1/12/04

Todays blog gonna be real short and sweet. Its ten thirty pm now, and i need to get to sleep soon because I have to wake up 6am tomorrow morning.

Today is the last day of the Primary school's camp. Haha, so the recruits are really under my care... totally. At the end of the camp, the whole band had to perform for their parents, who are invited to come to watch them perform. The main band perform 3 songs, while the recruits only performed Mary had a little lamb (I think i said this before).

Come to think of it, I could really feel the achievement of being a teacher. Seeing them going onto the stage and put up a good show is really something nice to see. Besides the normal music performance, they had to put up a skit too for their parents. There are 5 teams, so 5 skits. I can really see their creativity and humor there. Also, the leadership skills of some students are really out of mine expectations. Kids are getting cleverer, true.

I am really impressed with my teacher's plan for the camp. The way he organises it really triggers my thinking for the pedagogy for student teaching. It adds on to what I have learnt during my modules for the Educational Studies Minor. One important thing is to have a good endings for any camps, perhaps an exciting one is good. Thats why my teacher planned a performance for their parents.

So.... One school done. Next one to come. Tomorrow is the start of the camp for another school. This will be more tiring because the school is very far away from my home. But, I know the students there better hee. Somehow I can feel something about teaching now. Would I go into teaching as a Career? I really don't know haha.

Slice of Life

"Running Out of Time

Each of us was made unique. But we all have one thing in common, that is, we're all running out of time. From the moment we were conceived in our mothers' wombs, the clocks have been counting down to the day we leave this earth.

Every turn that we make either presents us with an opportunity to live as fully as we can, or it could spell the end of our days. If we adopt a keen awareness that our lives may be taken from us at any time, we will no doubt be making every minute count. We would place less importance on petty troubles, and treat our friends and loved ones with more affection and generosity.

Most of us live with the subconscious notion that there will always be time to do something - to express our love, to achieve a dream, to forgive someone, to become a better person. But the truth is, we never know how much time we have left. If we could accept that every day we're alive is a bonus, how differently would we live our lives?

We would miss nothing - neither the scenery on the way to work nor the delicious breakfast, neither the smile of a colleague nor the warmth of our partner's touch. We would see and feel the same things differently. Everything around us would take on richer hues. With how much more wonder and gratitude would we experience the world if we reflect on its magnificence and its impermanence?

We would not let trivial injustices weigh on our minds. Tasks which formerly seemed boring and tedious would become much easier to bear. The actions and opinions of others would no longer oppress and worry us. We would be more magnanimous, and see the good in people rather than their weaknesses. We would be less arrogant, and treat others with more compassion, humility and respect.

People horde selfishly because they think that they will have all the time to enjoy their reserves. But if we realise that we may not have that time, we would give more freely. We would place more value on the people we care about rather than on material wealth. We would show our love for them more often. We would learn that making a loved one happy is better than making ourselves happy.

We would stop saving things for another time. Why wait for birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, or Christmas? You'll never know what might come to pass between now and then, so if you have something to give, give it now. If you've been saving something for a better time… stop! Take it out of the closet, blow off the dust and use it, give it, enjoy it, share it! And if you feel that you deserve to indulge yourself a little, do it! There's no better time than now."