Sometimes I Get Depressed :(

Bismillah, Assalamualaikum :s

There’s a Secret Recipe Café on the way to the Kulim town after the place where I’m teaching, Big Pumpkin and since I’m saving a lot of money eating hostel’s food, sometimes, on the free Friday’s that I get, Nani and I would hang out at Secret Recipe and enjoy having our tea while surfing the internet. I only buy a cheese cake or the pastry and not the too expensive meals because most of my money goes to my car.

And I do need the internet because I CAN’T DRAW! Yes, and it’s such a handicap not being able to draw for my below average students who loves pictures that could assist them in understanding the language better. So I would take lots and lots of pictures either to print or when using the PowerPoint to show them.

And it’s still so frustrating when they are not able to understand BUT at the same time, I don’t blame them at all. This is because of the atmosphere and how they are born and bred don’t allow them to use and practise the language much. Plus, they have such limited exposure to the language and this not only hinders them in learning the language that I’m teaching them but also science and maths in which what they can understand in Malay, when its in English makes it too difficult for them. Besides, they also have this mindset that I can actually help them with science and maths but I have long forgotten many terms and the how – to’s of the 2 subjects.

I looked at them and my heart goes out to them and I really want to change that BUT I can do so little and it makes me DEPRESSED! Yes, it does, you have no idea…

These kids are already in their form 2 and some of their English is fossilized resulting in them making the same mistakes and also not being able to grasp some English grammar rules, some English words, some English forms and functions, etc.

Every weekend, I cracked my head figuring out what kind of activities and games that would make these students of mine have fun and at the same time, comprehend what is it that I want to get across to them.

This is the EVERYDAY DILEMMA:

IF IT’S TOO MUCH FUN, THEY PROBABLY DON’T LEARN.

IS IT’S TOO SERIOUS, THEY WOULD GET BORED.

IF IT’S TOO DIFFICULT THEN IT WILL ALWAYS BE DIFFICULT.

IF IT’S TOO EASY THEN IT WILL ALWAYS BE EASY.

SO HOW DOES IT REALLY WORK?!