2007 Calendar

God-like

Do you know what was the best hero in 5.84? Here's a clue...

Top down teaching approach

On an innocent weekday, I was approached by 3 students for consultation. So I told them to go to the seminar room and arrange the tables while I went to the washroom. When I came back, I saw the most amazing setup - 4 tables joined together with 3 chairs on one side. On the other side, this student was still focused on stacking the chairs. Well done... Guess who the person is.

Testimonial

As I am busy writing testimonials, I can't help to think how difficult I must have made my civics tutor write about me. So I decided to look at my JC testimonial written by my GP tutor and I had a good laugh.

Everything looks ok until the second last paragraph...

[ Woon Chien is quiet (I seldom participate during GP tutorials) in disposition and gets on well with his classmates. He takes the constant ribbing (suaning) of his peers in good stride, displaying a nice temperament and composure. Woon Chien's amiable and accomodating nature gets him co-opted (saboed... there was once I lost my voice and a teacher asked during lecture for a volunteer to attend an event. My peers volunteered me and I couldn't speak up from afar) into many projects avoided by others. However, he has gained from such experience and exposure such as garnering the top prize in the 'Sketch A Portrait' competition organised in 1995 in conjunction with Teachers' Day celebration. His work won the praise of teachers and students alike. ]

Hmm... Maybe I shall copy and paste this into one of your testimonials.

Finally completed

Our Beloved Class Rep

Marianne is a very interesting gal. When she does her work in class, she likes to narrate out the questions and talks to herself. While her neighbour is often singing away, she will be in a world of her world, doing her work.

I remembered the first time I called her name (I thought I pronounced it correctly), she corrected me. I thought, 'hmm... this must be a difficult student to teach in the future.' It only take me less than a week to find out that I am wrong.



I have deliberately left you as the last person to draw because I want to end off by writing about our dear class rep.

As the female class rep of 6i, you have been a great help to me and you always discharge your duties with joy and pride, never complaining about the extra work that you do for the class. Like our dear Francis Sin, you are reliable and responsible which really lighten up a lot of my admin work.
I seldom get to see your playful side but my suspicion is comfirmed after I saw the video clip. Playful and siao! :P

Thanks for being a wonderful student. Stay active in your service to God! God bless!

Our Cultural Dancer

Khalisa has a tendency to make quick remarks out of no where that get you into a burst of laughter. After that she will look at you in a silly manner and laugh herself.

While Annabelle, Pamela and Xiu Wen like to dance by twisting/flexing their legs all over their bodies, you have your own unique way of dancing. I remembered going for Dance nite and enjoyed your Malay dance item. It is another class of its own.

You are cheerful and always smiling which makes you an enjoyable student to teach and I bet a a good friend to be with. No wonder the 'la's stick to you. Though sometimes you are quite animated and comical, I feel that you are calm, composed, gentle and very feminine.

Stay genuine and happy! God bless!

6i

In your youthful days...


In your youthful days + 1 yr...

3J

The past...


My Physics rep doesn't seem to be very happy.


The bright future.

Jigsaw Puzzled

I've found the mugshots of 3B 2nd intakes and fixed them up like a jigsaw.

More Pics

The 2nd intakes from 1C. Some students' skirt length never change...


I searched high and low for the 3B 2nd intakes and I seem to have misplaced it. This is what I've found instead - A pic of your seniors taken at Mt. Sinai. Amazingly I've taught your seniors before.

1C

Everyone looks so innocent... check out TY's berms.


Boyz to Man.


Enjoy the days of your youth and make it count!

3B

Here's a picture taken in 2005 that I've never released. Did I? Some look happy, some look new, some look blur (esp the one on the furthest right)

And this is a picture taken in the lab in 2006.

Sadly I did not get to take a picture with your class on the last days of school. I will grab you to take pic with me if I see you in school.

