The day I threw the books...It was a bad Friday. Was trying this project to help improve the P5 comprehension. Only 3 classes have the privileged to be helped, i told the kids. So they feel privileged? Nah, i don't think so. Their attitude towards studying is that bad even after different things are brought into the class to help them get interested in Chinese.. Just let me explain how this project works- a passage was used and cut out into different paragraphs. They will need to arrange the paragraphs correctly. Thereafter, they will need to come up with questions based on the 5W(Why, what, where, when, who) and 1H(How).
This project was a group work thingy and after forming them into groups, some were enthusiatic while some gave me the "boring" expression. It was not long before some group got on my nerves. Everyone was supposed to take their turn to read out 1 paragraph of the passage to the whole group. Some didn't read, saying they don't know how to read. I said, just pass those words which you don't know how to read. Still, they read out very unwillingly.
When i revealed the correct positions of all the cut-out paragraphs, some pupils were teasing other groups for getting the sequence wrong. It got so heated that this boy looked like he was wanting a fight! I screamed at him and told him, "there's no prize for getting the correct answer! why do you have to be so kiasu!" Really frustrating when you see 2 extremes in the class- 1: totally bochap your class, 2:those who get too engrossed and become kiasu.
When it comes to them having to come up with question, they were quite lost. Frankly speaking, it was tough for them. They didn't know how to phrase their question even though i gave them the much needed guide. But it still got me frustrated when they can't even give me simple thing. Pupils were beginning to get restless and when I was reading out some groups' questions, pupils were talking and making fun of their friends.
I shouted and told them, "it looked a waste of my time here trying to help all of you with this project. I can't let all of you do "zuo ye" or "ting xie" correction and here i am trying to help you all in your comprehension but you all are not appreciative!" 1 boy shouted and said "yeah, waste of our time." The nerves broke and the monster came out of me....
I THREW ALL THEIR ZUO YE and TING XIE on the floor! The class was in absolute silence. I left the classroom, went back to my desk. One colleague asked what happened and she went to the class to scold the kids. At the end of the day, the boy who said "waste of our time" came to apologise after his form teacher found out about the matter. He wrote me an explanation letter and I forgave him. I know I was wrong to throw my tantrum. But I simply can't help it. They really drive me up the wall.
Marcus XA
YNWA @
12:04 PM
