Picnic Basket

And that is what I strive to do every day indeed.

So the other day, my CT (cooperative teacher - mentor) and I walked past the girls’ toilet after the recess bell had rung. A few girls were still loitering in the toilet. Loudly, my CT said,

Girls, the bell has rung. Please go back to your classrooms NOW.

Girls: Huh?

(Annoyed) The bell has rung. Go back to your classrooms! Why are you standing around here?

Huh?

(Frustrated) The bell ring already la! Understand?

Oohhhhhhhh!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘cher, he says you are very sexy.

Wow, that was a very unappropriate remark and I will make sure that I will remember that.

Ooooohhhhh…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CT: So why did you choose to take Pure Lit?

Because of you loh!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exact quotes ok.

So school’s been over for a week. And I’ve discovered quite a few things. For one, there is a reason why I am a teacher and not at some desk bound job. I was at the computer doing work for about 1 hour when I suddenly just got sick of the monitor itself and went like UGH. Returned to my cubicle to find my practicum colleague doing the same. Man.

I initially had quite neutral feelings about this school. I mean, nobody has heard of it and things seemed ok from the beginning. And of course, I was already sick of NIE and wanted practicum to start ASAP. But after a week, I have come to really evaluate my role as a practicum teacher here, what I should and should not do, putting some guards up and at the end of the day, have resolved to retain my sanity and more importantly, my passion.

Don’t un? Two lines from the staff ‘emergency discipline briefing’ should give you a clue:

"Teachers, please make sure that no student is cutting himself or herself while you are teaching. Report the student immediately, be it old cuts or new cuts"

"Please cover your own asses. Follow the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure - which I swear is the most loved acronym by S’poreans up there - ugh) at all times! We don’t want the parents to start suing us!"

And don’t even get me started on the stuff I hear and see at the staffroom.

But amidst all these, I thank God with ALL my heart, for once again, He has proved to me that He is indeed making my path straight so long as I obey His calling. For He has blessed me with all these:

- a wonderful, wonderful Christian supervisor from NIE

- a HOD (head of department) who is gentle in spirit but is one of the most passionate teachers that I’ve ever met

- a CT who is completely awe-inspiring both as a teacher and a colleague - one of the few teachers around who truly refuses to give up on her students

- and, despite the average student profile of this school, all of my 6 classes are filled with extremely bright-eyed, intelligent kids whom I believe would be a joy to teach.

Yes, indeed God has provided much more than I’d ever need.

Of course, congratulations, geekchic!

As you and Jen proclaimed your wedding vows, as I saw how moved you were, all I thought was, that is all you need for a wedding. God as your ultimate witness. The pastor to aid you. Parents, grandparents, friends, close relatives. The vows through sickness and through death.

That is all that you need. I am so happy for both of you!

And I will always remember your sister asking me, as we struggled through another English tuition  class hur hur, about what I knew of Jen for he had been at your house pretty often. Ahem. And 7 years later,

And may you have lots of purty doggies in your future home! You are SO buying my ticket to Melbourne!

And stuff, well…

Maybe all I want to do is to snuggle under covers in my bed back home with an old copy of Malory Towers.

Maybe what I want to do right now is a shopping marathon with Jan followed by a girly session of heart-to-hearts and giggles

Maybe I’ll experience an epiphany after I complete the darned 70% Ed Psych essay. 

Maybe I don’t really know what I want.

And the only non-maybe is that I’ve never made my own decision but it was God who had brought me to where I am at this point. So, at this juncture, it’s all up to Him again.

But will I know, now?