Oxymoron In The Tropics

When I first became a teacher, it surprised many of my friends.  I suppose there were different reasons... I wasn't obvious teacher material when I was in school.  I was too much of  a class clown at times, too bookish to front a classroom at other times... but the one person who was most surprised was myself.  The only reason that mattered to me was how I viewed the teaching profession as a boring one.  And I was more easily bored than I should be.  I wanted to be a journalist with different assignments every time and never the same view to look at (so I supposed).  Unfortunately for me, the year I applied for a course in university was also the year major riots took place in my hometown and my mother was traumatised to see the reporters (and specifically one who was brother to my aunt) getting the best views in between the Federal Reserve Units and the rioters.  1986.. what a year.  Just a year earlier and I could have been a rep...

I keep getting emails and messages about this competition but unfortunately I'm not affiliated in any way to the competition or the society. I merely blogged about it. However, this may be happening because the essay website URL changed. And not everyone knows how to use Google. So for those who want to find out about the essay, please go to http://www.thercs.org/society/177 or email your queries to essay@rcsint.org . It doesn't look like the results are available at this point in time. As for me, I'm just an English teacher working in Sabah, the northern part of Borneo. About as far away from London as it is possible to get :)

I still remember the day I was conscripted into the Sabah English Teacher Debate Team. Julia Jock just came up to me and told me to get ready. I must've have not said much because my memories of that block of time has huge holes in it and she didn't react adversely. I mean, if I'd said no, the matter would've gone into a longer exchange of words, right? However, I DID remember thinking,"WHAT??? Teacher debate??? Do they think we have nothing to do???" Well, since then, I've found that every newbie to the Ministry of Education English Teacher Debate competition would have a similar reaction. However, in my case, as it was JULIA who called the shots, it was far better to go along than to attempt an escape. All who have had similar dealings with Julia Willie Jock would agree with me. Well, it's been 15 years since that fateful day. I will never forget receiving the Crystal Vase from the Prime Minister himself... and I even got a little crystal trop...

Government Team : Mohd Shafie, Jim Kevin Kotiben, Kezia Busak Tommy Opposition Team : Kezia again, Afourth Brendan, Dephnie Dewi The SMKKL debaters are in Form Four and a sharp, lively bunch... I won't forget them in a hurry :)

Today is a very good day. It was the KK District Student Debate Finals (All Saints vs Lok Yuk) and my student debaters wanted to go because they had caught the debating bug. Both the teams in the finals were pretty good - competent debaters but I believe that All Saints won because they were more polished and the motion was biased towards their side. Well, IMHO. Motion : Science Is A Threat To Humanity When I thought about this motion a few days ago, I had problems thinking of approaches for the negative. How do you prove that science is NOT a threat without talking about the benefits of science? Sure enough, the Lok Yuk team talked about benefits and the All Saints team fired back, saying that they weren't doing their job, which was to show that science is NOT a threat. And that's the dilemma for all debate teams who draw the negative side. You must be very careful to prove why the motion should be rejected, WITHOUT offering alternative points. Very dangerous oh... And ...

I was with a debater friend when the topic 'stage presence' came up. He said that some had it and some didn't, mentioning a few debaters' names. He said that having stage presence meant that when one got up to speak, people would immediately pay attention. Their eyes would be drawn to that person. He thought that tall people naturally had stage presence, if only because they stood taller than others. When I thought about it, I realized he was right. But however, not ALL tall people had stage presence. And I knew why. To have stage presence, one essential element is CONFIDENCE. Some tall people hide themselves, hunching their shoulders and bending their heads. Some would speak with soft voices, They wanted to disappear. Literally. Maybe they were embarrassed about their height, maybe they didn't want to stand out. Which is such a pity, really. People who stand out can influence others, can help others. Imagine a teacher with influence.... such a teacher c...

