I love teaching but I dislike marking exams with a passion. Never in a million years that I thought I would end up teaching for a living. I still remember the second day I came back from the US after I graduated. I was in a deep sleep (from a jet-lag) when suddenly my late father came running upstairs and excitedly asked me if I wanted to replace a teacher who was on a maternity leave at the school near my house. I remember telling him that I did not want to teach ever! But more than 2 decades later, I found myself in a classroom talking to very eager youths who would probably believe 95% of what I say. So I learn to never say never. Like I said I love teaching. However, marking exam scripts is a totally different experience. Why can't we just give them bunches and bunches of multiple guess questions? That would be a breeze wouldn't it? Unfortunately, life is not like that. As you may have guessed, I am in the middle of marking midterm exam scripts and I need to take a break before I become stressed and give poor marks to some unfortunate kids. I must be very good to my students with the hope that God will inspire my children's teachers to be good to them, ameen. I think my mood to mark is back so I better continue so that I can finish all of them before attending a meeting at 5pm. See you folks soon. Take care...

PMR 2009

Today, on the 2nd day of PMR exam, Danial will be taking 2 more subjects which are Science and English. Yesterday he took the Islamic knowledge and Bahasa Melayu papers. I got a permission to be at his school for 2 hours yesterday in order to give him moral support before the exam started. I believe the exam will end on Tuesday next week. However, as a student from a religious school, he will have to sit for 9 more papers either at the end of this month or sometimes next month. For him, to be the best in PMR is not to get 9 As but 18 As! I hope and pray that he will succeed so he will be admitted to the school of his choice for form 4 next year, insya Allah.

One of the many banners at the entrance of Danial's school

One of the signposts outside of the exam room

Students were lining up to be screened for H1N1

It was Danial's turn to take his body temperature

Some of the candidates for PMR

The exam rooms