Geography Challenge 28 Feb 2009

We were having Amercian breakfast and it was cool! I was talking most of the time, telling them how to "win" the competition. I took the opportunity and showed them NUS. I recalled my story as an undergraduate and how I missed those days. They looked rather interested in NUS. I hoped that they would end up in NUS in the near future. The funny thing was, we ended up having an NE LJ and almost forgot about the competition. Yes, I missed those days when things were simpler and all you needed to do was to prepare for the exams.

Poison Ball

They were having so much fun just by playing poison ball. I wished I could turn back time and play poison ball. Once my PE Teacher gave us an advice, "Play while you can. Play for a thousand years! Once you start working, things will be different. So play now boys and girls!" I didn't understand what he meant when I was a secondary school kid. Now I could understand the underlying meaning. Yes, play while you can, EVEgians!!!

Botanic Garden NE Learning Journey with Sec 1 Express 25 Feb 09 (Wed)

Mdm Wong (forest guide) was very surprised that EVEgians actually sat down and waited patiently for her to arrive. She said to me, "Mr Sam Soo, your kids are really well-behaved! Last week, a group of Sec 3 students from a school in the east were so notorious and noisy. I almost gave up talking to them." I proudly replied, "Thank you." (Actually, I scolded them in the bus because they were making so much noise that tipped my breaking point.)

This was another group of 1 Aspire students. They were very engaged when the forest guide was talking to them. I also learnt a lot about tropical rainforest and the information could not be found in the textbook. It was very enriching.

Management skill was kept to the minimum when the kids were so engrossed. Mr Alawden and I actually planned to sit down but the information about the forest was so interesting that both of us were standing and listening intently!

At this part of the Botanic Garden, the Mdm Wong told the kids to choose a place to stand and all of them chose to stand under the shade. Lame but very real. She created a teaching opportunity to tell them the importance of trees. While the kids were playing around with the shade, I was standing in complete shade under a BIG tree to take photo and refused to even move out of shade. It was really cooling under the BIG tree and students got to experience this intensively especially when the afternoon sun was at its maximum. Good teaching method!

This fig tree actually bear fruits that can be easily obtained by the animals living in the tropical rainforest. When the animals eat the fruits, they will poo poo and it will contain the seeds and that is how seeds are scattered. Interesting fact!

The students were eating the fruits!!! It was called Wu Hua Guo and they tasted sweet.

This was one of the best emergent trees I have ever seen. Okay, upper Sec students, this will be the picture that will appear in your test!

We were about to enter the rainforest and Mdm Wong was giving instructions and the things to look out for. The kids were very excited. And I was very happy to see that learning was taking place and the textbook has become alive!

Along this rainforest trail, we saw many things and even Mr Zainudin who was so well-read commented that the guides were very knowledgeable. Even Mr Alawden felt that his knowlegde on tropical rainforest has increased by an inch. This journey was very fulfilling and I hope our kids have learnt how to appreaciate nature more.

Self-Worthiness

Reading Chicken Soup stories

No more shopping for me! I bought more than $200 worth of Chicken Soup books at Jurong Point Harris Bookshop. I think I burst my budget for this month, but come to think about it, it is a good investment. Reading good books is a form of cultural capital. Chicken soup stories are quite good. In fact, they can be model essays for 'O' level English exams. The stories are inspiring and touching. I think I am quite a bad teacher. I have made quite a number of students cried during the English lessons by reading some very touching stories. The video on "no arms no legs" is a great motivational video that have influenced all my English students. I just hope that they like my lessons and continue to read more at their own time. It is through reading that will certainly help them to improve their English standard.

Enjoy reading!

On our way to Fairfield Sec Sch. All of us were very excited and stressful for this competition. Some of them were chewing up their breakfast on the bus because they were so engrossed with the preparation of their uniform that they forgot to eat their breakfast. Luckily Miss Loke had prepared some breads and drinks for the cadets.

The cadets were so scared and excited that they stood throughout the bus journey. But actually, they didn't want their uniform to get crinkled.

They really enjoyed each other's support and company!

I told them this is a once-a-lifetime thing. You won't get to represent Evergreen Redcross again because you are already Sec 4.

Look at all the handsome young men in the bus!

