Week 2 after practicum
Ok, just a quick update of the week that has passed.
Tuesday was spent in NIE... Physics lecture as well as sequel to the CME workshop. Finally completed the two-day workshop. Got a certificate for it... means I can teach CME le. Ha. Quite funny lo... complete a 10-hour workshop and I'm already qualified to teach CME. Actually... CME isn't something that can be taught... it's something that is better learnt through experience.
Wednesday... met a friend for lunch.
Thursday marked the end of my Maths module. We ordered Canadian Pizza during lunch and ate in class. Completed the lesson and then had a games session. Played badminton and basketball in my berms and sandals because I forgot that we were going to have a games session after the lesson >.<"
Friday marked the end of my Physics module and the end of all my modules in NIE. My friends and I wanted to get free passes to the Singapore Zoological Gardens from MOE HQ... but it was a totally unpleasant experience. The admin clerk of the MESRC department is so so so so so unfriendly and "attitude". I'll rather pay for my own tickets next time than to go get free passes le. Tsk.
My friends and I then went over to Holland Village Settlers Cafe and we spent close to 3.5 hours there. We had lunch and played a few games... student package :P Had a totally enjoyable time laughing at ourselves. We played this game with cards with letters on them... had to say a word related to a particular category which starts with the letter on the card within three seconds. So difficult... and we just blurted funny words all the time. Laughed and laughed until I teared. Ha
Monday out... [Part 2 of 2]
As promised... here's the photo log of the Sentosa trip =]
Monday out... [Part 1 of 2]
Yep, I went out for the whole day today... Starting from late morning.
First, it was a trip down to Bugis. Lunch was duck rice. Not bad.
Next was a trip over to People's Park Complex, to look for an agency with available tours to Hong Kong. I was a little too late in trying to book a tour to Hong Kong, so no Hong Kong trip this time round. Shall stay home for my one week break and maybe sleep a lot. Ha.
After that, it was over to Vivocity... on to the Sentosa Express and viola, reached Sentosa. Yep, planned to have a half-day sight-seeing trip to Sentosa. The weather was not very welcoming though... the blinding sun with its scorching heat.
Will let pictures do the talking in my [Part 2 of 2] tomorrow or the day after, depending on whether I have the time to photoshop the pictures. For now, here's a breakdown of the total "damage" of my friend and I for the day:
- Duck rice $7.00
- Snack at People's Park Complex $2.50
- Potato Chips $4.20
- Beard Papa's Fondant Chocolat $4.80
- Sentosa Express $6.00
- 4D Magix $32.00
- Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon $39.00
- Ice Kachang $6.00
- Dinner at Siloso Food Court $10.00
- Lime with sour plum drink $3.20
- Songs of the Sea $12.00
Total damage = SGD126.70
Experience = Priceless
More updates soon...
Week 1 after practicum
Ho...
It's one week after practicum and I've got one more week in NIE before I get a short break and go on to the post-NIE activities during the June holidays. Yep, I should have mentioned that I'm not going to have my June holidays this time round because I will be busy going for talks and excursions... from 3 June - 14 June I think. I haven't really looked at the envelope with all the details.
It's see... this week was a rather relaxing week, with some lessons in NIE and other activities. I shall do a quick summary starting from Monday.
Monday afternoon was spent at Bukit Merah Central's MacDonalds. I was woken up by a call and had to go down to MacDonalds to meet a few students who had some questions on Maths to ask me. It wasn't a productive session though, with them chatting most of the time. It would have been better if it was done in school though. Joanne Peh was at MacDonalds... supposedly taking a rest at one of the tables. I didn't bother to see. I only saw her leaving, opening a really huge umbrella when she left the place. It wasn't really sunny lo...
Tuesday was spent in NIE... my CME lesson. Get R3ICH. Well, hopefully my friends and I will be well-equipped to help students get R3ICH after the two sessions. Other classes ended early lo... only my class ended right on the dot at 5.30pm >.<" Quite ok ba, learnt quite a few things during the session. It was a little draggy though... could have been hastened a little.
Wednesday was spent in camp... army camp. Mandai Hill Camp... very near the Singapore Zoological Gardens. A super long briefing which involved a passing over ceremony, which placed my reservist unit into another division... from 3rd Div to 6th Div. Dinner was at Yishun Central I think... food court. Had Indian cuisine. It was about 8 or 9pm by the time I got home. Tiring day.
