just as good as the top grade ones, but nobody will ever know, will they? Because their fates have already been sealed the moment they don't pass the tests.

Think about the children who have learning disabilities, those who society dubs "slow learners" or those whose talents lie in other arenas not related to the academic field. Many of our young ones are continually suppressed because they've not be given the options to explore alternative routes. And these children are undeservedly "branded" with labels so it's not surprising that they will eventually fall through the cracks because nobody realises their potential.

As an educator and having experienced first hand the rigid rigour of the Singapore education system I can safely conclude that it's perfect for the brain-smarts. There is no room, however, for those with learning disabilities and difficulties to manoeuvre their way out of being stigmatised. Yes, the streaming system helps place students into classes which ideally suit their pace. Unfortunately, once they're allocated to the respective and appropriate levels, the categorisation leads to further alienating them from the so-called "expected" route.

And it doesn't help that most parents have fixed a mindset about what's deemed as "educational success" and add more pressure on their already suffering offspring. The stress takes a toll on the children mentally and emotionally as well. In fact, many of them try their darnest and when they're sent the signal that their best is not good enough, it's a huge blow to their self-esteem. Not surprisingly, many give up when they assume that their academic future is bleak. This may spark off a chain of events which sets their future spiraling, especially if they are not blessed with understanding parents to support and encourage them to persevere.

Honestly, can you blame these children if they give up? It's like forcing a physically disabled person to compete and complete in a 100m race TOGETHER with able-bodied athletes, expecting him to clock in a similar time. And when the disable athlete is last to cross the finishing line, not only are there no words of motivation but a torrent of abuse and taunts are rained on him. Is this even fair?

I'm sometimes guilty of pushing my poor dyslexic Xian to the limit - although some, including family members will beg to differ because by THEIR standards, I'm considered lax with her. Because she's got a learning disability, she can't be rushed. Her memory is like a goldfish and it can be frustrating revising work with her because she forgets the minute you finishing explaining. I'm just taking it day-by-day and I'm certainly not harbouring any illusion of grandeur that she'll go to an ivy-league university. At this stage, I'll be satisfied that she passes all her examination papers!

I know for a fact that Xian may never achieve in the academic arena but I'm determined to save this cookie at all cost. She has a natural inclination to sports; she's agile, lithe, fast and flexible. I enrolled her in modern jazz dance classes and every week she'll show me new dance moves. I choose to recognise her talents in other areas and I'm trying to create opportunities for her to carve a niche for herself so that she will realise that there's more to life than getting good grades!

What has all this got to do with the General Elections, you say? Plenty. Take a look at all the cabinet ministers and the people legislating policies. Many are trail-blazers who're armed with luminous academic track records and credible career paths. I doubt if they can ever understand the issues ordinary citizens face on the ground. Of course, one can always argue that many of these politicians also rose from the ranks of nobodies to become the somebodies they are today, and they have not entirely forgotten their roots. But times have changed and the issues we face today are different.

What we need are people in the government who WILL listen and who WILL understand and emphasise with the citizens, and be willing to ride out the tough times together, not just the good ones.

We need people who've bumped their heads against the ceiling, taken a tumble from the stairs or failed a test at least once in their lives. In other words, people who'll embraced failure as a learning journey and not accept it as a defeat that marks the end of the world.

We need people who realise that you can't win all the time and even if you lose, it'll only make you a stronger person and you'll be back for a fight next round.

That's why it's such a crucial choice for citizens to make. To elect the candidates who will not only have the brains to run the country, but humility, passion and heart to guide us.

And whatever you do on 6 May 2011, Saturday, DON'T SPOIL YOUR VOTE because every single vote counts.

How to Start a Social Media Campaign: First Steps for Businesses to Monitor and Engage Consumers Online

How to Start a Social Media Campaign: First Steps for Businesses to Monitor and Engage Consumers Online

I'm in the midst of preparing my lecture notes and I chanced upon this article. It's a tad old (published in December 2008) - and if I've learnt anything at all about technology and the 21st Century, it's that the minute something's launched, it's considered 'rad' for about 3 days before it's deemed out-dated - but still covers the basics of social media and its uses in businesses.

I don't confess to be a tech-whiz (far from it) but I do embrace what's new and will amble my Gen-X soul through the intricacies of the tech-age. Yes, it's a slow and steady race and I know I can't grasp the clicks, drags and drops as quickly as the Gen-Yers or the iGeneration, but I'm not competing against anyone but myself.

And as an educator and communicator, I am constantly searching for ways to connect with my students and help prepare them for the working world. And since I teach Corporate Communications, I need to practice what I preach and keep myself updated with the current trends. Naturally, I do have a blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Afterall, I need to mess around a bit to get familiar with them before I enter the classroom, knowing that I'm going up against ardent social media fans whose lives revolve around these platforms.

So, kids (yes, I know some of you guys read this space to find out what your old teacher is up to these days), don't discount the advanatges of social media and how your career (and businesses) could benefit from these seemingly "fun" platforms. You're already social media expert users - it's just a matter of refining and retuning your orientation towards a more "serious" approach.

Almost The End (of 2010)

It's the last day of November and it's creeping me out!

I've had my fair share of Ups and Downs - perhaps a lot more disappointments than pleasant surprises - but there's still one more month to go. Hopefully, December will be the chocolate syrup on the mudpie! (I've been trying to cut down on chocolate 'cos it's been destroying my teeth and waistline...)

A couple of things lined up for December: Walking with Dinosaurs show with the kids at the National Indoor Stadium and a 3 Night Best of Malaysia cruise (family of 3+2+2) on board Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas.

Am I looking forward to the break? Well, yes and no. I mean, who wouldn't want a holiday? Although it's a short trip (and a short reprieve from work) and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my kids, I'd have preferred a longer vacation and one that will allow for a little more "freedom".

But who am I to complain? I should thank my lucky stars for what I have and not compare my situation with others.

All the same, I'm waiting for the day when I can finally break the chains of constraints. Then again, perhaps when the time comes, I may *actually* miss the moments of insanity and frustration.

Whatever.

Anyway, last Saturday was the school's 20th Anniversary Dinner & Dance at The Fairmont Singapore Hotel. 10 iPads were up for grabs as lucky draw prizes but alas, I wasn't fated to win any. There were over 1,000 staff - what were the odds of me laying my hands on one of them?

But my tablemates and I did enjoy ourselves with the games despite not winning anything. I didn't take many photos either but did snap a couple and here they are:

The 3 Amigos - taken from Ramesh's camera

Ms Cool "sandwiched" between the Mumsys

Half of Table 78

Table 78 and "guests"

Food for thought: will we all still be around for the 25th Anniversary D&D?