Forgot to turn on the flashlight.

Although Amir was smiling broadly at this moment, deep in his heart, he was praying hard that things would turn out smoothly because he was the COMMANDER!!!

Daniel was up to some mischief AGAIN.

Daniel again, trying to entertain the rest of the cadets to make the atmosphere less tense.

Seniors came back to support and help out. Thanks a lot, Seniors!

Miss Loke was making the last minute inspection that all was prim and proper.

This was the actual competition and my heart thumped out of my body whenever they made a mistake.

They were very serious! I was praying hard silently.

Yes, we were North District Campion AGAIN! Sometimes, it can be very boring whenever you get the same GOLD, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!!! Hahaahahaaa.....

We only got consolation for the fancy drill but none of us was sad or disappointed. The cadets had done their best and they deserved a good rest.

Two GOLD trophies AGAIN!!! What is silver? What is bronze? I can only recognise one colour: Gold, Gold, Gold!

Well done cadets! You have created new history in Evergreen Secondary School. To me, Gold is just a piece of metal but what is really important is the process of achieving something together. I hope that through this experience you have become a better person and treasure this friendship for a long long time to come.

This won't be possible without the effort of everyone. And this includes the supporters, seniors and not forgetting, the other CCAs who sacrificed their time to train with us. They are the NCDCC, NPCC, NCC and the sports CCAs for letting us occupy the whole parade square for many afternoons. Thank you all for making this possible!

Secrets of Sound Sleep

Pure Geography 3 Achieve/ Respect

It is always heaven in Geography Room. They are all angels. What can I say to them? You will produce 100% pass and 50% distinction. It is a joy to teach this bunch of students. But this kind of joy is different from 3 Dyn and 3 Thk. It is peaceful joy. Clean, neat and tidy. Happy intellectual discussions and pure laughter which I have not enjoyed for quite some time. Thanks for helping me to find back this joy!

3 Dynamic and 3 Thinking

They are twin brothers! 3 Dynamic is really unique! I have never seen such a talkative class. Students from 3 Thinking can behave much better. But both are equally lovable. I seriously look forward teaching these 2 classes.

Every Wednesday is always a tiring day for me because I have 6 teaching periods and you can literally see me running around like a mad man. After each Wednesday I will always have a pile of homework to mark. It is really tiring but each time I start reading the essays by 3 Dynamic and 3 Thinking, they will never fail to make me laugh. Some essays are really good, some stories are simply off tangent but they are really cute.

This Wednesday I had a terrible headache and my mum was telling to go and see a doctor. When the alarm clock rang at 5.20am, I simply could not wake up. Then I prayed to Buddha silently and bargained with him.

"Buddha, if I have to fall sick, please delay for one more day. Because I have no lesson on Friday. I cannot afford to miss lessons with 3 Dynamic and 3 Thinking. Geography is even worse, I only have 2 periods with my Sec 4 each week. I really cannot miss the lesson. Please, please, please."

When I slowly got up, the pain in my head started to disappear.

When I entered these 2 classrooms, I was very touched that all of them brought the newspaper and the Grammar Book. And all of them were waiting for my lesson. At that moment, I was very touched.

Thank you for being so attentive in class. Your small action really can make teachers' heart melt.

4 Commitment

Rest assured. Nothing can waver my confidence that all of you will give me at least a pass and some may even surprise me with a distinction. I think this is the class that I screamed at most of the time. Hmm...actually it is 4 Caring, not 4 Commitment. Frankly speaking, at the deepest bottom of my heart, I really like teaching this class. What troubles me is that 4 Commitment has many hidden gems that until now they are still buried deep underground. I think that is the reason why I screamed. 4 Commitment, WAKE UP!!! Uncover yourself and SHINE!!!

Band 1 Geography 2009

They will anchor with all the A1 and A2. I am very confident that my students are able to do that. No doubt about that because they are simply fantastic. This is the cohort that I followed through since Sec 1 all the way to Sec 4. I think I will cry when they leave Evergreen. They are really lovable. Continue the good work and work hard for your academic subjects. Nothing is more important than your 'O' levels now. Believe in yourself. If not, at least believe that Mr Sam Soo has the confidence in you.

Keeping Pessimism at Bay

The hidden power of giving