Thursday... back in NIE for Maths lessons. We had a sharing on our experiences on teaching Mathematics. Everyone had something interesting to share... so it was a fruitful session. Our homework... discussion on how TLLM can be used in the teaching of Mathematics. My point of view is that it can be done... it's just that we have to learn how to go about doing it, which is difficult. The discussion and sharing on this shall resume next Thursday.
Friday. Physics lecture in the morning in NIE, followed by a KTV session with my good friends from NIE at Clementi KBox. We had an enjoyable time. Well, I spent most of my time there studying for my Basic Theory test... which took place later in the day. I passed! Ha. We were given 50 minutes to complete 50 MCQs... I took about 11 minutes and passed. No numerical results shown... just a "Passed" on the computer screen.
Dinner was at Lot 1... at the Wan Chai Hong Kong Tea Room. A belated birthday treat from a good friend of mine =] The food there is not bad... but not for regular meals though. Not costly, but not cheap either. I ate the Pork Chop Rice and had Honey Dew Sago as dessert. Side dishes were Crispy Toufu with Pork Floss and Pork Ribs with Orange Sauce. Visited Popular Bookshop and purchased two whiteboard dusters and a few more Pental markers for the new semester in school after the June holidays.
Bought "Just Follow Law" VCD as well and watched it just now... funny ah. Ha. Quite entertaining.
Oooo... long entry this time :P
A day at the Zoo
Went to the Singapore Zoological Gardens today... not going to use many words... a picture speaks a thousand words... so here goes.
Played Audition when I got home... for 3 hours :P
End of Practicum
After a grueling ten weeks, practicum is finally over. It is now time to go back to NIE for the last one month of my studies for PGDE(Secondary) before I graduate to become a full-time beginning teacher at the end of June 2007.
I'm glad to have this one month's break because it has really been a tough journey. Hopefully I'll be well rested after this one month in NIE before I go out to face the real world again. I never thought that I'll ever say that I would prefer to be in NIE than in the real working world. I guess what everyone has been saying is true... that the times spent studying are the most relaxing times in one's life.
Ten weeks of practicum, five trainee teachers. Thank you Guan Shin, Dass, Samantha and Brian. I've enjoyed your presence for the past ten weeks and may the memories from this practicum enrich our lives as we move on in life. Also... a big thank you to Faith, who so willingly lent me her homeroom for my use after school. And thank you to all other teachers who have helped me in any way (not that they would be reading my blog).
Yep, back to NIE... hopefully there will be time for KTV and other recreational activities in the mean time :P
So very touched
Many thanks to my Physics and Maths classes...
Thanks 3E for the bottle of notes... I'll take one a day. I scared of overdose :P
Thanks 2F for the surprise birthday cum farewell party for me. I really appreciate the effort that you all put in for it (although time would be better spent if it was used to do Maths :P). Was really surprised to see the tealight candles formed into a path leading to the giant cake. I think I never had such a big cake before lo. Ha. Really shouldn't have spent so much... /me only a trainee teacher. Thanks for the giant billboard card, the doggie, Torto and the T-shirt.
Will always remember this day... although I only have two pictures of the decorated whiteboard.
I guess no matter how stressful and irritating teaching can be, it feels good to have students with such big hearts =] Then again, a teacher would be overjoyed if his/her students achieve academically as well. 加油~
4 days left...
26 lo!
One year older again... but I think I've grown many years wiser and perhaps younger at heart over the past year :P
No birthday resolutions. Just want to be happy and lead a simple life. 渴望。简单。生活
This coming week marks the end of my 10-week practicum. I'll miss my students, but I don't think I'll miss the hectic hours and loads of work, not to mention that it will be doubled when I get full load work after the June holidays, with CCA duties as well. Not really looking forward to that, but I'll take it with an open mind =]
Life back at NIE will be the last relaxing "break" I will have... with a projected 3-day week, with lessons only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Must make full use of the period back in NIE... go out with friends, play more Maple Story, sleep more, prepare some lesson plans, think of how to manage administrative issues at work better etc.
Zakum helmed [1 May 2007, 6.30pm]
