Add caption |
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Praise is Worth a Thousand P☺unds
“What an imagination Kinley!” a teacher
praised his student.
Kinley smiled and said, “Thank you.”
The teacher
throws another question. All students put their hands up.
“Let me…,”
someone says.
The teacher
has a very complaisant and lively class. The teacher thinks students a good
friends and the students think teacher the sun; the sun that shines warmly and
equally.
The teacher
uses encouraging remarks every time his pupils make slight progress. The
students work hard to get the best remark from their teacher. They glow, gaining
interest and arising curiosity and prepare for the best response. They are curious of what
could be the next good word! They want to please the teacher, and the teacher wants
to impress them; fulfilling both objectives and goals of his or her life at
last.
The teacher
uses so many means of verbal and written reinforcements like; how smart, I’m proud of you, what a good
listener, magnificent, that’s the best, awesome, remarkable job, super work,
outstanding, exceptional (Some remarks frequently used) and besides then he
also makes written comments, pats, applauses, smiles, gestures, gifts and
acknowledgments. The skill of reinforcement is a basic tool that a teacher uses
to enhance teaching and learning.
For a
systematic and successful teaching-learning process, the feedbacks of
relevancy, immediate or timely, factual, helpful, respectful and sometimes
confidential as per the need, would be of greater assistance.
The students
also learn to do good things with good remarks. Pupils are like tender beans
plants, if not supported, they will not flourish with the fruit.
Scientific
study has found out, a badmash person would become a good person in a pleasant
environment or surrounding and otherwise vice versa. The psychologists also
argue that, “students of teachers who emphasize teaching behaviors such as
praise and encouragement tend to learn more than students of teachers who
emphasize criticism and punishment,” and that the teachers who “check students’
progress regularly and adjust instructions accordingly” are using effective
teaching strategies.
So in
teaching-learning area, the kind of environment and strategies adopted will
decide and affect the students’ studies and living lives throughout.
An encouraging
class will have supportive and attentive class, and by way develops enthusiasm
in learning.
If observed
thoroughly, people’s mannerisms will tell that the magic of reinforcements in
teaching has so much effect in their studies and life also.
What are
soothing to our ears are nicely said words/ sweet words, just as if sweets are
sweets to our mouth. We desire and but sometimes we demand it and especially
students must sometimes “Deserve and Desire.”
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Words Can Make You Cry
Words can make you
cry
They can break your
heart into pieces
Forcing the times you
didn’t like to think
Pains throttle you
Memories duped
you;
Deflated and
deflected
Life moves on
Always depleted.
Memories of unkind
days
Only bring a stream of tears.
They are part of life
And acceptance is a
fate
Hush, don’t weep
No one gonna care
You let go
And forget to
remember
Is the way.
Friday, September 6, 2013
A Dying Breed of Readers
Reading is to decode, understand, evaluate and foster knowledge and information. It leads to appreciation and
understanding of the pluralistic nature of society, cultures, and values. Our
people must read and access changing ideas and expressions.
Despite all the benefits books offer, Bhutanese are quite poor in reading habits. I would say reading habits have declined, owing to rapid development in our country. Bhutan has taken ‘a great leap’ within a short span of time, and this has affected our readers. Television, computers, the internet, and motor vehicles, among others, keep our youth occupied. Or are they conquered?
Despite all the benefits books offer, Bhutanese are quite poor in reading habits. I would say reading habits have declined, owing to rapid development in our country. Bhutan has taken ‘a great leap’ within a short span of time, and this has affected our readers. Television, computers, the internet, and motor vehicles, among others, keep our youth occupied. Or are they conquered?
Just a decade ago, back in my
village, when I was in my early teens, my family sat together and read religious
canons, like Kanjur and Tenjur, to cleanse our sins and for good fortune. Now,
hardly any youth has heard of the great books.
In this so-called ‘new life’,
reading has to be forced. In schools, students are taken over by modern
amenities. Reading habits are dying and may completely die soon.
In bookstores, the treasures are
left collecting dust. Our children desire sophisticated gadgets, fancy
miniskirts, skin-tight clothes, jeans and sugary sweets. But the books have
more than all these to satisfy. Buying a book is buying a life’s wisdom.
The object of writing this article
is because I am a bibliophile, a great lover of books. I would like to promote
reading habits. I have persuaded my students incessantly to read and buy books.
But sadly, the aforementioned reasons have conquered some.
I’ve also hoping to publish a book, hoping
to give a typical Bhutanese author to our readers. However, it will not
received well, i guess. The problem – too few readers! Hardly anyone visits the stores
and picks up a book.
How can we have a knowledge-based
society if we are not ready to read and learn? We had a knowledge-based-society
a decade ago, when books were considered gold. Having modern imported gadgets and machines
hinders our in-depth history and culture. It’s like trying to construct a road
on a river. We become ignorant, even as we live in the so-called modern life because we ignore learning. We want ease and to be laidback; as a result of
this, we are becoming a so-so group.
