WHERE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS?

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[Jerome Harry]

Hai everybody,

Just came back to my mind , when I have my supervision to schools,
To tell the truth , I can't hear any singing in schools....except during the assemblies. 'The Negara Ku' and the 'Ibu Pertiwi'. Where are all the muzik lessons.... During my old days , I enjoyed all my lessons because each subject starts with singing.... Each radio lesson, we quietly listen to the radio and answer what being asked.... I find out that learning things through joy.... I like the lesson because I enjoyed it..... although my teachers are firm but they care.... which become one of my motto " FIRM BUT CARING".

We hope that we can share ideas about to make the class a more better and the most interesting place to gain knowledge.......

Share yours too,........

Adios....

[Leander Lim]

I still remember when I did my Praktikum last time in primary school at SK Melansai and SK Tarat, teachers try to use remedies, songs and activities to teach the students. Just like what Mr. Jerome said, singing always our first choice.

I still remember when I taught them. I made a song using some rhyme that they familiar and we will sing together. Teaching should be fun and also the process of learning. 

I think now teachers more concern about the students result than the joy of learning. Teachers like to drill the students to answer repeating question. I knew this will help them to get a better score but the process of learning will become bore and soon our students will lost the interest for study.

Few days ago I just think that maybe I will let my children to do home schooling....

I understand is not easy to prepare a good and interesting lesson plan but when you see the joy from the little faces you will know it worth it.

[Elsie Theng]

I am teaching primary one kids. My you, you will become mad if you are not patient enough. In the beginning, I am a very happy and joyful teacher. But now I feel as if I am a witch when I am in the class. Why? If you are not fierce enough, somehow the children just do not want to write or copy.

[Dylen De]

There goes the evaluation of the evolution, time got the powers to change the environment..
I think, we still can maintain those values,
We can integrate those elements with the thing that we have now days...
But some certain things has to be change a little bit..
Before this we have to sang in front of our students and show them how to sing too.. now, the technology taken our place just pop up the screen
there goes the song and the animation most children love to sing together with their adorable characters like mickey mouse and etc..     

The good thing about the pass..is I still can remember my teachers faces until todays they got everything like the sense of caring, loving and Garang ! 

[Jerome Harry]

Yes , I do agree with you Dylen , with technologies now , we don't have to teach how to sing. Now , there are 'Karaoke' where there are lyrics as their guideline. So how many teachers are using the technolgy like you? As what Mr. Lim said that the techers are more concern about the result. Besides that , It is sometime a pity to see that there are no more traditional games too. e.g. " Main Guli " , " Main Sengkek " , " Main Getah ". You can ask one of the kids to sing any songs from the Music Syllabus ... how many songs they can sing?

Just sharing............

[Ch'ng Oon Hock]

Good old days should be discussed in many ways.

1stly, do not expect the modern or post modern kids today to sing our old favourite sentimental songs, unless they are remixed and sung by the pop or rap singers. I learned that from my 2 kids.

2ndly, I do agree that we should put music (I mean good music) back to school. Music lessons should be reintroduced and not just once in a blue moon songs or choir competitions. These competitions normally just involve the choir groups and not the mass of our pupils.

3rdly, school administration and education officers should be open to the new forms of music, which might sound strange to us. The only caution that we need is to discern between the 'good' and 'evil' music.   The lyrics of some songs clearly promotes obscenity, violence, sex, profanity and satanic worship, thus we must avoid them at all cost.

4thly, band groups should be formed in schools to encourage those pupils who are not interested in study but always like to sit at street corners with their guitars, to return to school. My proposal is that they can be given minimum syllabus and guitar lessons (with some forms of percussion instruments).

5thly, we can incorporate music into lessons to promote fun and creativity. I used to play the Baroque music as background music during my biology or chemistry lessons in SMK St. Mary, Kuching.

6thly, I sometimes used the sit-in periods to play some classical music and teach the pupils about music appreciation.

Oops, guess 6 points/suggestions suffice.

"Majulah Muzik Untuk Sekolah" 

[Elsie Theng]

It's a pity I do not know how to play guitar. or else I can make my children dance and sing merrily. You know I teach them action songs and they just love it.
     Like this...

     God is so good, God is so good, God is so good,
     He is so good to me.

  I have been teaching the Sunday Class for many years.

[Jerome Harry]

Hai everbody ,

So nice to read all the point of views. Yes it is indeed interesting when we found out that Music is one of the important component of "J E R I + S ". Well make the old music be put into a new tune that people like now. We can innovate the songs according to the tune we like...... Keep up with the opinons.....

