Ways to boost up morale....

today, i was invigilating sec 4 (Normal Tech) for the humans/social studies N level prelim paper. There were 14 students taking the paper (2 were absent). The class was noisy as usual till the question papers were distributed. Then everyone settled down.

I was shocked when i saw almost half of the class put their papers under the table and dozed off. they just wrote their names and gonna submit the blank paper. i tried my best advicing them to at least give a try on the paper. Most of them attempted but a couple of students dozed off again saying that they don't understand what was going on.

But i feel this students are discouraged in some ways. Maybe they don't have confidence in themselves. The students who i asked to at least give a try did write something for all the questions. So, they are not unable to do the paper. just that their morale is very low and they have this mentality that nothing is gonna change even if they score well. they gave up easily without trying. this is definitely a wrong way of thinking. but then, nothing could be done. teachers must motivate them and have some confidence in them. they are not stupid at all. but they don't have to confidence. quite sad. teachers responsibilities are more than just teaching....

Kids nowadays....

dramas and traumas all over the school... hahaha.... well lemme give u a couple of examples on how kids are behaving in Singapore nowadays....

First example: The teacher asked the class to do work and this girl wasn't bothered to even look at her book. The teacher approached her and asked, "Why are you not doing my work?"

The girl answered in a rude manner, "Why must I do? I don't like it so I will not do it! Just because you are a teacher, doesn't mean that i'm your pet and have to follow everything that u say."

Second example: The lesson has just ended and the teacher was signing off the register book. He saw the whole class started to be noisy and many of them walking. So the teacher looked up and asked everyone to go back to their seats. One of the students answered back, "Your period is over now. Why should we listen to you?"

well, these scenarios are just the tip of the iceberg. these kinds of problems are still occurring in my school now. There are good and well-behaved students around. In fact teachers are coming to school everyday for them. but kids with discipline problems just keep discouraging the teachers. However, teachers are not weak. We will face them no matter what happens.... after all, its our responsibility to develop the students character!!!