Monday, March 10, 2014

Class Four Students



This year, I teach class IV English and X English besides other responsibilities. To be with small children, and to see them learning something really makes me happy. How they grow up in front of our eyes and become someone is another huge contentment one gets as parents and as teachers.

Class IV children are barely the age of ten, and they are tough students to deal with. They shout, play, sleep, run, jump, and do nothing at times. They grumble and complain each other, always. Class IV English text is the thickest book for school-going children. I tell them, “You are college students because you carry the thickest English textbook in the school.” They laugh, and they take it proudly.

It was very hard to begin our lesson. ‘Reading and English Literature took almost a week; introducing about what they were going to study about. As they had taken a leap from class III, they hardly understand what’s going on in the class. I go on speaking English. I go on explaining. I go on making them read, write, speak and listen. “Yes sir,” is all they say.

We had a difficult time pronouncing the text ‘Literature’. Some of them said cutely, “Li-te-te-te.” A few said, “Lit-te-ture.” And some said, “Lit---ta-ry.” Everyone said in a different way. Only a handful could pronounce it correctly. Then I had to explain what literature is. We listed down many works of literature like poems, stories, essays/compositions, letters, etc. Then we had to write what a poem is. Types of the poem, and some basic features of poem (What makes a poem?). And so, we moved with other genres too.

A few days ago, we learned a poem, where we did lots of role-plays; that made them interested and happy. We also did speaking; where they spoke tailless, headless, legless English. “The poem is about to remember,” a student said. “Remember is the poem,” another one said.

The next time consuming comes when they write. They write at a snail speed, a kond of tortoise speed. When they are asked to copy a word from the board, they would mutter P-O-E-M. Writing a sentence in their notebooks would take half the period of the class.

Lately, Of all, they learn fast, they catch up quickly. Many students could answer my questions now. I must always keep an eye on them. When I contort my face and say in a higher pitch, they would get scared and keep mum.

Such is my class four students. Everyone wanted to be a captain, and everyone wanted to go out and play, but no one wanted to get spanking from teachers.



Class IV students writing
 
Busy Writing

Smiling

And Writing

Friday, February 21, 2014

Blog Award




Liebster Blog Award from Dumcho Wangdi
Award From Dumcho Wangdi





Thank you Dumcho Wangdi( http://dumchowangdi.blogspot.com/ ) and Monu Tamang (http://monutamang.blogspot.in/ ) for awards. It means a lot for an amateur blogger like me. It took me a long time to write a reply to Dumcho’s questions. I have been really busy; physically and mentally. First I was transferred and had some troubles with my relieving order because of my blog post. Second, I had to travel here and there that left me exhausted at the end of the day. And the third, as our new academic has started, I have been busy with my students; preparation, celebration, and planning.  As a result, I couldn’t update. Today too remains the same. So I will answer your questions very briefly. Let me reply Dumcho’s questions that were posted on http://dumchowangdi.blogspot.com/ He asked me the following three questions.

1)    Write three things that you love being a blogger.
Ans: a) Writing and Publishing
         b) Reading and Learning
         c) Comments and replies

      2) Share 2 reasons why readers should read your posts.
Ans: I write mostly about change; a personal feeling of inequality, disparity, a voice that is unheard, and critical discussions of what is happening around us. A freedom that is unsought. So I feel readers should read in order to understand general things around us.
And I write to find my voice and affirm my identity. I may be the ugliest. I may be bad. I may do wrong. But I’m here. I am here like every one of you, trying to re-shape life to become the best.

2)    Tell one thing that you always want to add into your blog.
Ans:  I always wanted to add a good design to my blog. I get a kind of feeling that is not so good when I see other blogs more beautiful than mine. My blog is an amateur design.







Liebster Blog Award from Monu Tamang

 
Award From Monu Tamang
Now let me answer questions from Monu Tamang. I remember asking him many questions in the class too. He answered me intelligently. I felt fooled to have asked such foolish questions. Those questions were far below his average. Anyways, thank you Monu for nominating me. He asked me seven different questions.

1)       Describe your blog in three words.
Ans: A Wise Voice    

2)     Describe yourself in three words.
Ans:  observant, conscious, and a dreamer.
 

1)       What is the motive behind your blogging? Or I would rephrase my question in this way, what do you actually intend to convey to the world through your blog?
Ans: A voice for a change. A dent in the paint. The thrones of life. Writing for right. Freedom; the sound of silence, and other condiments of thoughts and feelings. It is a big thought in a small word. But people misunderstand at times, the blog contains views that are purely personal expressions of the author, and it may not be true always. They are my far observation and do not intend to hurt implicitly or explicitly anyone. The blog contains is for general benefits and a voice for a change. Last time, my blog http://saachad9.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-voice-for-change.html has created trouble that was not intended to be. I had to remove some contains from the blog.

2)     What do you aspire yourself to be within the next five years?
Ans: A teacher, and a teacher, and an experienced teacher.

3)      In general, how do you view your life? You may jot down a few sentences on your attitude or perception about life.
Ans: I wrote many things about life; almost all articles published in my blog contain and talk about life. Let me summarize my latest learning from a life in this sentence. In life; don’t act smart, act intelligently. Sometimes losing is winning in life.

4)     Bhutan is regarded as the Land of Gross National Happiness. How far does the philosophy comply with the real lives the Bhutanese people lead and what is your perception on this concept?
Ans: GNH shouldn’t be indoctrinated. It cannot be injected like medicine. It cannot be taught. But it can prevail. It should be lived in the society; compact, connected, and a helpful society which creates harmony and peace is a GNH society. The basic of GNH or any kind of religion is the basic goodness of every individual. Individual goodness is the reflection of the society that we live in. Any personal happiness cannot be heightened by understanding happiness. Happiness can be also heightened by understanding unhappiness. I wrote about GNH.(Follow this link to read more about why GNH is not so GNH http://saachad9.blogspot.com/2013/05/happiness-redefined.html)

5)     Can you usher the youngster who would emerge as future bloggers with some inspirational lines?
Ans: Blogging helps to enhance your profession, develops personal abilities, and builds your profile. It keeps you up to date, it’s like a diary. I have been encouraging my students and people who like writing. I will continue to do so.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A Song to be Noted



I like this song ‘Complain’ from the film Bob Roberts lyrics, The Vandals. I am reproducing here in my blog. I have been busy these days and didn’t get time to write.  

Some people must have.
Some people have not.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Some people will work.
Some simply will not.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Like this: It’s society’s fault I don’t have a job.
It’s society’s fault I am a slob.
I have potential no one can see.
Give me welfare. Let me be me!

Hey, Bud, you’re livin’ in the Land of the Free.
No one’s gonna hand you opportunity!

Some people must have.
Some never will.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

I don’t have a house. I don’t have a car.
I spend all my money getting’ drunk in a bar.
I wanna be rich. I don’t have a brain.
Just give me a handout while I complain.

Or this: I wanna stay in bed and watch TV.
Go out weekends in a limousine
And dance all night takin’ lots of drugs
And wake up when I wanna.

Hey, Bud, you’re livin’ in the Land of the Free.
No one’s gonna hand you opportunity!

Some people will learn.
Some never do.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.
Yeah, they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.