Linking one's history to the present
This post has nothing to do with Geography and education per se. But rather, it acts as a continuation from the last post I made. Having attended quite a couple of lessons so far in both Literature and Geography, I have come to realise that really, the background and expericences of a school teacher is extremely important to influencing how one actually sees what teaching is all about.
The statement made by my Literature tutor about an ex-trainee teacher choosing to go back to a neighbourhood school to teach because he wanted to inspire and encourage them strongly reasonates strongly with me. I am once again reminded of why I am here, in NIE, my purpose over here, which thank God, that my Lit tutor made that remark. This comes from me, coming from a neighbourhood school background and literally working my a** off in my 4th year(coupled with some, ahems, hiccups here and there). Plus having to face with people and relatives who do not look very favourably on such schools. They did not actually say it out loud, but subtle as it might be, I could still feel it and it was not a good feeling at all. And it is still very poor school in fact in comparison to the other schools with spanking new buildings etc. The last time I went back, the roof still leaks!! Really makes me wonder if this would have an indirect effect on the self-esteem and motivation of the students when they see that other schools have new and plentiful of resources, while they have virtually none. In short, the place looks rather ancient in relative to the rest of the schools.
I have seen too many of my friends and schoolmates either dropping out of school or getting themselves into a whole lot of trouble other than studying. When I went back to reflief teach after my 'A' levels, I began to sense the fustrations and despair felt by the teachers back there.
The problem of how to 'motivate' the students and to 'keep them on the right side of the law' became very real to me and I was convinced that no matter how well I am going to do in my Uni days, I will go back to that battleground to continue the work that my teachers had done. Not that these problems weren't real to me back then, but rather I was rather absorbed in battling with my own issues back then.
Now, the purpose of this post is not to expose my sob stories or whatever. This is a post, a very carthatic one in fact, that allows me to reflect back on my aims and purposes in coming into the education landscape. It also allows me to realise more clearly the importance of where one comes from actually shapes their attitudes and perceptions towards teaching. I won't actually say which perspective is more valid than the other (though it took me a whole lot of energy to restrain myself from hitting out at those who take up rather 'elitist' attitude) , but rather, I am beginning to realise God's purpose in putting me in this place called NIE.
Not to 'mould the future of the nation', but to encourage and inspire my fellow neighbourhood school students/extended family (or whatever you want to call it) that 'hey, if I can make it out alive despite all the difficulties and unfavourable perceptions others heaped onto me, you can too!'
The statement made by my Literature tutor about an ex-trainee teacher choosing to go back to a neighbourhood school to teach because he wanted to inspire and encourage them strongly reasonates strongly with me. I am once again reminded of why I am here, in NIE, my purpose over here, which thank God, that my Lit tutor made that remark. This comes from me, coming from a neighbourhood school background and literally working my a** off in my 4th year(coupled with some, ahems, hiccups here and there). Plus having to face with people and relatives who do not look very favourably on such schools. They did not actually say it out loud, but subtle as it might be, I could still feel it and it was not a good feeling at all. And it is still very poor school in fact in comparison to the other schools with spanking new buildings etc. The last time I went back, the roof still leaks!! Really makes me wonder if this would have an indirect effect on the self-esteem and motivation of the students when they see that other schools have new and plentiful of resources, while they have virtually none. In short, the place looks rather ancient in relative to the rest of the schools.
I have seen too many of my friends and schoolmates either dropping out of school or getting themselves into a whole lot of trouble other than studying. When I went back to reflief teach after my 'A' levels, I began to sense the fustrations and despair felt by the teachers back there.
The problem of how to 'motivate' the students and to 'keep them on the right side of the law' became very real to me and I was convinced that no matter how well I am going to do in my Uni days, I will go back to that battleground to continue the work that my teachers had done. Not that these problems weren't real to me back then, but rather I was rather absorbed in battling with my own issues back then.
Now, the purpose of this post is not to expose my sob stories or whatever. This is a post, a very carthatic one in fact, that allows me to reflect back on my aims and purposes in coming into the education landscape. It also allows me to realise more clearly the importance of where one comes from actually shapes their attitudes and perceptions towards teaching. I won't actually say which perspective is more valid than the other (though it took me a whole lot of energy to restrain myself from hitting out at those who take up rather 'elitist' attitude) , but rather, I am beginning to realise God's purpose in putting me in this place called NIE.
Not to 'mould the future of the nation', but to encourage and inspire my fellow neighbourhood school students/extended family (or whatever you want to call it) that 'hey, if I can make it out alive despite all the difficulties and unfavourable perceptions others heaped onto me, you can too!'
posted by The neo-Geographer at Thursday, September 21, 2006
1 Comments:
all too true!! =)
I am proud of where I come from as well, but I do have to acknowledge this reality heh...
I am beginning to suspect that my past experience has hardened mmy attitudes towards all the gliz and fancy of what is being taught in NIE.
ICT? Student-centred learning? How to do that when the whole school has to share 2 computer labs? How to do that when everybody in the school is struggling with non-academic issues?
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