Hello!
I realized I haven’t blogged in weeks, but things have been crazyyyy! I wish I could get someone to blog for me because there’s so much I want to say but don’t have the energy, time and internet to do so.
So, I’m officially a teacher now! Students call me Cikgu Suet Li cause I think Cikgu Liew/Ms. Liew is too formal. I just drove the 2.5 hours home from a long day of teaching, so I literally cannot feel my legs now but I want to update about my first week as a teacher in a rural school!
On the way to my school!
Yay, almost there! but another 40 mins more -___-
Cows crossing whenever they want, super scary!
The other day, I saw a goat lying in the middle of the road like he owns it. LIKE A BOSS!
My school! and view from my balcony. I live IN school!
I moved in last week and things were quite tough at first because we hadn’t got our electricity until two days ago. Use candle only T__T But! I surviveddddd. We also had to clean our inhabited house, we cleaned the cobwebs and dead insects and scrubbed the entire house! I’m very proud of myself that I survived cause I’m actually quite a princess. I don’t clean and I need aircon all the time, but now I’m such a kampung girl! *pats self on back
Angeline, the other TFM fellow, cleaning
Srs bsns
EUGHHHH. BUT it’s super clean now ^_^
Meeting my kids for the first time. So excitinggg
Anyway, about teaching! It’s been………challenging. Very challenging. I mean I know it’s going to be tough with these kids, but it’s beyond imaginable. First of all, I’m having problems with the boys catcalling and making kissing noises at me wtf. It sounds stupid but it’s a very real problem! Whenever I walk at the corridors, the boys will start, sometimes they even call out I Love Youuu. I’m a teacher and this is really disrespectful! If it persists, I’ll have to talk to other teachers and get them to talk to the boys. They wouldn’t like it if people do that to their mothers/sisters too. Plus, I’m new, so maybe they’ll stop when they come to respect me later.
As for my classes, I found out that I have sooo much work to do with them. I was given the “back” classes for Form 1, and their diagnostic came up to be 0%. Some of them are illiterate, it means I have 7 years of catch up to do before I can end this year for them to be on par with the proper form 1 level. FEEL SO ANGRY that teachers let these kids waste 6 years of their lives! 6 years of going to school and coming back with absolutely nothing, learning absolutely nothing.
I guess that’s the biggest motivating factor for me. These kids don’t deserve to go back with another year of nothingness. They deserve to learn, they deserve progress and success. There’s absolutely no way I’m giving up until they show 7 years of progress in one year. It’s going to be hella tough though, but I’m glad my anger at the inequity is fueling my passion.
I also have one “best” class in Form 2. To be honest, I’d say they’re the best class only because they are well behaved kids. They don’t run around when I teach, talk or punch other people. Academic achievement wise, they’re averaging at a B-/C. Definitely NOT good enough.
Eventhough they’re well behaved, the other naughtier classes were definitely more engaged and active in class. The “good” class has a blank face whenever I talk to them, and would say yes in unison to ANY question; it’s as if they have been programmed to be that way from years of formal dictator-like schooling. It’s really sad and I’m planning to change that culture 
My school is literally a drive-thru fruit farm! We have fruit trees all over and we can just pick the rambutan, durian, langsat etc anytime
It’s not official until you have your teacher name tag!
My poor kids had to carry their tables and chairs from the 3rd floor of a building to the 3rd floor of another building. They were so tired by the time they got to class!
Sometimes it’s Cik Sweat Li, sometimes Suet Le, sometimes Sweet Le -____________- Call myself Li la sigh
Meet Mr Chicken! He’s my timer for all my activities and I get the students to say “Hi Mr Chicken” and “thank you Mr Chicken” and they love it! Soooo cuteeeee
There are definitely plenty of challenges ahead but I’d say my first week of teaching went pretty well It’s just a lot of hard work so prayers/positivism/words of encouragement are welcome!
Will blog again when I have time. Thanks for reading, everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates!