Hey! What's Going On!

Some Little Faults in the administration of

Education

Starting today, I am going to have exactly 11 months of service in teaching English. I have a lot of experiences being a professional working under local circumstances but that do not mean I am so well-versed in the business. Until now, after 35 years being an English teacher, I finally come to a verdict that I am not that compatible for the local education climate or scenario.

The Malaysian Education System may have been misinterpreted or rather not carried out with integrity. So, with that in mind, I shall be treating myself as the point of reference for the success of my my business; a teacher who is teaching A-level English.

So, let me put the whole thing in perspective. To me, the most critical aspects of teaching and learning English are firstly,  teaching or you may call it informing and guiding, next is evaluating and finally , remedial. Not a few teachers who find themselves unable to give proper treatment to these three vital criteria.

I would say teaching is an extremely serious business. A teacher, poor soul; who wants to start a lesson will have to consider some vital factors so that the objective of the lesson is achieved. The lesson is designed based on the students’ ability, previous knowledge and generation of learning materials. I have found that lack of relevant materials following the lesson is a major drawback in achieving my objective.

There shouldn’t be a pause in material supply in follow-up lessons. Well, I do see quite a few teachers who struggle to prepare materials for both teaching and evaluating. I feel that the materials should be prepared earlier, based on the annual and weekly lesson plan. Materials for follow-up activities will enable a smooth teaching and learning course.

Why am I mentioning and stressing on all these? Well, there are people who are leading the teachers by pushing some stuffs into their (the teachers’) mouths. There are extra work-loads to be done; the technical things.  If the teachers have so much time filling up forms and preparing documents (like headcounts and strategic plans) for the ‘showing-off’ in meetings, why then they (the teachers) find themselves caught between the core business and the technical queues? The teachers should indulge in their real business, not scratching peoples backs and in the end only to find that will be no one to scratch theirs (the teachers themselves).

Why has technical documentation become the main event in teaching and learning? Since when does this shift in paradigm bugged the teachers. Come on! The administration could employ others to prepare these technical stuffs and by all means, leave the teachers with their reflective business.

The " I'll scratch your back...but then, who's going to scratch mine!"

The business of preparing redundant documentation

The burden of preparing documents for inspection has been borne by teachers in schools for quite a number of years when it becomes trendy. It seems there's going to be no end to it. The major document for evaluation or strategy is compiled in files, and then classified for inspectorates or officers from both state and federal education department to pay a visit and audit them. It seems that the district, state education department and the ministry have failed to understand the mechanism of teaching and learning. 

Impressive! Does it pay off?

This routine continues and teachers whose job is to teach and evaluate may suffer from lack of attention on the students. The extra documentation is definitely not detrimental to the performance of students. In fact, it is just a mere manifestation of accountability of the academic committee of the school. What is left behind after the ordeal of time constraint? In fact, it is quite a serious matter; the syllabus, not completed, diagnostic and trial test, inadequate to cover the loop holes left by the unnecessary intervention from the state and federal education department.

Once asked: How's the documentation of the school? Yes, it is satisfactory or excellent. But when the performance of the students goes down, the teachers will have to bear the consequences; which is an unfair treat. I think, the documentation could have been well done by other non-professional staff, not teachers. The students need analysis of each subject and the remedial process is to be done on regular basis by the teaching professionals. Then, the S-N-A (Student Need Analysis) must be borne in mind by teachers at all times!

To be honest, just ask the teachers whether the document will be  referred to frequently. If it is not, then, stop the nonsense! The cost of paper, printing (which include inking and scheduled services of the printers) is comparatively high.

The best thing to do now before it is too late is to minimize the task on documentation and maximize the focus on the teaching and learning business. The teaching and learning businesses are far more tedious and complex than you think.

Let me just divide TL  (teaching and learning) business into four main parts. The first one is planning it, next is TL, following that is evaluation and finally, remedial. Come to think about those, do the teachers have time for other less crucial things? I am a professional, and I don't do clerical (please take some time to refer to the definition of the word, clerical) jobs.

Take some time to explore the world of teaching professional: it is equally challenging as other professionals like doctors and engineers.

