The Chinese Olympics Women’s soccer team are good.My conclusion after watching them thrash Sweden 2 – 1.Heh.I’ve got a sickening feeling in my guts that says,that they might play even better than my social team,Redbacks.Talking about Redbacks,as I was scrimmaging through the pictures of my social team,over the years,I tried to recall how I was as a player.I think I was a fairly good player.Heheh.The thing is,my knee injury I believe is a God bless.Cause now,my thinking speed has to be faster than my running speed.Something needs to be compensated.
When I got home from my soccer session today,my lovely wife had plenty to relate to me about her working day.Frankly,I enjoy the days when she just has a lot to whine to me.I realize that when she has plenty to talk about her schooling day,it means that she has learned a few pointers in the school of Life.Sometimes,it’s about students.At times it’s about her colleagues,(teachers).Most times,it’s the system.Admittedly,I am not in that rightful liberty to comment on the capacity of the education industry,but I have certain views nevertheless.Coincidentally,Kai also commented to me about his day,in which he was suggestively reprimanded by the principal for his lack of conducted remedial lessons for his students.The exasperated look on Kai’s face said it all.I understood his logical reasoning,that remedial lessons are not necessarily the de facto reasons for a class’s grades to improve.I can vouch and attest to that.Remedial lessons are at best,another way,of keeping students in school,so that teachers can play a supervisory role whist working parents are not at home.Heh.The thing which I’ve noticed in recent years,is about the system of beliefs,schools have undertaken in their progress to be an educational validity.I reckon that schools these days are akin to a business entity.A business entity that has principals as the CEOs,and the various Departments and so forth,if you know what I mean.And teachers,believe it or not are like Marketing Executives.Or rather,they are being treated in the system as one.I’ve heard of occasions,(firsthand experience)where the CEOs,refer to students and parents,as the customers.How absurd is that?Because if that suggestion is believed,then it will entail that stupid credo of ,”The Customer Is Always Right”.I’m a non believer in that.Because,such emphasis will only serve to place detriment on the serving personnels aka teachers.If Principals aka CEOs truly believe in that credo,the first firing line he’ll shoot when “customers” are not happy,will be the “marketing executives”.And that is not right.
I miss those precious days,when teachers were revered for their position.When parents truly treat teachers as someone whom they entrust their children’s future with.When students feared,respect and loved teacher in accordance with the set of value systems the teacher had instilled.These days,a mildly reprimanded kid will be able subject his teacher to the humiliation of having his parents to come down and make a ruckus.Kids are freaking pampered.Get a life kid.They should be thanking their lucky stars that capital punishment is indeed banned.
Heh.Anyway,parents should not get too paranoid whenever a kid tells things.The fact is,the only reason why kids have to have teachers teach in school is because parents are not capable of teaching their kids,and the Government makes it compulsory.So what is the big deal?Kids and parents cannot be seen as customers.Customers whine too much.Customers complain too much.It’s in their nature as a customer to complain.I don’t quite like that idea.Students should be students.Parents should be parents.And let teachers do their jobs.
When I become a parent,I believe I will understand what the roles of a teacher,parent and student has to be.I may be concerned but I will never interfere in the pedagogies applied by teachers.Nor will I make it a point to rattle on to my kids’ teachers on how to teach or what to teach.In school,teachers assume the role of the educator.At home,it’s me and my family.It’s too much to expect out of a teacher to be teaching the values of life and academic lessons when they are merely payed so much.I believe they educate much more that what Anthony Robbins does,and yet he’s paid more.Unfair world.
Oh well,that is why,teaching is not my area of passion.Not because it is truly not my passion,but because I hate to be stifled by a system.Because a system,although organized,leads to a control restriction.Oftentimes,even if you have a breakthrough,you need the consenting approval of a board or party.Which in this case,might be the school itself.That is why there is perhaps merit in that idea,that one day,if Allah permits,I build a school with teachers just teaching their niche areas of interests,and I will not limit the methodologies employed to teach and educate.To make the teachers learn,whilst they teach.It’s a long shot dream,maybe when I have my own foundation.Amin.I’ll name it Hijazi’s Center Of World and Islamic learning.Wow.
Hehe.
And of course,office politics are rampant in such settings.I’ve done relief teaching before as an academic teacher before,and I’ve witnessed first hand of such things.But am too lazy to go into details.But the crux of the matter is,such things can indeed wear you down.I don’t really believe also in that ideal,where as the higher you go in rank,the lesser should be your scope of work.I believe leadership begins with example,and that is where you can truly say and be justified of your salary’s worth.I’ve had instances where my HOD went missing,just to have me cover on the context,that I’ll learn more this way.By doing her job,without her pay.Lucky thing,I’ve got that sentiment within me that says,I’m doing it for the love of the students.If not,I will definitely shove that learning experience up her ****.
I keep telling my wife,to be patient and at the same time,be transparent to the ongoings in school.The shenanigans can sometimes be tiring.Something like a never ending nightmare you never seem to wake up from,if you immerse yourself in the affairs of office politics.Singapore’s micro managing system can sometimes be best analogized as a grand “wayang” showcase.Full of hollow theatrics. If you know how to play your part well,you’ll go far.If you know what I mean.It’s just a pity that the system had to filtered to an education system also.Oh well.
Think at the end of it all,teachers will still be remembered.That’s the value of the career.The ability to impact and influence a life.Although teachers remain as the bridge between knowledge and students,their worth in our live should never be underestimated.It;s just that,in the demographics of an established system,teachers are commemorated by their years in service,and not the lives they touched.That’s the only down side.As my mum had always wished,that I be a teacher,I believe that I lack the decency and discipline to carry off such a responsibility.Maybe that’s what they say,everyone has a place in life.Only mine,is not in a school.
Cheers to teachers.(and my wife).Hehe.
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