Our Badminton gal 2

I was very tempted to put 'Mahjong queen' as the title but I shall not tease you anymore. It is just so irresistable to tease you and see your reaction. Actually I trust you fully when you said that you haven't played mahjong for a long time.

Rachel has the amazing ability to be physically present in class while she is probably cycling or playing badminton elsewhere. Ha... don't worry, I think you were actually not in class when I mentioned about the mooncake celebration. No points deducted from that incident.

I think you are a unique girl. You have a special aura (a mixture between sweet and blur) and a shy way of giggling that makes people feel comfortable with you. For me, it draws me to tease you. Hope you don't mind all those teasing in the 2 years.

Together with Yan Min and Vern Yie, you are a very nice group of students to talk to. Stay cheerful and real. God bless!

Channel 8 girl

Do you remember this girl who appeared in the news after the release of O level results? I remember watching the news at home with my parents and I exclaimed, 'Hey, this is my student!'

Liu Chen, I feel that you are a caring person who is like a big sister to the rest of the girls in 6i. You exude confidence in the way you present yourself and the way you speak. Being a very smart girl, you are extremely humble. Thanks for being part of 6i. I really enjoy having China students like Zen and you in my class. Aim high, work hard. I believe you will be a successful woman in the future.

Thanks for the special teachers' day gift. I will keep it as a good remembrance of you. God bless!

You are Special - Don't look around, I'm talking about you!

I want to start off by saying a big THANK YOU to all my 4 classes - 1C, 3B, 3J, 6i who made my early teaching career so meaningful and special! You are officially my first full batch of students and its been a tremendous 2 years spent with you. Being the first always brings deeper and lasting memories. In these two fulfilling years, you have been my source of inspiration (besides God) and encouragement.

To my 6i,

Before I even started teaching, my friend who is a secondary school teacher shared with me the things he does for his civics class. I was inspired and I wanted to do the same if not more. I make no apologies by saying that I spent more effort and time with 6i than my other 3 classes. Afterall, I am your civics teacher and you have to go through me in almost any academic and admin matters. I have the burden to make everyone of you to feel that you have a special identity in 6i. Having a burden is one thing but carrying it out requires a lot of effort. I hope that after 2 yrs, you do feel special in 6i.

I experimented many techniques and styles in my teaching. I feel that in some ways, you are unfortunate because all your Physics lessons are at the beginning of the week. As I go through the same lessons with other classes along the week, I always fine-tune and make necessary adjustments. This means that in certain ways, my lessons at the end of the week are always the most improved version.

I feel very blessed to have your class as my civics class. Many teachers have expressed to me that you are very nice and well-behaved students. True enough, you gave me little problems in these 2 years. However, I raised my standards for your class and was particular in certain aspects. I prefer to be the first to give you white slip if you ever commit an offense rather than any other teachers. I hope you do not find me too demanding.

I want to thank all of you for walking with me in these 2 yrs of teaching. Everyone of you is unique and special. I tried to communicate with everyone of you as much as possible. Some responded more to me outwardly, some less. I was really surprised and touched when some of the less expressive ones wrote personal notes to me on teacher's day. To me its an affirmation and encouragement.

Thanks for all the gifts, cards, encouragements, joy... (the list goes on) you've given me. I love all of you.

To my 1C,

You are my most academically strong class. Sometimes, I wonder if I come to class and don't teach well at all, you can still produce good results. But you certainly make me feel important in your class because of your attentiveness, tremendous amount of respect shown to me (and for other teachers) and your fun-loving and yet not rude nature.

Having lessons with your class at the end of the week is like an added incentive to me. It gives me joy and strength after a tiring week of teaching. A student once asked me if teachers pay more attention to stronger students because they produce good results. I forgot my reply but for your class, I rejoice with those of you who consistently produce excellent results but I do feel burdened for those of you who are struggling. It is even more joyful for me to see the weaker ones improve and I can see that happening in your class.

You are the only class that reminds me of my primary school. Almost half of you carry autograph books!!!

