Back To School : Resolution 2012 Better Reading Habits Through NILAM

Hi...had a wonderful, long holiday end of last year. Managed to finish all of my workload and went home as free as a bird. Had fun with family, managed to meet grandma and some aunts I havent seen for almost 10 years. A very meaningful school holiday this time.

After a sad , annual farewell (as usual), 26th Dec were were back in Sandakan.


I feel pretty refreshed and ready to take on the coming year with all its challenges, no doubt. 
This year, I'm no longer teaching Form 1 Art, but they gave me PSK as usual and... a bit worryingly, NILAM.


In the past years, NILAM has always been a thorn in my side. I always get the back classes because NILAM is usually a 'tangkap muat' subject... just to bagi penuh jadual budak. The back classes have trouble reading text books, therefore a story book is simply unappealing to them . Different people, different taste ... (??!)


Wajib is still wajib. Above that, my past students refuse to buy NILAM books (RM3.50, they prefer RM0.50 exercise books) and the library hasn't actually been very supportive of the programme. You have to struggle with other subject teachers to book a spot for your kids, and don't dream about entering the library during final period. Ada aje problem. Technically, I don't blame the librarian. These class of kids aren't of the book appreciative species that respect public property at the least. But its sad, because they are the best people that can motivate the kids to read by being more welcoming and finding better solutions for the problems we are facing.


A generation that does not read is a generation that will kill off those who seek knowledge. Ghastly as it seems, as a teacher, I tend to feel helpless trying to protect my students who I know , WANT to learn... but get pulled down by their idiot classmates who make reading , studying or any form of learning seem hideously disgusting and abnormal.


So... rather than do another Pengajian Am dindong Kajian Tindakan, I have decided this year, I want to find a method to boost NILAM work and documentation. I hope that by instilling the love of reading towards books, these kids will not be shy to read without being asked to.


It doesn't matter how much people put you down... the most important thing is that you get up, and find a solution.


Thomas Edison reportedly made over 6,000 trials to make a light bulb light up using electricity ... all which failed before he finally got it right. Before succeeding, someone asked why he kept trying even though he failed thousands of times. His answer was... "I didn't succeed in light up a bulb, but I learned thousands of reasons why the light bulb didn't light up".


I really hope I get something useful from this.


Will update soon. Time to start proposing ! :D