Be Professional Teachers

Amateur teachers teach for the love of learning. Professional teachers do so for the love of the subjects and students.

A Love Of The Subjects

• Professional teachers devote many years of their lives to advance study of their subjects.
• In the classroom, they share the love of their subjects with their students.
  
• They are passionate about their ideas and the importance of their knowledge in their lives.

A Love For The Students

• Professional teachers do not teach with ulterior motive but simply for the good of others.
  
• They structure their assignments for the students' benefit. They do not dump difficult assignments onto students, but they provide students with increasingly challenging experiences. Classroom's activities are not hurdles to clear, but opportunities for students to grow and excel.
  
• They take the time to find answers to their questions, and they arrange schedules to hold review sessions before exams.
• They encourage students to progress and to persevere through difficulties, and they celebrate their successes.
• They listen empathetically to students' concerns and when appropriate, refer them to the counseling center and to other services.
• They always give honest appraisals of their students' work.
  

Are you a professional teacher?

Be A Good Teacher

Every man is gifted. Some are more gifted, therefore more is required of them. Others are less gifted, therefore they should be taught more. As teachers, we must never give up on any of our students.

Give Every Student An Equal Chance To Learn

We are not to decide among our students, who are teachable and who are not. Who are we to judge God's creations? I was never a bright student but I had and still have teachers who have decided not to give up on me. I am who I am because of my teachers.

Give Every Student The Correct Knowledge And Skills

Our students' future depend on us. We must teach them well so that they are well-equipped to face the rising challenges of the world. If we don't prepare them well, their future and the future of our country will be at stake.

Teach Every Student According To Their Abilities To Learn

Every student is blessed with different capabilities to learn. Some learn faster, others learn slower, still others have difficulties even to grasp the basic facts of life. Nevertheless, they are teachable and we must teach them according to their abilities to learn. We must make sure that every student makes some learning progress. We are accountable to the society if we fail to do this task well.

Motivate Every Student

Some students lack the desires to learn. Others show open rebellions to learn. But let us continue to encourage them. Past experiences have shown us that many of our ex-students came back to express their gratitude to their teachers; to them, they wouldn't have been successful in their life if not for their teachers.

Some Reflections

I never knew the joy of teaching until I saw the fruits of my labor. As I look back, I realize that I am learning far more from my students. They are so true, so sincere, so determined in their pursuits of excellence, so inquisitive and intelligent in their search of the truths, and so wonderfully nice and kind. So let us reach out to our students, let us love and cherish them; let us prepare them, guide them and lead them to the road of success.

Old Bicycles

In the villages, you will always see children and sometimes grow-ups using bicycles. In the cities today however, there are fewer bicycles.

That's my dream bike that I couldn't afford to have because of poor family background.

But my concern is the age-old bicycles of yesteryear.

Today, I have fond memories of them once again, partly because of my overweight. My main reasons I believe is its size, speed and power. LOL.

Riding a bicycle is fun and rewarding – doing so offers great mental and physical health benefits, cuts down on pollution, and provides cost savings.

I really miss it, now that I'm moving towards my 50.

The scars on my hands and legs remind me of my falls from bicycle. I think I seldom fall from motorbike. Maybe God put the scars there to bring me painful but sweet memories once in a while.

Do you own a bicycle? Try it and enjoy it. You won't regret.

Oh... show me where to get one of these age-old bicycles...Where is my superbike?

Best Teacher's List

The following list contains items that students have used to describe their best teachers :

1. Enthusiasm
   
• Students can feel the excitement.
• Students easily detect the teacher's love for job and subject.
2. Preparation
• Teacher knows the subject.
  
• Teacher plans and prepares lessons daily.
  
3. Punctuality
   
• Always arrives on time.
  
• Begins and ends class on time.
  
• Expects and encourages students to arrive on time.
  
4. Support and concern for students
   
• Lets students know that he/she cares about their success.
  
