Career Paths

I was discussing career paths with old friends and we realized that with all the new changes in the Ministry of Education, the old ways of thinking of our work and the old preconceptions about places of work (insiders know what I'm talking about) don't apply anymore. Teachers can decide to work towards becoming administrators or academic Form 6 teachers or Teaching Institute lecturers or time-based teachers or even joining the department and ministry divisions.

There's no place that is 'better' than the others because there are so many new posts now. More opportunities...although, frankly speaking, the schools have MORE posts...if only because there are so many more schools than institutes or offices.

Now that I've been dragged (literally!) into the PPD, I have to be more on my toes about this... PPDs don't have many posts up for grabs :(

Last year, I filled in the application for the DG48 Form 6 academic teacher post. That would mean leaving admin and going into academic teaching. Is that better? I am not sure. But here's the thing that's been worrying me... all this while, I have been teaching subjects that my principals have been ordering me to teach and these subjects were more often English, Literature, Science and Maths. Despite the fact that my majors are Chemistry and TESL.
However, if I do get the Form Six Academic Teacher post, there is a high possibility that I'll be asked to teach Chemistry. Well...wouldn't that be something? I've only ever taught Chemistry Form 4 for ONE year. And it was to an Arts class (don't ask me why!).

Here's a snippet of memory from that class long long time ago - pre PPSMI :

Me : Okay, jadi jelas sudah kah cara pengiraan mol? Jadi untuk mengetahui bilangan atom, kamu darab Angkatap Avogadro dengan bilangan mol ini... (I did a quick conversion from 1/2 to 0.5)

Students : Waaaaaahh...cikgu, pandai oh kau. Macam mana ko tahu itu 1/2 boleh jadi 0.5?

Me : *stunned speechless*

Students : *seeing the look on my face* Tapi indak apa bah, cikgu. Kami tidak faham pun, ko ajar saja.

So judging by the sheer lack of practice (and challenge) in teaching Chemistry (what more Form Six Chemistry), I'm going to have a very interesting time teaching Chemistry...should I be required to.

I'm so not looking forward to this...