Teachers' Day is just some hours away.

And it's time to remind ourselves to pay gratitude to the people that have taken the time and effort, with buckets full of patience, in imparting their knowledge.

Teaching is a truely noble profession (however nursing still wins by a landslide.. wahaha), involving lots of background sacrifices. The way i see it, everyone can be a teacher. All you need are the entry requisites. But not everyone can actually teach.

That takes someone special.

Did i confuse you? It's actually very simple. Allow me to explain. Basically, it takes only paper qualifications to get a teaching post. Just some prior working experience in a related field and a degree = hey presto, you've got the job.

One can memorize textbook based methods of teaching, setting exam questions and what-have-yous, though i dare say : that doesn't make you teacher, much less a good one. Bear in mind that the students of today are unlike those of yesteryears. With the prevalence of technology, you can rest assured that the hardworking students will check up on what is being said in the classroom via the internet. And the ones being discriminated, well, will be waiting to pounce on the irritating-specimen-of-a-teacher with a camera phone. And parents, well, they're a whole cateory by themselves.

Teaching is highly complex. Involving not just an academic aspect, but also an emotional and moral obligation. Teachers of today pass on survival skills to the nation of tomorrow.

This what why i was sorely disappointed when Joey voiced wanting to be a Professor. It gave me the impression that he was more interested in attaining a title. A shallow status symbol. And sadly, to teach without passion wastes not only to time of the students, but also that of the teacher. (however, i will ask him for clarification the next time i see him, or perhaps i have misunderstood him- but that's another story ya?)

Teaching is a priviledge.

Many of us have encountered many different types of teachers in our school years. Chances are, the better a relationship fostered with your teachers, they longer you would have been educated.

I believe the quality of students reflect strongly on the quality of teacher. A teacher that never gives up on her students, goes to great lengths to research different methods towards teaching styles, possesses patience and forgiveness is truly a rare gem.

I was fortunate to meet these gems during my stint at ITE. I spent 2 wonderfully blissful years there. My teachers devised innovative teaching mehods which incorporated singing, dancing, role play and various other aids (use of clay, bringing real animal meat/bones etc). More importantly, they built soild teacher-student relationships. They addressed us by name, helped families in silence, and disciplined when neccessary. You can really feel the passion they harboured. They celebrated the end of every industrial attachment, awakening a sense of pride and confidence, previously forgotten.

Which lecturer in NYP will stay back til 9pm to individually assess students before a phase test? Perhaps it's the lack of staff. Perhaps it's the heavy workload. Perhaps these are all mere excuses. They call themselves "Lecturers" - again, title based roles. Lecturers that more or less want their own way. Lecturers that are unsure of what the hell they are doing. Lecturers that abuse their authority. Lecturers that churn lectures with an unhealthy dose of sleeping gas.

Although i'll give NYP a little leeway. There are a few gems hidden within too. Some take great pains to help the students.

Unlike my secondary school. Terrible. I swear, they must have been the devil in disguise.

I have the worst case of Time Managementless-litis.

To make matters worse, mine is chronic with acute flare ups.

The signs and symptoms include:

1. Denial
2. Excessive sleeping or lazing in bed
3. Overeating
4. Daydreaming/Hallucinations & Delusions
5. Selective Amnesia

To date, most remedies had proven futile.

Help me get out of this rut. I've no mood to work. No mood for school. No mood for most things. Most of the time, i just want to plop in front of the pc and watch my download speed.

Basically just wasting whatever precious time i have.

Ok, now i have to go eat my 3rd tub of ice cream =)
rocky road please.......

A prayer for you Daddy..

I miss my Dad.

And at times like these, i can only fall back on memories that i have kept within. I do have my moments of somber silence. Contrary to popular belief, i'm not loony 24/7.

As time continues to pass, it forgot to ease all the hurt i harbour, holding onto only the fact that his prayers have been heard - and i am not alone.

I'll walk my journey.

Cause i know at the end, he'll be there with out stretched arms and a wide grin.

Moonie writes of what her 5 Cs would include, and as a continuation, i'd like to list mine too.

We're such blog stalkers lah ...

My list is as follows :

1. Comfort
Nope, not the cab company. Just a level of biopsychosocial comfort.
Enough to eat.
Good health.
Great family & friends.

2. 3. 4. 5. - see 1.

So you can see, i don't ask for very much. Hahaahaa...

I want to die with as little regrets as possible. To be as happy as i possibly can. To go as far as i possibly can.

Though Fara and Suli often lament that i will grow up to be a ciggie smoking, umbrella poking, old lady in brightly coloured clothes. So much for my penchant for loud clothing. And oh yeah, swearing my head off in the wards.

Chee bye lah missy, my water where?!
-Lifts umbrella to poke nurse in eye-

Turns to neighbouring bed,
Nabeh, you damn noisy man. Can shut up or not?!
-Lifts umbrella to poke neighbour-

To visitor, Joey
Your wife die already or not?
-Lifts umbrella, but just winks-

Good grief. I hope JP never reads this. I wouldn't know where to hide my face. Hohoho