• Takes time with students.
  
• Allows for creativity.
  
• Is friendly and courteous.
  
• Is supportive and encouraging.
  
• Is smiling, caring and loving.
  
5. Consistency
   
• Does not miss class.
  
• Is consistent in attitude and dealings with students.
  
• Is always well prepared to teach class.
  
6. Politeness
   
• Treats students with respect.
  
• Does not condescend.
  
• Avoids embarrassing students in class.
  
7. Firmness and control
   
• Is firm in a kind manner.
  
• Avoids tangents in teaching.
  
8. Does not play favorites
   
9. Provides personal help
   
• Takes time to explain concept.
  
• Gives individual attention.
  
10. Accepts individual differences.
    
11. Employs an effective delivery
    
• Clarifies for understanding.
  
• Creates a sense of fun with the learning task.
  
• Eliminates bad, irritating and/or distracting habits.
  
12. Does not make students lose face
    
• Avoids criticizing students
  
13. Has high expectations of class members.
    
14. Is humble.
    
15. Is fair.
    
16. Uses variety.
    
• Uses a variety of learning activities.
  
• Experiments.
  
• Allows for spontaneity.
  
17. Has a sense of humor; is relaxed.
    
18. Use of engaged time
    
• Sets a good pace and provides for a change of pace.
  
• Avoids engaging students in "busy work".
  
19. Use of text
    
• Is not a slave to the text.
  
• Uses text as a road map.
  
20. Keeps within 1-2 days of the scheduled course outline.
    
21. Field trips and other activities
    
• Applies student experiences to classwork.
  
22. Does not always teach from a sitting or leaning position.
    
23. Interpersonal relationships with students
    
• Does not allow students to call him/her by first name.
  
• Does not try to win a popularity contest.
  
• Maintains a healthy teacher-student relationship.
  
• Respects students (remember that sometimes what you think is healthy,
  fun joking with students may be interpreted by them as disapproval and
  dislike.)
  
24. Does not allow one or two students to monopolize or dominate the class.
    
25. Keeps accurate records of
    
• Work completed.
  
• Attendance.
  
• Test results.
  
• Grades.
  

Additional Suggestions

1. Provide for activity changes – perhaps something not on the lesson plan; for example, scrabble, hangman, pictionary.
   
2. Be somewhat unpredictable – Students will not know what comes next. Keep students in some suspense.
   
3. Variety – In teaching, variety provides for renewed interest in the subject matter. Use variety in how you have students work together. Do not always pair the same ones together. Provide for a variety of learning activities. Some suggestions are:
   

Assignments Brainstorming Buzz sessions General discussion Panel discussion Problem-solving discussion Music Instructional games Questioning and quizzes Reports and talks Role playing Worksheets Demonstrations Dramas Storytelling General chalkboard use

Chalkboard illustrations Charts and maps Displays and mobiles Filmstrips Flannelboard Flashcards Motion pictures Opaque projections Overhead transparency projections Pictures, posters Tape recordings Video tape recordings Videodisk recordings Videotaping class presentations or activities Guest appearances Combined activities with another class.



4. Instant Involvement – Create a variety of instant involvement techniques that can be used to capture students attention for what will be presented.
   
5. Give eye-to-eye contact.
   
6. Change teaching style for variety.
   
7. Pace – A change of pace is refreshing and helps students re-enter the learning process.
   
8. Change of setting – At appropriate times it is stimulating and interesting to meet in a different location or setting for a specific learning task.

What do you think?

Beloved Sarawak

Sarawak is located on the island of Borneo. Sarawak is the largest of Malaysia's 13 States. It is home to Batang Rajang, the country’s longest river, and Mulu, the world’s most extensive cave system. Holding the world’s oldest and second largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon, Sarawak is a marvel of biodiversity.

