take it as an opportunity to learn

A few days ago, in the afternoon, suddenly I was given a chance to present a paper in an important meeting chaired by the Secretary General of education. It was at very last minutes that the officer due to present was not able to do it for some reason. To be honest, I was not really keen to do it as I was not sure about the content of the presentation.

Then after considering that this was a learning opportunity for me, I just decided to accept the task and just do the job. I had only an hour to prepare myself including understanding the context, go through the diagrams and tables, walking to meeting location, asking for some input from the others and understanding the main meeting agenda and attendees.

I was nervous but at the same time quite ready to accept whatever the result will be. i will just go for it and finish the task; do the presentation as best as I can. I was a bit late to the meeting as the information given to me was lat minute. luckily for me and my colleagues that our agenda item was the last one.

Thie reflection is not to be judged that time management is important; yes it is always important. But this reflction is to focus on the surprise task - ad hoc task - that needs you to be ready, try to not complain and just go for it.

I am not always this positive but sometimes when an opportunity appears for me to learn and experience, i will just go for it! Just take the chance and present the paper in this situation. Luckily the presentation went quite okay. i just smile at some questions that i had no answer for and lucky for me, my smile work...hahaha... and remember, NEVER promise anything that you cannot deliver!

Learning happens when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. What did I learn? I learn that sometimes you do not need to be an expert in everything, you just need to know the general knowledge and know them as much as you can. I will give you the confidence!

PS: I hope you understand what I mean here and remember - sometimes 'just go for it' works!

SMILE is the key?

Do you remember your first day at work?

I have found that first day in a new job is always hard and wrecks my nerves. It was always difficult and not easy to go through. The place is different, the people are different, the systems are different; just how to cope with it comfortably? No matter how many times I have started work at a new place, the feeling of nervousness will just come. So many questions come to my mind: What to say to people? How to greet them? Am I welcome there? Am I going to be fine with the job scope? How to behave appropriately there? Whether the questions make any sense or not, they will just appear and add more to the feeling of being nervous.

HAHA 😅

The only thing I can do is just to go through with it. You can try to prepare as best as you can. You can start to prepare physically like wearing the best shirt that you have. Possibly buy a new one if you can or at least new accessories to boost some confidence. Then you can prepare mentally as well. I think mental preparation is the most important because it controls what you feel and what you do.

Never mind all the questions that come to your mind. Answer them positively in your head and if you cannot answer them, just tell yourself that it will be fine and everything will be okay. If necessary, get support from your friend. Even just to message them or call them talking about other things will give some help.

I think the most important way to start is just to SMILE! That's the only key to work. Smile a lot! Smile anytime that you can. Smile to anyone that you meet. A smile can be the cure for everything at start of your first day/week at work. Smile will welcome people to you. It will attract people to get to know you.

Okay, my motive to write this is not to give any tips but just to calm my self down! HAHA.

PS: The process of waiting is sometimes enjoyable.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!

2017 has now gone and left us with millions of memories. 365 days looks a lot today as I am writing this on the firts January 2018 but I believe will be gone so fast. Yesterday was 2017 and today is already 2018. It looks like they are next to each other, but you can never go back to 2017.

So today it's time to cherish the new year and the new start and leave behind all the regrets and what make us sad in 2017. Anyway, I will stick to not have any resolutions every new year but will change my life anytime I think I need to.

Believe it or not, right after I finished my degree with University of Hertfordshire and IPG Kota Bharu, I always thought that my life would be all about teaching and learning. However, since 2010, my career life kept changing. The pathways are just so wide for me to choose and opportunities keep getting bigger and bigger.

There are always problems and difficulties along the way, but I guess I have just to go for it. Stick to what you are good at and try as best as you can all the time.

2018 - come and get me! I am ready for you!

PS: HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 EVERYONE

job will never end

At least in my mind the job will never end. There will always something you need to do and to plan even though it is during your weekends. There will always be something that comes to my mind and reminds me that I need to do something in the office soon!

Sometimes it gives me a bit of an adrenaline rush and I just jump on my laptop and start typing a letter. Sometimes I just quickly send a text message to my staff to remind us of some item that we need to discuss. That is just how my mind works I guess. I just need to keep up with it.

