They call me Miss Nora

those who enrol in teaching pedagogy classes will always hear these words from their lecturers - that teaching requires the teacher's ingenuity, and even prepared with only a white chalk, a teacher can do wonders and teach.

after 11 years of teaching, i believe that student-teacher rapport is the best in ensuring an effective teaching and learning process to take place (though now i dont know if the process does take place). consider what goes on in my current classes in school.

in my Form 4 Ikram, the best class.

Syakirah: teacher, no need to teach la today teacher, so tired la.

me: i dont care, you still have to write the 350 words essay on describing places. start brainstorming now! Pravin! the government gave you the table for you to write it on! When i was in Seri Puteri....

the whole class: awwwwwwwhhhh

Pravin/Weng Ju: This is madness! (in mock anger)

Nagend: teacher what about the moulin rouge? (naughty smile)

Nagend is the typical cheeky boy who always gives me headache in class when he starts thinking of other things. today we learnt diphthongs in phonetics and he gave me this one kind of naughty smile when i said "diphthongs".

me: Nagend, i doubt there's an ounce of pure thought inside your brain.

Pravin: (being the smallest in the class, and the most naive, turns to Nagend) what diphthongs are you talking about?

Nagend: (giving them a knowing look) you know, thongs.

and i gave the boys a hard stare.

in 3 Harmoni, where making noise, being a busybody and reporting are the norms.

Andy: teacher, Chua just said the F word.

me: Lim, stand in the corner. no F words please, or i'll chilli your mouth. Andy, if you stop being a busybody, this class will be a better place..

the whole class: wwooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

Safwan, Aizat: teacher, Shahril just spoke in Malay teacher. 10 sen, 10 sen.

me: Shahril, 10 sen please....

this is a typical day for me in class, aside from teaching them, the students are, well, teenagers who make the lessons entertaining, without them, i'm just a normal teacher who makes a student sleep.

it's gettin' hot in here

that's the line from Nelly's song. dont ask me the title, because right now i just cant recall the song. only that, it is really hot in here! my house is unbearable, it's like a furnace. i thought of installing an air conditioning unit at the living room, but i've to call someone to do some tinkering at the airdraft and all that is just plain leceh. so now most of the time, i escape to my own haven, which is my room. cookie accompanies me as well.

even in the morning, i'll be sweating. the air is completely dry, i kept fanning myself at 10.35 in the morning in class! trips to the canteen means iced cold drinks, and most of the time it's lime juice. ah, lime juice...with heaps of ice cubes, which i caution the drink lady, to put less since the ice can cause soreness in the muscles. if in the staffroom i'm the first to get so cold because i'm facing the air-conditioning unit, now i welcome and embrace it like long lost friend.

god, i'm melting!