The Planning:

(Part of the Annual Scheme of Work)

MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST (MUET)

SCHEME OF WORK- PRE U2 2017

Week	Topics/Themes	Learning Skill	Learning Outcomes	Activities	T. Aids	Reference
1 – 3	Consumerism Consumers to become wise buyers Advertisements Consumerism Advertisement Industry Advertisements do more harm than good	Listening: Recognizing main ideas and supporting details Understanding language functions Identifying roles and relationships Speaking: Making suggestions and recommendations Stating and justifying points of view Persuading Reading: Distinguishing facts from opinions Relating ideas and concepts within a paragraph and between paragraphs Drawing conclusion Understanding language functions Writing: Interpreting information from linear and non-linear texts Using appropriate linking devices Developing and organizing ideas Building vocabulary Writing a report Writing persuasive essays Grammar & Vocabulary (Revision) Subject-verb agreement Tenses ― Present and Past	Learners should be able to: recall information from stimuli. select relevant details extract key ideas use appropriate expressions for making suggestions and recommendations, speak persuasively to convince others extract key ideas select relevant details identify relationships within and between texts draw conclusions interpret pie charts write cohesively and coherently write a report based on data from linear and non-linear texts write using language of persuasion ― emotive write a persuasive essay write using correct language	Listen to a variety of short texts to complete worksheet Present answers on board Check and confirm answers through repeated listening MUET practice Read a variety of texts Identify persuasive language used Answer MCQ Class discussion on how answers are derived Write appropriate overview Analyze model essays Identify emotive vocabulary Match products with slogans Write a report Complete a word web Write a persuasive essay Fill in the blanks Complete texts	CD Worksheets	Effective Text for MUET (Oxford Fajar) MUET Skills, Preparation & Practice (Federal)
Week	Topics/Themes	Learning Skill	Learning Outcomes	Activities	T. Aids	Reference
4 – 5	Strategic Revision Model Test 1 Model Test 2	Listening: Recalling information Interpreting information Recognizing main ideas and supporting details Speaking: Task fulfilment Managing a discussion Reading: Understanding linear and non-linear texts Identifying main points and supporting details Distinguishing facts from opinions Drawing conclusion Writing: Interpreting information from linear and non-linear texts Using appropriate linking devices Developing and organizing ideas Building vocabulary Writing an article Writing classification essays Grammar & Vocabulary (Revision) Linking words Conjunctions	Learners should be able to: recall information from stimuli. select relevant details extract key ideas speak to fulfil a task within prescribed time. participate in group discussion interpret linear and non-linear texts extract key ideas select relevant details evaluate information interpret tables write using correct language, write cohesively and coherently using correct language write an article based on data from linear and non-linear texts write a classification essay write using correct language	Listen to a variety of short texts to complete worksheet Present answers on board Check and confirm answers through repeated listening MUET practice Read a variety of texts Answer MCQ Class discussion on how answers are derived Write an overview Write an article Complete a word web Group work: Brainstorm for ideas Write a classification essay Complete texts	CD Worksheets	Score in MUET (Oxford Fajar) MUET Model Tests (Ilmu Bakti)
6	TRIAL MUET MARCH 2017 : Paper 1, 3 & 4 (29 Jan 2017) PRA-USBF 1 (30/1 – 1 FEBRUARI 2017)

 The Weekly Task

 The Daily Lesson (one of the classes)

 The three above documentation is just routine. The more challenging and tedious ones are yet waiting to be 'executed'. The Annual Scheme of Work is designed to meet the criteria listed in the curriculum. This is open to critical and creative interpretation of the teachers. At least, the teacher has to embrace the syllabus. Then, the weekly task need to be taken and analysed. The more detailed one is the daily lesson plan. The materials needed for the lesson need to be prepared. The topic and the objective shall lead the teacher to design or adapt materials suitable for the lessons weekly. This will have to be done at weekends (this is called the pre-lesson task). During lessons, teachers must alert himself to evaluate the students instantly by posing engaged questions to keep the students on track.



Reflection in November 2017

How Far Have I Ventured into Material Development?

Perhaps the most successful blog which I have created is addressed at : http://roslimuetmegastation.blogspot.my/2014/05/ which was formerly known as muetirshadway.blogspot. To my credit, this blog has gained both local and foreign recognition. This is evident in the Google Audience Statistics.Currently the blog is running at the capacity of 50 posts, 21 university links and 52 useful links which most of them are self-updated.

They consist of links for higher institutions and some useful links for students to search for relevant information. These links are specially listed according to the students' needs analyses which means most of them are relevant to the students' needs. The reading materials are both local and abroad like The New Straits Times ,The Star, Reader's Digest, Times and Newsweek.

The mian idea for having reading materials in the web is they are:

a) unlimited
b) updated
c) conveniently accessible
d) exploitable
e) editable

The blog and links are accessible anytime, anywhere via hand phone, tablet or computer.

Convenience wise, the blog is regarded as extremely user friendly media. The present community is so hooked up on gadgets. So, the materials should be available through communication gadgets which spell freedom of access.

To cater to the need of hardcopy collection, I have compiled and edited almost 20 modules on writing, grammar and vocabulary.  But the web is still my choice of medium of materials due to its flexibility in usage.