Thanks for all the gifts, cards, encouragements, joy... (the list goes on) you've given me. I love all of you.

To my 3B,

Out of my 4 classes, I must say that you are the class that makes my teaching career a challenging one. With no sarcasm intended, your class presented a new dimension to my quiet and peaceful teaching style. I think you are the only class that I tried different strategies almost every week. Starting from breaststroke to forward crawl to butterfly and to freestyle... after Bryan left, I tried from defense to midfield to striker (aggressive style). I remember that towards the end of this year, I almost scolded your class in every lesson. As teachers, we have the skill of scolding without being really angry and I've been doing that. But there is one particular lesson that I was very angry and I scolded you out of anger. That left a mark in my teaching career.

Now you must be wondering. Is 3B my most hated class?

Out of my 4 classes, I've invested the most prayers on you and you are the only class that I've fasted for. I did not give up on you. In every sense, I have treated you equally with my other classes. And amazingly, I am closer to some of you than students from other classes. Off lesson time, you are a great bunch of people to be with. I enjoyed talking with you and 'sadly' it is normally related to non-acad stuff.

As a nurturer, I feel burdened to say this. You are a very smart group of people. I believe you will be someone great in the future. But you must first learn to be responsible and respectful to others. Fun may be important but it should NEVER replace your respect for authority and even friends when there is a need. Be more outward-looking and consider others before self. To be fair, I must really say that I appreciate times when your class were very attentive and well-behaved and those times were not rare.

It is a regret that I did not have time to give a 'thank you' speech to your class on Friday. But I really want to thank all of you for being part of my teaching experience in these 2 years.

To my 3J,

You are my most participative class. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the number of questions you ask before I even reply the first question! Well, while some showed your attentiveness in class by asking lots of questions, the majority of you showed your involvement by completing your tutorials before lessons. The quality of your questions sometimes reflects your preparations made before my lessons. Nevertheless I appreciate those shooting sessions. It trains my reflexes and my ability to give silly answers to silly questions. Ha... just kidding. You are probably the class that can take the most suaning from me because you are fun loving people with a big heart for such things.

I enjoyed the 'dota' outings with the guys. I forgot to tell you that each time you killed my hero, I minus one mark from your prelims. So its ok if your Physics prelim results are not that fantastic, but do study real hard for your As. We can always 'dota' after the exams but stay focused for this period of time.

Thank you for inviting me to your class for an impromptu 'thank you' speech on Fri. Honestly I was overwhelmed when I entered the class and you started clapping. It nearly brought me to tears and I struggled to hold my emotions. It is really sad that I won't be seeing you that often from now onwards but I am really happy to see that you've grown and ready for graduation after 2 stressful yet fun yrs in RJ.

Thank you to those who took a step further to talk to me outside lesson time. It is nice knowing you better.

To all my classes, God bless you! I will keep you in prayers for your exams. All the best!

2SO6i Mooncake Buffet

Thanks to all who brought mooncakes and contributed in one way or another to our final civics lesson.

Geraldine, thanks for making the 'pink' mooncakes. You have a flair in cooking and baking!

Bobo, thanks for the green tea.

Aisyah you forgot to sing for me as promised!
Rachel, you are really cunning! After persuading you to give me the brightest smile, you took the opportunity to look away and even covered your mouth in the photo!!! Ha... to be fair, in the first 3 photos without flash, you were smiling brightly. Hope your diarrhea is not fear induced...

I din manage to get everyone in the photo though. = o

The Last Man Standing

Ha since you are the last guy that I draw for 6i, I shall call you the 'last man standing'.

Beyond those black rimmed glasses is an intellectual man who thinks alot. Probably Bowen will enter politics one day. Bowen has no hp (I don't mean hitpoints) but not entirely uncontactable. You can easily spot him in the library or computer lab during breaks. If not, you can call his sniper buddy.