To build a knowledge center, our
government must promote reading, through the formation of reading circles/groups,
and promoting Bhutanese writers through some means. This in turn will promote
readerships among our youth.
This article
was published in K2 magazine, kuensel on16 December, 2010
Sunday, August 25, 2013
The Story of My Name
I wrote many names; many different names, when I was a kid
and a student. It was a plaything.
I wrote in my notebooks, on my geometry boxes, on my beds,
everywhere. I wrote the name of the kings and imagined those as my names.
I added ‘Drukpa’ to my name. I added ‘K’, ‘F,’ ‘D,’ to my surname. I played. But one name that remained in the school is Saacha. And the sound of this name changed permanently. It became ‘Saa’ from ‘Shacha.’ We had a very phony headmaster at Tsebar Primary school in the 1990s. He was a southern Bhutanese. And
you know, they have some difficulty in pronouncing some words like ‘tsa,’
‘cha.’ They don’t have this sound I feel. Even English people cannot pronounce these.
This phony headmaster was very particular to me. I was
pulled by ears in front of the assembly and asked to be a house captain for
a year. I did that, and he liked it, I guess.
He was fortunately or unfortunately our class teacher of
class VI. Class VI had a common exam in Bhutan during that time, and the result
came from the board. It was a huge one for us. And it meant a lot. We had to burn the
midnight oil. I nearly got burned by papers.
So, this is how my name got; changed from Sha…to Saa. He not
only gave my southern-sounding name but also gave my DOB, which would remain throughout
my life. The school was a birthplace. Our mothers were at school at those times. Like
me, many friends got DOB and names. Ngydrup became Nidup, Gyalpo became Gepo, Chedrup
become Chedup, Drolo became Dolo. He changed it all and the school changed it
all. We had no voice. The school was our name, DOB, father, mother, and everything. Such
was the power of the teachers.
For me, I didn’t tell my different-sounding name to my
parent; if not my parent would think that I have an Indian-sounding name or
type. I didn’t bother much. Name or not. It does not reflect who I am. The
outer physical, the outer wealth, etc doesn’t determine me. The real I is
inside. The self-worth type!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Placement Mania
I earned my degree recently. I did my two years master's degree, and I
reported to MOE, HRO for my placement. I requested my previous school, Darla MSS
as my wife is working there. After days, my placement was in
Zhamgang Dzongkhag, that too was without my knowledge. With much despair, I requested with many grounds, and these reasons were very genuine. I have many questions now. I even wrote the letter with some
points today, and it’s in the process (God help me. We are human):
Date: 26-7-2013
Saacha Dorji
Darla Middle Secondary School
Chukha
The Human Resource Officer
Ministry of Education
Thimphu
Sub: - Request to Stay in Darla MSS.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I, the undersigned would like to inform you that I would like to continue my teaching in Darla MSS, Darla, Chukha. My reasons for this
request are as follow:
1. My wife is working in Darla MSS, and is teaching general subjects.
2. We have a small son who needs to be taken care.
3. I have served in Darla MSS for only two and half years, in which, a
teacher needs to serve for three years for a required transfer as per the Education Policy.
4. I have served in Tsirangtoe LSS, Tsirang, in a remote place for four years with dedication and integrity.
5. I have earned my degree not through any government source but self-funding, upon which I have loaned a good amount. The main purpose of pursuing and upgrading additional degrees is to help and serve better. Hope our ministry will look upon this matter seriously, unlike
like punishment or sorts transfer.
6. Darla school has teacher shortages too.
7. I will be able to help my family better here. We duly respect
Education Ministry Policy of working family to keep together and GNH.
I would, therefore, like to continue my teaching in Darla MSS, the same school for a year or two. I hope you will look into these serious
matters and understand my situation and respond the needful for the
same.
I sincerely hope that my request would be given the utmost consideration.
Yours faithfully,
Saacha Dorji
(Emply/No. 200501381)
Our system is functioning on lots of suspicious/ questions. Not only are officers very rude in their manners, but they are also heedless and unmindful to some justifiable problems. I have many questions that left
me lingering and is killing me at times.
1. Why are some teachers posted in the same school after their studies? The same Darla school has two such teachers.
2. Is their connection, nepotism, relations, bribe, etc?
3. Is master graduate given punishment transfer? I was even asked to go
to a community school to teach, when I have B.Ed secondary certificate.
Is this a mismatch? I would love to teach anywhere, but this would
create confusion in the future.
4. Is family relation not important to do any job fruitfully?
5. Why does MOE separate working husband and wife? That also in the same organization?
6. Why I was not given any Dzongkhag to choose myself but placed in Zhamgang without my knowledge?
7. Are we aware of GNH?
8. Why do I have to transfer after two and half years in the same school?
The MOE policy says one need three years or more to obtain a transfer from
the same school.
9. Why do some teachers have to face the hardship of remote again and again?
10. Why don’t we study the ground reality?
11. Etc…
I am not frustrated, but I am sad that our HRO doesn’t look into the family matter and the subject requirement at the ground level. Because Darla
has teacher shortages. I am at least happy that I know now how our system functions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)