Sarawak also known as the Land of Hornbills. It is naturally blessed with vast areas of both lowland and highland rainforest. The rainforest is home to an incredible variety of more than 8,000 species of flora and over 20,000 fauna, the majority of which are insects. Sarawak also rich in culture, history and heritage.

Sarawak is presently divided into 11 administrative divisions; Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Kapit, Bintulu, Mukah, Miri and Limbang. Kuching is the state capital and seat of the government.

Read more from http://www.sarawak.gov.my/

Sarawak is located on the island of Borneo

The mighty Batang Rajang

Mulu, the world’s most extensive cave system

Vast areas of both lowland and highland rainforest... logging

Sarawak, the Land of Hornbills

Welcome to Sarawak

The Waterfront, a sunset view of Kuching city

Bidayuh Longhouse

Ethnic Bidayuh accounts for about 8.4% of the total Sarawak population. They live mostly along the water catchments of Sungai Sarawak and Sungai Sadong. Most of Bidayuh longhouses are built along the hill slopes of Sarawak's interiors.

At the main entrance, one will enter a pavilion-like circular structure made of mostly bamboos. This structure, connected to the longhouse by a wooden plank, is known as Baruk (Bidayuh headhouse) which functions as the congregation place for the Bidayuh warriors. The Baruk's interior is filled with weapons, gongs, wooden masks and other personal effects. There is a raised platform right in the middle of the Baruk. If you look straight up from the platform, you will see human skulls hung from the roof top. Those human skulls are real and they were once the enemies killed by Bidayuh warriors.

The Bidayuh longhouses are all raised on posts, and are often two or three hundred feet long and forty or fifty wide. The floor is always formed of strips split from large bamboos, so that each may be nearly flat and about three inches wide, and these are firmly tied down with rattan to the joists beneath. When well made, this is a delightful floor to walk upon barefooted, the rounded surfaces of the bamboo being very smooth and agreeable to the feet, while at the same time affording a firm hold. But, what is more important, they form with a mat over them an excellent bed, the elasticity of the bamboo and its rounded surface being far superior to a more rigid and a flatter floor. These with constant rubbing of the feet and the smoke of years become dark and polished, like walnut or old oak, so that their real material can hardly be recognised.

The Bidayuh longhouse is pretty decent. The internals are quite similar to other longhouses, with the exception of an open-top sprawling veranda made of bamboo floors.

Another feature that worth a mention inside the longhouse is its artistic bamboo carving. Only special types of bamboo are suitable for this dying work of art. The finished bamboo products make excellent stationery holders or beautiful wall decorations.

Welcome to the Bidayuh longhouse.

The Bidayuh headhouse

Gongs hung in the headhouse

Cages and baskets on the wall

Bidayuh woman demonstrating the dehusking of paddy

A Bidayuh bamboo bridge

The Bidayuh ladies in their traditional costume

Artistic bamboo craving

Bidayuh Weaved Basket

A glimpse of the Bidayuh longhouse

Visitors sampling traditional food inside a Bidayuh traditional house

Let's go to the farm

What Do You Think?

Have you ever wonder how soccer / football games get into our life?

Is This Possible?

What do you think? Is this the best solution?

Giant Durian at Serian Market

Serian is a town in Samarahan Division, Sarawak, east Malaysia. It is located about 40 miles (65 km) from Kuching.

The town is very famous for its durians, which are popularly believed to be the best in Sarawak. This has prompted the Serian District Council to erect a giant monument to this "king of fruits" right in the middle of the market square. The town is very well connected to its rich hinterland both by road and by water and one can find all sorts of jungle produce in the jungle produce market. Read More About Serian in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serian,_Sarawak


Have you seen the red durian flower? It is very hard to find. The meat is reddist, not like the original brownist. The local people fry the flower with curry powder or just only anchovies (ikan bilis in Malaysia). It is very tasty and crispy.....

Have you tasted durian before? Some people say it tastes like heaven, but smells like hell. So taste it and don't smell. It's wonderful. You will never want to forget it.