Bowen is part of the harmonious gang who is ever ready for tutorial and never gives me problem in class. So who are the trouble-makers in 6i? hmm... actually none. :P Thanks for being an advocate in CIP for the class towards the end of the yr. But do remember that in everything you do, you must be accountable and know who is in-charge, else you get innocent parties into trouble.

Continue to work hard, I'm sure you will do very well for your 'A's.

Now I'm left with 4 more gals. Don't worry, you are not forgotten... God bless!

Thank You :_I

Wow, it is really very sweet of you to make this specially for me. Looking at every single detail of this 3-D 'photo' I think it must have taken lots of time to make it. I really appreciate the thoughts and efforts made despite the exam period. It is really really very beautifully done and I will put it in my new house. I've yet to show my fiancee but I'm sure she will like it. Pamela, Khalisa, Jiamin and Priscilla, THANK you! Thanks for the card too, I nearly miss it.

THANKS Xiuwen, Suyi, Liu Chen, Annabelle and Xinying for this cute little Tatty Bear! I never mention before but I do like stuff toys. This is my first Tatty bear, I will not put it in my car but in my new house. Thanks for taking time to search for the gift and thanks for the cards too. Xinying, thanks alot... ha din really expect you to be part of it cos you are not directly my student and we only met a few times.

Suyi and Yanmin, thanks for the super belated Teachers' day gifts. :P

Bo bo happy B'day! May you grow in wisdom and beauty as you step into this defining moment of your life - 18 yrs old. Thanks for your b'day treat. I think this is one of the most expensive and successful class outing we ever had. Guess who's missing.

ECP blading

Prelims over. Take time to relax and enjoy yourselves before the finale.

Btw my car has been repaired. When I bought my car, I prayed that no one shall use my car plate number to buy 4-D. Its amazing how God works.

Murphy's Law (part 1)

'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong'. Do you believe in Murphy's law?

Have you ever bought a packet of coffee and when you are about to drink, the string snapped and it fell all over your pants and car seat?

Have you ever tried to beat the amber light when the car in front decided to stop? The result - my first car accident

Have you had a 2 year old kid who was about to be carried out of the car, decided to leave his mark by peeing all over on the car seat?

All these happened in a span of two days. My car has never been so badly mistreated before.

Just when I thought that my day can only get better, the car mechanics told me that I got to change my tires because the linings have worn out.

To add insult to injury, one of my beloved student smsed me early on a Sunday morning that I was in her nightmare. Ha...

Sometimes bad things happen in our lives. In such moments, it is easy to quote Murphy's law and feel lousy about our lives. However, if we take time to reflect, there are easily a lot more things to be thankful about. Here are some:

1. My passengers and I are safe.
2. I learn to be more careful in driving. (I have to be 'carless' for a week simply because I was careless)
3. I learn what to do in times of an accident and the follow-up.
4. Most important of all, I have the luxury of owning a car. All these won't come if I don't have a car. I'm already very blessed.

The Egg

Pamela wrote me a history of how the word 'Good egg' originated from you. So I shall officially confer you the title - The EGG. (Pamela, thx for calling me a good egg)

Veralene, you are one of the most cheerful student I taught in RJ. Your mum described you as a happy-go-lucky girl during the Meet-the-parent session and I fully agree with her. I always enjoy talking to you because the topic you choose to talk about is often interesting and you always appear sincere and genuine to me.

I will always remember the mentos, M&M chocolate and Mars bar that you gave me and it really really pains me to see you cry. I refused to let my dad eat the Mars bar because it was specially bought for me. Ha... people will start to ask you what happened... I hope you don't mind.

Your cheerful character has brought great joy to the people around you. Stay cheerful and real.

God bless!

Milo Swimming Champion

The reason why I called her Milo swimming champ is because of her childhood picture (refer to the Feb 11 post, pic 11). The pic looks like a Milo ad.