I remember back when I used to teach kids in the orang asli school, it was the same. However, it was always the creative side of my brain that kept working hard. My mind was always wondering how and what is next to teach to the kids. How would my class be different next week? What else I can do to teach them? How to connect the things around me with my students? There was always be something that made my mind wonder. I was eating a slice of bread, then the bread became my pedagogical tool to teach division; I was folding a letter, then A4 paper became my teaching tool to teach shapes; I was walking around the village and kicking stones, then stones became counters in my class. As a result, it turned into and exciting and interesting class.

I found that it happens the same way here but the problem is I am not sure if people can accept the way I work and think. Sometimes it's too fast for certain people. I guess so. Anyway, I am still trying to figure things out to be creative and innovative in the world of assets and procurement! (laughing)

PS: just a lazy and cozy Sunday!

back to the blogging business

I guess it is the right time for me to get back to blogging again.

I am now working in the Perlis Education Department - specifically handling the procument and assets for schools in Perlis.

Never I have imagined that I would be posted here, nearby my family, to start working in a small state like Perlis.

I have found it challenging as a new officer to be in charge of a busy and demanding unit and role but what is a challenge if we are not up to it right? Like it or not, going through the journey is a must and to try our best is our priority.

Many new opportunities to be taken as well as new knowledge to learn. New surroundings to adapt to and positivity is always the key power to handling successfully any situation.

Once again, I do not know where this road will take me, but the steps will definitely bring me to be a wiser and bigger stomach...oopsss I mean bigger person.

PS: What a feeling to be far from traffic jam!

Me complaining again...haha...

I guess I will be busy for a while. At least in my mind. Keep thinking about this and that, particularly about the events that I am going to administer. There are two events: a forum and a theater.

This week and last week, we are taking the module on Research Methodology. I am enjoying the module as there is no final examination. However, the detail of the assignments in this module is quite challenging.

Writing a research proposal in a short period of time is challenging. To come out with an issue that you are interested to research, as well as planning the research questions, research objectives, research designs and methodology take so much hard work! Until now, I have only had a rough idea and am not that focused yet!

My mind is busy thinking about handling the events - hopefully it will be a successful events. I am also busy thinking about the assignments.. In the end I am just exhausted, changed my mind and decided to go to sleep and rest! hahaha

Anyway, I miss my home so much.... I miss my mom and dad, I miss my room and miss the Kampung! I want to go home so badly!

PS: You just need to try to the limit!

The week of Public Finance is here!

I have been trying to finish my writing on my OBS experience but it seems like it is a slow process. I want to finish writing it but there were too many things to write and I feel like I will miss some important part that I learnt and experienced. So, I decided to write this entry first.

This week we has been introduced to a new subject - Public Finance Management. The subject is described as one of the tough subject in this programme; and again it makes me nervous. It has been 3 days now that we learnt in the class. There are so much details and deep information that I believe that theoritically hard to evidence and later when you go to work, practically it will help you to learn better.

We have got the group assignment questions. The question looks simple and easy but actually need us to discuss in details and prepare a comprehensive example on a topic of tender.

Okay,  as the class will finished late in the evening, not as per usual, I should go to sleep early tonight!

PS: never mind what otrhers think about you, what you think about you matter most

...the end of the semester break...

I have just arrived in INTAN at about 8 a.m in the morning. I said my goodbye to my family at midnight. After a few stops for coffee, toilet and rest - finally I arrived safe and sound, driving my car. I love and enjoy the journey. After transferring my bags to my room, I decided to continue my morning with a bit of running and simple exercises - about 30 minutes.

Actually I am a bit worried about my fitness level and body weight. It seems like I have been stuck at the same level for a while. I believe something is definitely not right with my diet or exercise. Looking at fit people around me in the campus, it heightens my level of worry...haha... It seems like everyone else is ready for the Outward Bound School. Something needs to be done by me!

Being at home for a week felt refreshing. Able to be with my mom and dad, just being around them I feel comfortable and secure. We even managed to celebrate my dad's birthday together and surrised him with a cake just before midnight. He was already sleeping at that time ...huhu... but it was definitely a moment to remember. Oh, my dad is 60 now! wow! time! you fly so fast!

Hopefully this time around more positive things will surround me. Negative feelings, please go away. Go disturb someone else or just go away lah... haha!

PS: Congratulations to Rohaizat and Maznida for their newborn baby! I found a perfect gift for you! Wait for it! :D

...Leadership...

Yes! I have survived the first week of the second module - Leadership and Strategic Management. It was a busy week if I included the physical training that we required to do as well. I mean the class from 8 to 5, plus the walking distance up and down the hills and the physical training in the evening and finishing the individual assignment and group assignment at night time - fuhhhh, I'm glad I am able to just rilex and chill on the weekend!

