Stories from the Classroom

After years of dealing with students, there are still things which can surprise me and this was one. Was in a class of low ability students, so I took a really simple passage to teach reading. It's difficult to imagine that after 6 years of primary schooling students basically are still very lost in the language. So, I have been doing reading...lotsa reading with them to be exact. I figure they are about 5 years behind when they come to Form 1. Anyway, this was the passage I gave them...A Robbery.

We read the story many times...I made them read after me...again and again. One needs to be really patient teaching these kids. If you ask them to read the passage even after a couple of times of reading after the teacher....they'd still mispronounce about 30-40% of the words. Anyway, as we read together, I'd pause to give meanings of perceived difficult words ... even translated the story. I felt quite good as the kids were really responsive. So, I went through the passage again for the final time... followed a by a short session where I rephrased the comprehension questions to which they answered really enthusiastically.

Feeling good, I told them to take out the exercise books and copy the short passage, to be followed by the questions and answers. Reinforcing the words and structures learnt for the day...Ah! I thought it was a good day.

Well, the copying of the passage went fine. It's the questions which threw me completely off... Instead of copying the questions from the passage that we'd been reading - A Robbery, a few of them copied the next page's questions. Aiyo! Tell me...what did I do wrong! I can only shake my head at the end of the lesson. When asked, guess what the replies from these said students were.... First there would be this 'hand-slapping-the-forehead' followed by this statement..."Alaa...lupa teacher!" What is there to forget? Basically there was no comprehension. And a 'tidak-apa' attitude. How to win them over to this divide of literacy?

And then when they get to Form 5 in four years' time, they're going to be going after products like this.... to help them pass their exams with flying colours. I don't know what is going to fly...one single red RM10 note or real flying colours...

You see, for RM10, you can get this product which is supposed to do all kinds of wonderful stuff to your brains. And my Form 5 students were buying this the same day I had the above lesson with my Form 1. 100 tablets at RM10 to make you a into a high achieving genius! Sold by a 'makcik' carrying a marketing basket sitting in the school canteen.... Any takers???