I just returned from Keningau today. Am feeling very satisfied with the Statelevel Teacher Debates that just concluded today. My team didn't win but they put up a good fight. Considering two of them were first-timers, I was glad to see both do a good job onstage. Of course they were nervous but who wouldn't be? Imagine getting up in front of a few hundred teachers and students in a big hall and debating a motion with a few others. You either end up making a cake of yourself or making people decide that you have a pretty good control of both brain and tongue. KK was supposed to have five debaters but only three stayed the course. Eric, Sylviannie and Faris made a good team and were absolutely good sports. A friend asked me why I was still involved in debates after first jumping into the arena in 1996. To be honest with you, I love the mental calisthenics and witty turns of phrase. I also loooove the process of preparing for debates. For me, debates mean days of discus...

It's time once again for the English Teacher Debates...and the state level topics are in! Feeling awfully chipper about it because for the first time, I didn't have to bribe cajole beg anyone to take part! There are actually several teams of debaters who are bound and determined to annihilate each other...oh, what rapture! Sounds pitiful, right? Yeah, I know :) but I don't blame them for not wanting to put themselves on a stage and ask for potshots. Or in debate lingo, POIs (points of information). Imagine delivering your carefully considered ideas and thoughts about an issue to a hall full of people and suddenly, someone says,"POI! I disagree with this and this because you have deliberately ignored that and that!" In the movies, you would turn to the miscreant and decisively strike him down with your lightning bolts of truth. In most circumstances, a cold chill goes down your spine because you have no idea how to answer in a way that doesn't make you lo...

Was in my English class. And I don't know how the topic came up but I asked them,"Why are you alive? Why do you live? What do you think of when you wake up in the morning?" There were only about six or seven boys in class (the others were taking an ICT course in the resource centre). They stared at me half-amused and half-befuddled... yeah, the quirky English teacher..never know what she's gonna say and look at her now...she's doing it again. But I LIKE asking philosophical questions. It's at least half a kilo better than saying,"Okay, open your book to page 29." Don't you think so? I especially like asking questions that make my students think. And ask. And ponder. When I pressed them for answers, one said,"We live for God...for the glory of God." Smart boy . And he's only sixteen. Otherwise what else are we on this planet for? To go to school/work? To earn money? To bitch at people? I believe I'm on this planet to...

Another great opportunity for our young people to show what they can do! The Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition has four different age bands, 'Classes'. Each Class offers five topics, plus the Commonwealth Question and the Charlton Athletic Community Trust Question. As we hope to reach a diverse student body across the Commonwealth, there are options for both academic and creative minds.  The Competition deadline is 1st March 2009   CLASS A - Born 1990-1992  1400-1750 words  All questions can be answered by writing an essay or a story which explores the topic in an interesting and relevant way.   Can I help you?  Bullying is an issue which concerns young people throughout the Commonwealth. Why does it matter and what can be done about it?   It is 200 years since Charles Darwin was born and 150 years since the publication of "On the origin of Species". In your view, what evolutionary developments are neede...

I'm sitting at my table, checking my email while keeping an eye on my five-year-old who is wrenching the life out of his PS2's joystick.  He insists on calling it a remote...well, whatever. This particular game he's playing is both entertaining and horrifying me.  The warthogs trying to flatten a panda are entertaining.  The lines scrolling across the screen at the beginning of every episode horrify me. Long ago, in a time of ancient timeless time.... (Huh?) Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose skills are the stuff of legend... (OMG.) Haven't the game writers heard of a thesaurus????  Now I'm not only worried about the violence level...I'm worried about the dearth of creative vocabulary on offer!

I've paid my dues - Time after time - I've done my sentence But committed no crime - And bad mistakes I've made a few I've had my share of sand kicked in my face - But I've come through We are the champions - my friends And we'll keep on fighting - till the end - We are the champions - We are the champions No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions - of the world - I've taken my bows And my curtain calls - You brought me fame and fortuen and everything that goes with it - I thank you all - But it's been no bed of roses No pleasure cruise - I consider it a challenge before the whole human race - And I ain't gonna lose - We are the champions - my friends And we'll keep on fighting - till the end - We are the champions - We are the champions No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions - of the world - Yeah... I know... overkill. But niiiiice overkill...