[Martin Dian]

I'm not sure how much the syllabus has changed since I've only been teaching for a few years. It's true that music can inspire. And I agree that using music in class or in our lessons can create positive effects. For me personally, I do want my students to enjoy their lessons. I believe we all do. As a big music fan myself, I would love to use music as part of it. However, teaching exam classes in a school with low passing rate, there may be some disagreement from the administration. Saying that teachers are more concerned about the results rather than the enjoyment of learning is true to some. But as teachers we have to follow what our bosses say. If they expect results, we have to give them results.

Ideally, varying our teaching method is good. But in reality, there are too many factors to take into account. During my teaching practical in SMK Batu Lintang last time, I used songs in my lessons. For reading class, listening and speaking class and even literature. From The Verve to Radioheads to Queen to Josh Groban. And yes, it's very effective because it energises the students for the lesson. And for someone who loves music, I enjoyed every bit of it too. When I got posted to my school, I tried the same method. It didn't work. Why? Because they can't understand the songs. Explain the song to them you might say. Did that, not much difference. OK, fine. So I change to a simpler song. Rhymes. Too childish, they said. Haha! So, anyway....yeah. Songs are good. The song Under Pressure by Queen, that's a good one to teach about teens in English Form 4 textbook.

[Ayuyahti ak Arip]

I agree with Cikgu Elsie when she said that we've to be fierce to the student. Those who don't teach at school or didn't face the same situation as me and Cikgu Elsie will never know how it feel. Sometimes we can use music but depend on which class we're enter. Students nowadays............

[Elsie Theng]

  Thank God that there is somebody facing the same situation as mine. Ha.... ha.... Strange to say... My Year One kids are very funny. You know, I always scold and beat them in the class, when they see me ... they always call me " Cikgu Elsie....Cikgu Elsie!"

[Jerome Harry]

Hai everybody ,

["My Year One kids are very funny. You know, I always scold and beat them in the class, when they see me ... they always call me " Cikgu Elsie....Cikgu Elsie!" "]

Wow , what a brave statement..... Yeah, the good old days are firm but caring..... It's just because , they don't want anyone to left behind. That's why there are a lot of drilling and drilling till it stuck in our head..... Well, its interesting.....

" Students Nowadays..........." Well, there are more challenges in facing the evolution of the 21st century. ( The Technology Age ). Students before depend much on the teacher to give the knowledge, but now, it's a borderless world because of ICT. So we as teachers have to be a step ahead of them or else we just be the same person..........

Share yours too......

[Ayuyahti ak Arip]

Aiyaa.. beat your student ha.  Luckily we're in Sarawak. If the parents scold us, we'll get ready for the answer. Ya..level 1 student are very funny. When it come to Teachers Day they'll give us present, then we will know how they appreciate us or just the tradition. Sometimes i spank my student, then i feel sorry for them

[Elsie Theng]

  Well, well,...me beating them... not very serious type....not painful one...... just to scare them.......

[John Elazer Nyotien]

Nowadays its all about the almighty UPSR!. The ultimate benchmark in primary schooling. The era of 5As' and 100% pass that is killing the fun filled and interesting T&L. The good old days of learning is history. The top brass only wants good results and no excuses. 5A's and high passing rates is our departments goal. Even teachers have to heed to their demands. We have to change our style of teaching from fun learning to a high marks scoring method of T&L. KPM says learning should be fun and interesting, but our PPG/PPDK says more 5A's and more passing rates. We have to sacrifice fun and interesting T&Ls' to exam oriented tasks. Just to keep up the margins between 5A's, pass and failure rates we have to sacrifice all the fun. Pupils are becoming more like a robots nowadays instead of humans. Even PJK is no longer PJK, it turns out to be one of the 4 major subjects taught for the sake of getting 5A's and high passing marks.

I really pity looking at the face of my pupils. They never experience the fun in learning like what we experience during the old days. The only time they experience fun and interesting T&L is only when the NAZIR comes.

[Jerome Harry]

Hai John,

I do agree with your statement " the almighty UPSR" is killing the fun of learning. But what is happening now is that , I can see that most of the school are preparing their UPSR in Year Six.... not from Year 1- Year 5. There are a lot of programmes being done for Year 6. But why Year Six.? Are all the programmes really meet the objectives or we just only imlementing the programmes without reviewing or analyse or evaluate whether it gives any impact.  It should start from Year One and so on. You can make a survey on how many schools that actually teaching all the subjects reqiured....

