The Concentration game

With the exposure to a variety of provoking stimulants , its harder and harder to get the concentration of students. It becomes a vicious cycle. The more interesting you make the lesson, the harder it is for the students to learn to quiten down.

I feel worried and sorry for this generation of students. The jobs that matter most are going to require intense concentration. How is the next generation going to take up the job of running the country if they are constantly needing exciting stimulants?

Television and the Young Child
Kim Preston, Northen Subhurbs Waldorf Playgroup, Western Australia

Check out page 13-15 on the article of Television and the Young Child.
www.freshwatercreeksteinerschool.com.au/documents/Prep%20Handbook%202008.pdf

Saying I'm sorry

I came back to Singapore on the night of Fathers' Day so I did not get to see my father. The following morning, I greeted and apologised to my father, for being an unfilial daughter.

I could not help but feel that if I had apologised earlier ,my father would have been less lonely for the past years.

Family ties is something that will endure the test of time, harsh words and behaviours. Unfortunately, friendships are more fragile. Sometimes, an unintentional word or behaviour can cause irreversible damage. I wished that I have known this earlier.

Being a scatterbrain, I forget harsh words said to me easily and can be friendly to the person easily. I have naively believed that others would forgive me easily too. This is not so. Sometimes, I don't even realise or care enough on the hurt that I inflicted on others.

Be kind and treasure those around you and never take them for granted.

Teacher Parents Session

It seems like a long time since I last posted an entry (so long that I forgot what email and password to type in) but after checking the date, it doesn't seem that long after all.(ok so my memory is bad)

Will do a quick post before I go overseas.

It seems pretty common for ladies nowadays to continue working after the birth of their child. Some will leave the care of their child to either their parents or to a child care centre. Some points to ponder on:

1. The parents are basically doing double duty. After the arduous duty of raising their own child, they are faced with another round of raising their own grandchildren.

2. This is something which I find quite interesting , it was raised by another teacher. If the child is raised by the grandparents, what happens when the child starts a new generation? Will the mother of the child (who was raised by the grandparents) be equipped and prepared to raise her grandchild like what her parents have done for her?

For me, I like to take a peek at the profiles of the parents of my students. Students who have stay at home mothers tend to be better behaved which then translate to better academic results.


During the recent Teacher Parents meeting session (which I kind of enjoyed, both parents and me will learn something new about the child), one of the mothers told me that her son has become better behaved and less rebellious after she became a stay at home mum. Of course, life is not easy with a minus-one income but its definitely worth all the sacrifices.

Unresolved issue

Slowly(ok maybe not that slow) but surely, my bond is coming to an end. Some of my colleagues are advising me to stay but I really don't know. Its not a case of seeking greener pasture but rather how much more I can contribute.

Story of Toys

Last week (at the place where I do volunteer teaching) , I was doing a lesson on the relationship between excessive consumerism and global warming. This week, I was asking the students on what they had done for our earth for the past week. One student (4 years old) replied that she didn't buy any toys this week. Cute and sweet. =)

Its not the end but simply the catalyst to a bigger goal.

±2℃ part II

I showed parts of the show to the class of students where I am doing volunteering teaching. Considering the young age of the students, I was surprised that they seemed to be engaged in it. One of the parents came forward to ask where the video can be obtained. Next week, I will be doing follow-up to the video.

When I did an environmental lesson with my students about 2 years ago, their reaction was positive and encouraging. Right after the lesson, many of them wanted to continue the lessons without the fans.

However, the lesson itself is only a catalyst, igniting awareness and hopefully further action .
Effort is needed by both the teacher and most importantly, the parents to ensure that the initial enthusiasm can be sustained.