Thursday, December 6, 2007
It's the time of the night again when I should be sound asleep cozily (since it's raining out there). I just chanced upon a teacher's blog. Wasn't even looking for a blog to kaypoh kaypoh but somehow I was brought to this when I was looking for information on ear candling. Yes, it's almost 4.30am and I choose to read up on something that is gross and inevitably part of the human body.
Something about the blog reminded me of what a friend asked me a few days back. It was whether I go for branded stuff. No offense to people who do go for branded stuff (and perhaps I even mentioned in my blog before..) but I so don't understand the purpose of purchasing branded stuff. It's ok if I'm earning thousands (meaning > $5K) and unfortunately I'm not (and I don't wanna eat plain bread for a month or 2 :P)... but there's really no point in owning something that just looks like one of the imitation goods that so many people are carrying (proudly) around these days. Even if a person were to buy the genuine stuff, people might be skeptical about it. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having branded goods? Variety, in my opinion is better than splurging on 1 item although one might say it's lasting. Come on... how long do you want bags or clothes to last? Unless you're a celeb. whose status is high up there, no one would care man... Good thing that none of my friends are light headed enough to buy such products hahah...
Hmm.. speaking of money, I don't even know if bonuses are paid to those under contract or not. Suspense.. Don't wish to be so boliao as to sms friends who have gone through this stage, just to ask them.
If you've read the Newpaper (or maybe also the Straits Times) yesterday and today. You would like that once again, teachers are once again shoved into the limelight and for the wrong reason too. If you haven't read, it's actually about a male primary school teacher who shoplifted from a supermarket and apparently when the stolen items were found in his bag/plastic bag, he kneeled down and begged to be let off. Unfortunately, one of his pupils actually witnessed the scene and exclaimed (or something) that that was his teacher. "-_-
The teacher begged to differ when interviewed by the Newpaper, claiming that he didn't go down on his knees and that the whole incident took place rather swiftly. He mentioned that he was in a daze due to pressure from a project that he's put incharged of (though it's the school holidays now). Hence that explained the unpaid merchandise in his bag/plastic bag. He knew that he wouldn't have the face to continue in this line and his main worry at present is that his son would be entering kindergarten soon.
The disturbing thing was actually what the police officer said to him when he attributed his actions to stress. The reply was something along the line of, "You're a primary school teacher. What stress would you have?" I think the reply from the police officer was worst than the act of theft itself "-_- And no, I'm not saying this just because I'm in the education sector. A statement like this tells alot about the general perception of ignorant beings. Beings who judge a person's job based on their own ignorant and narrow minds. Do not ever brush off a person's occupation as simple or stress-free because that only undermines what a person is going through. If it's that simple as you think, why aren't you in the industry?
To me, only those who are already in this sector have the right to make comments. From more senior teachers, unfortunately, most of the time, I don't hear positive feedback from them. One told me that parents of a kid felt he was marking their child just because he asked the child to practise writing Chinese compo with the aid of a picture. Ironically the parents and the kid were the ones who requested that the student be given picture-aided compo for exams. The teacher actually agreed and that's why he wanted the student to practise on normal days. Even after he'd agreed to their request, they wanted to know what he's going to do with the other students. They demanded to see all the principals and created a big fuss in the general office.
I, myself have met an arrogant parent who simply treated a teacher like a pest/begger. And her child will only be in primary 1 next yr! It was primary 1 orientation and I was assigned the duty of ushering parents and handing out the program sheets. Parents were going into the hall from all directions so I had to go from 1 row to another to do the distribution. Without even looking at me, this lady (who seemed like the educated sort from the way she was dressed) told me very rudely and impatiently, with a frown on her face, "Have already!"
Hello? I'm not a flyer distributor or a begger going from row to row for money you know? Have I offended her before? And no, I did not have x-ray eyes and so I couldn't tell if she had your program sheet or not since she wasn't holding any and had probably stuffed it in her bag.
Yes, congrats to her for being able to get her child into this school. But for goodness sake, there's still a long way to go. No need for such arrogance. Being so stuck-up doesn't mean your child would end up as a top student or something.
Oh, and I sure hope she does not instil such "values" in her child. That would be really unfortunate "-_-
Bleh~Labels: Money, Teachers
Serendipity believed today at 3:15 AM
