Saturday, February 20, 2016

Random thoughts: No place for novice

When I asked my pupils to write their weekly journals, I ask them to write anything about their learning. What they like, do not like etc. some ask me if they can write what they wish. I said "sure"

A couple of pupils ask me to send them for story telling competition. So when i received an email invitation about National Story Telling Challenge, I jumped on it. I ask the pupils if they are still game, it is a different story telling contest, they give you a topic and you have to span your own story. They look forward to it.

I went for the trainjng workshop today and was shocked. I used to be in the CLDDS part time when I was in college and university. They wanted them to do a story telling cum drama performance. It was interesting and fun, but rather difficult and challenging.

After the workshop, they were given a trial and a topic of "A mother who can't talk". They need to come
Up with a skit and story in 12 minutes and in then add an impromptu condition to the story in the last3 min. I realised they cannot keep to the point and when they do, they cannot develop a twist to the story, so I was quite kanchong. But I thought: it's ok, I will spend more time with them next week to practice.

They then ask for a volunteer. The group that performed blown my mind away!! I would not be surprised if that is rehearsed for a month! But the stage movement, use of props and the interesting dialogue is really power!

Then it dawned on me! These people are trained for ages for this competition. I ask another parent who trained pupils in drama in private. She told me this segment can be trained and she promised to help me. 

I just felt silly. I thought of giving the pupils experince and do not really mind losing but just want the pupils to enjoy the experince. 

Right now, I felt I am silly to register for the competition. I did the same for another competition but did not have the same problem.

So scary. I will do more research next time befor my pupils get gobble up. 


7 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I silly, i suffer OK...

      I silly, pupils blur and suffer low-esteem, Not OK

      Delete
  2. Sillyinvestor,

    See the positive light.

    You are letting your pupils experience the real world.

    It can be good to experience "gobbled up" early in life and in "fail-safe" settings.

    Imagine growing up in an artificial and sheltered environment all your life where you think you are "good" only to get a rude shock to find there's one mountain higher than another!

    Make a wild guess how the strawberry generation came about? Too protected anyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SMOL,

      they still see it as fun, which is a good thing. But !!!! they really no sense of awareness lei... They dun even have the storyline, and one of my pupils wanted to demonstrate !!WL

      When we start investing, we thought we are good,
      Then realised there is another mountain,
      then we stop chasing mountain and start pinic at the mountain beside the lake...

      Delete
    2. Gotcha!

      It was never about your students ;)

      Your students were having fun as should be! Learning should be fun and enjoyable :)

      It's just you.

      Maybe you were behaving like most parents?

      I applaud MOE's latest move to do away with PSLE scores and announcing the best student; just give grade bands ;)


      P.S. Must be tough to be a teacher. Got used to a KPI metric; now a new guy wants to move in another direction!!!???

      LOL! Life is like a pendulum swing. We often swing too much to both ends ;)

      Delete
    3. Hello SMOL,

      Is it nice to have your pupils make a fool of themselves ??

      I dun mind losing even at the preliminary stages. But I worried they can't even complete the task.

      Of course I also mind la, what kind of teacher am I if I just send them and all they have is "fun" and learn not a single thing about "story telling"

      Delete
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