I'm impressed by your artistic talent. I used to think that drawing is a very 'introverted' hobby but I soon discovered that drawing has a creative and powerful way of conveying your thoughts and ideas. Keep on drawing!

Thanks for being the first person in RJC to draw me. Probably others have secretly drawn me but at least you are the first to show me. Ha...

I see you as a unique individual in the class. Though you are quiet most of the time, I can see that you are a thinker. Do expand your thoughts and let your voice be heard.

p.s. I keep forgetting to charge you and Bobo extra school fees for using 2 tables in all my tutorial lessons.

Teachers' Day

Hey all, I want to say a BIG BIG THANK YOU to all of you who made your way to school despite the exam period to make my teachers' day a meaningful and fruitful one. Thanks for taking time to buy the gifts, I like every one of them! I am also deeply touched by the cards that you wrote for me. I've kept all the cards and gifts from the past year and I will do so this year too! You are all in my memories! :_

All the best for your prelim! I will pray for all of you. God bless!

Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

When I first saw the picture, I immediately want to set my hands on it so that I can draw a replica. It has always been my desire to draw pictures of Jesus. After weeks of procrastination, I finally asked my new colleague to lend me the picture that she had pinned on her table partition...

I deliberately use pen to draw to signify that Jesus' death on the cross is an irreversible process. It is His perfect obedience to God that eventually took the sting out of death and set us free.

A day filled with Encouragements

I only suggested each one of you writing encouragement cards to 3 people in the class but I was overwhelmed by the response. My whole box full of cards is now almost empty. I hoped you've enjoyed encouraging one another and most important of all, I hoped you have been encouraged. Thanks to those who gave me cards as well.

Thanks Geri for the drawing too. I like it alot!

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another..."

Romans 13:8

A MSN Conversation

Onion: "Sir, last year when you first introduced yourself. "

Me: "Ya?"

Onion: "You said that your hobby is solving Maths puzzles... "

Me: "Oh, lol. Doing Maths tutorial was also my hobby during my JC days. "

Onion: "I thought, OMG... "

Onion: "My teacher is a robot... "

Me: zzz...

My Beloved Classes

Finally after a few months, I've taken class photos with all my 4 classes.

My New Camera

The paronamic function is cool.

National Day

This is the first time I had Mac breakfast at the amphitheatre and I had the uncomfortable impression that everyone was staring at us. I bet the rest of you felt the same too. Thanks Marianne and gang for ordering, collecting and distributing the food.




In the process of taking this class photo with 1C, I unwittedly spoilt their surprise birthday celebration for XH.

Learning Journey - BMTC visit

Madhatters day!

dinner @ Changi Village

Ironically none of the pics depicts the actual learning journey. :P

Failure is not an enemy

Failure can crush you, hurt you, cause you to lose hope, to be bitter, to moan, to engage in self-pity, to become negative, to be ineffective... the list can go on.

Two weeks after I fell at the swinging bridge, I picked myself up and re-took my SOC. Even with my back pain, I recorded my best SOC timing. In the interview with my officer, he told me that he will put me in a shorter course because of my back injury. I was taken out of OCS. My dream of becoming an officer was shattered.

In SISPEC, I was supposed to be downgraded. Instead I was given many days of light duties. Till today, my warrant officer's words still resound in my head - In the first week of my SISPEC course he said, 'I will make you go through the whole ten weeks course and then put you out of course.'

A few years later, I met him. Unpleasant memories began to fill my mind. He called me from afar, gave me a big grin and said, 'doing well huh?'. I have every reason to be angry and bitter towards him for aggrevating my back injury again and again. But I simply held my head high and smiled back. In my heart, I've forgiven him. I have ORDed with pride and dignity.

I realised failure and pain have made me stronger. Without failure, I will never know success tasted so sweet. This success can never be measured. It has become part of me, my values and my character.

Remember this - you will never fully understand the meaning of success until you have failed before.

'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness'

2 Cor 12:9