SABAH WON! We won we won we won we won we won....!

No matter how many times I've been involved (directly or indirectly) in a debate competition, I always get them butterflies in my stomach. Right now, I'm developing a butterfly colony. Complete with flyovers and helipads. The Sabah teachers' debate team are sitting in a Malaccan hotel right now, doing mock debates and trying to outwit each other. Sometimes these sessions frighten those who've never seen such a gathering. Sometimes the wounded storm off in a fury. That usually means it's time for coach to have a coffee break with said wounded. But managed very well, such a team can produce such beautiful verbal pyrotechnics onstage. Malaysian teacher debates are usually formal and rational ones. So everyone dresses accordingly in dark suits, strongly supported points and coolly sarcastic tongues. Unlike the Malay debate, the English debate relies more on verbal sleight of hand. Some would say verbal diarrhea. But personally I like what one friend said... ve...

Someone asked me how I wrote a speech. We-ell, it's no big secret...you write it just like you'd write an essay. Basic structure: point+explanation+elaboration. Of course, you'd need to pay attention to a few basic rules. 1. Keep your sentences short. Listening and reading are different skills. You can read long sentences because the sentence doesn't disappear. However, if your sentence is too long, by the time you reach the end, the listener would have forgotten the beginning. 2. Begin with a bang. You want people to listen to you...so you better grab their attention at the start. People normally decide within the first 30 seconds whether they want to continue listening to you or maybe it's better for them to flip open their phone and sms their fish. 3. Have a logical sequence. It's like a mind map... A connects to B which connects to C. But if you jump all over the place, you'll only befuddle people who will then open their phone to sms their fis...

One of the easiest ways to reach your English students is to bring real life into the classroom. If you teach them to write a letter, why not write a real letter to a real person? The same goes for writing essays. TESL ppl, I offer you.. or rather The Royal Commonwealth Society offers you the PERFECT opportunity to implement process-writing. The Commonwealth Essay Competition ( http://www.rcsint.org/essay/ ) is an international education project open to all young Commonwealth citizens under the age of 18. It has four different age bands, 'Classes'. Each Class offers five topics, plus the Commonwealth Question. Competition deadline is 1st March 2008 CLASS A - Born 1989-1991 1 500-2000 words All questions can be answered by writing an essay or a story which explores the topic in an interesting and relevant way. Tell us about your favourite book OR your favourite place and what it means to you. Why decorate? Is the world becoming tribal or global? EITHER Let me tel...

Here's a lesson plan that won't be used in my class. Set Induction : 3D Picture of a Glock Question : What do you see here? What's a really hot issue about guns in schools nowadays? (Possible answers: Columbine, Virginia Tech, the inclusion of weapons in national service training...) Take the discussion where it may go but keep it within ethical/moral boundaries. Like I said, this is a lesson plan that WON'T be used in my class. Pre-Listening Activity : 1. Teacher hands out worksheet 2. Students brainstorm and fill in the blanks (one column - what's good about guns and another column - what's bad about guns) While-Listening Activity : 1. Listen to the song. 2. Note down ONE lyric or image that grabs your attention. After-Listening Activity : 1. Explain why the lyric or image is so fascinating to you. Give reasons. Homework : Write an essay that answers the question "Should Young People Learn About Guns?" Looks good, huh? ...

Read and weep... Well, maybe only the English teachers will weep. The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and room-service, at a hotel in Asia, which was recorded and published in the Far East Economic Review: Room Service (RS): "Morrin. Roon sirbees." Guest (G): "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service." RS: "Rye..Roon sirbees..morrin! Jewish to oddor sunteen??" G: "Uh..yes..I'd like some bacon and eggs." RS: "Ow July den?" G: "What??" RS: "Ow July den?...pryed, boyud, poochd?" G : "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please." RS: "Ow July dee baykem? Crease?" G: "Crisp will be fine." RS : "Hokay. An Sahn toes?" G: "What?" RS: "An toes. July Sahn toes?" G: "I don't think so." RS: "No? Judo wan sahn toes??" G: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo wan sahn toes...