In order to be excell , we have to be smart in doing our heavy burden of work assign to us.... Just imagine from Year One of study, the students are from as early as 6 am till 4 or 5 pm. ( including KOKO, SBT , EXTRA CLASS ). And they are studying for six years. And sad to say , the pressure is in Year Six Teachers and Students. Where are  the previous teachers who had been teaching in Year 1 - Year 5. They  should be held responsible too for the results of the UPSR, not only the Year Six teachers to be blame....

Have we make a closer look at our students performance , what is their need , NOT our need, as teachers.....


I came across on a supervision of a school , where a teacher tried to teach the students about additions. She made a comment that the student is not good enough... And I told her that , it is not the students is not good enough. It is because that you are not good enough for the students. Because our level of thinking is different.  ( a 35 yrs old brain , with your training, experience and knowledge are different from a 8 years old brain ). You have to put yourself in their level of thinking to know what is their needs.
I don't see any set induction , and you start right with your teaching..... No wonder sometimes , the students are blank. So teaching nowadays need more time to know our students instead of teaching only to finish off the syllabus but in the end , the syllabus finished but the results ??

Yes , the old days are different from nowadays, but in term of performances of the students , well , ask yourself.... I do agree with the points given by Mr. Ch'ng Oon Hock. Its just not only the music , but the environment,enthuasism and anticipation of learning.....

As what John Elazer say , 'looking at the face of my pupils' , but also look into their eyes , .......

Just sharing......

[Siti Mariam bt Sulaiman]

i was so attracted to respond. i'm teaching the lower secondary. the form ones... hehehe... the age where they are trying so hard to adapt between childhood to teenagers... everything starts to change at this age... create more confusion. more subjects to be learn, new color uniform, big responsibilities...

well, i do agree with you all... music is an important element in human life. it represent entertainment and human need some time off for entertainment. if not, life will be dull... i enjoy listening to music and i do love to karaoke though i don't have an excellent voice... i enjoy music because music put my mind at ease especially when you cannot cope up with daily activities like work loads, work loads, workloads and conflict with people around you...

i am lucky because i teach only science and ICTL. i always add music in my classes. 2 reasons:

1. only music can make the students STOP making "noise"
2. main attraction for the students to be in my class. [it is not against any law, playing music while teaching...]

i once asked my students, why do like to attend ICTL class?

answer:
1. dpt dengar lagu
2. duduk dalam aircond
3. dpt main komputer...

i really like the moment after holidays... when the students queue outside the com lab before entering... they are all look so very excited and eager... i smiles looking at their faces...

sometime i asked, why so excited.... they replied, "cikgu, mati kami kalau tak masuk makmal... lama sudah tidak masuk makmal. tak sabar kami nak masuk makmal..."

i am not pressured to get A's except for science...

before i do think that i'm not fit to teach my students due to the different level of thinking. i went to selected school before and teaching in a challenged school really open my eyes. never occur to me that there are actually human that cannot remember ABC and 123...

now, after almost 5 years teaching in SMK Balai Ringin, i try to value the experience of human development. We will fail if we teach our children just because we want them to pass their exam but not the value of learning. I really wish that i could have enough courage and knowledge to inspire my students to learn for their sake not for their sake of passing [i wish they can pass with flying color]. i want my students to learn for their own benifit... at least bila dah tua tidak mudah kena tipu, tak payah bergantung dgn org dan yang paling penting... they can turn out to be good human...

sadly to say, nowadays... so many intelligent people but still stupid in certain matters... eapecially in terms of human touch... we gain some and we loose some... that's karma... i always said to myself, eventually, we will go back to the basic, as what life is all about...

conclusion... if any of us have good intention to make the teaching and learning better, have the guts to do it... as long as the students gain something meaningful to them... like playing songs...

[Jerome Harry]

Hai everybody ,

Eventhough the good old days are long gone , but sometimes we have to adapt and adopt what is suitable to our students. Now the students live in a different environment but we can use some of the good old day way , because it is new to them.... A lot more can we teach.... I am quite amazed and touched with the conversation between a CEO of a great company and a teacher.Just try to help so that we can make our teaching a more interesting and harmonious way.....

' Attached file is for your sharing'

Just sharing

[Elsie Theng]

Thank you for the sharing.

[Siti Mariam bt Sulaiman]

love it, we do make a difference... here i would love to share with all...

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