In this module, we learnt about Blue Ocean Leadership, Islamic perspective and also creative nd strategic leadership. I found it is interesting to learn as well as I never really study on this subject before, in fact I always try to avoid taking leadership subject when I decided to do my masters before. I found that leadership sounds easy but actually requires a lot of energy, bravery and confidence. So, if I can avoid I will...hahaha... But being here now, I need to absorb as much information as I can to be used in my future endeavors.

We had two assignments to do in this module. The first was writing assignment where we got individually essay to write on the theme given by the lecturer. I had been given a topic on deforestation and Islamic perspective. The assignment was imited to 3 pages only. I tried my best to do the writing by connecting 3 major points which were deforestation, leadership and Islamic perspective. I found it was quite challenging to write the assignment. Maybe my explanation here is much better than my real assignment...haha...

Then at the same time, we also received a group work assignment. My group need to watch devil Wears Prada and look around the leadership and followers characters. We need to present our findings and do the presentation on Friday which was the same due date with the individual assignment. So, I hope you can imagine how busy was that doing the assignments simultaneously. We did it anyway! We even added some role play in our presentation and I played Emily character (embarassing moment of my life...hahaha). 

Anyway, one more week to go on this module and the final exam will come at the end of the week. Study, study, study!

PS: Hapy Merdeka Day! Sometimes you just need to keep quiet and let the truth works its way!

the academic weeks: the start

Today is the start of the academic weeks as a student in INTAN. We were divided into 6 groups and each of the groups were given the academic timetable for 10 months. Our first module for group 6 is Public Economic Management.

Economic subject is not new to me but I have never really studied formally as I remembered. I mean, economics, somehow you learn once you understand it is about buying and selling...aha...simple way to explain I guess. When I did my masters in Newcastle University, we looked at the economic background of poor countries and made comparison with rich countries. We looked more towards the education sector of the countries at that time.

In the class today, we discussed the introduction of the economics subject. The discussion went through the topic of scarcity, demand and supply. I think the introduction was quite okay to understand for now. I found that the most interesting topics were about the demand curve and the supply curve. We were able to demonstrate our understanding by drawing the curve on paper. I also think that this topic is quite interesting as it relates a lot to real life experience. More on logical thinking and making relationships between prior knowledge and formal knowledge.

I look forward for more information and hopefully I will be able to absorb and learn from my lecturers and friends as well.

PS: Reading, reading and reading the academic writing!

...then I am ready to move on...

I think I maybe addicted to challenges. Once I feel like I have settled, then I look for something new. Once I feel like it is done, then I want to do and achieve different things in life.

I worked in the education sector and felt so happy and satisfying with it. I was a primary school teacher for a few years and really did my best! Then I challenged myself and did my masters degree in the middle of getting acknowledgement for my contribution to the teaching profession. When I came back from my masters, after working with the Teacher Training Institute, i decided to join the private sector to see how things work differently there, with the same objective, which is education.  I took the risk. After a while learning and experiencing, I planned to further my study again but I was offered to work in a higher education institution. I felt settled working there. The work has been demanding but I have been really enjoying it. 

Now, i have received an offer to become a Diplomatic and Administrative

Officer (PTD) with the government sector. A chance for me to rejoin the government sector. You know what? I will take the chance!

I guess I have never turned down opportunities before. I do not see why I should do that this time. I mean, I have been discussing this a lot; with my family, friends and even with my lecturers!

Sometimes I do have doubts about my actions, but then I realise that I am just a human being. You know people can say to you that you should know what you want and stay inside it. But then, life is only once. If you settle too easily then you will never know what else you will able to do and achieve. Even to achieve failure - still an achievement! ahaha... Easy to say! i am glad and thankful that things work out for me every now and then. I do faced a lot of problems and challenges, but I guess it makes me strong somehow. Anyway, I will try to do what I said... I accept the challnges and try my best. People can always have their own opinion and so do I. 

Ahaha! Actually this is only me trying to convince myself again and again. If you realise, this is just how I motivate myself. I write it on my blog! I'm scared too. I'm nervous too. I'm doubting my capability too.

Thanks to this blog. You are always a place for me to write what I feel and get me on the track against all odds...

Go Hafiz Go!

PS: leaving again...

Ideas flow like a river

Nowadays, since I have been back teaching, I have started to have a lot of ideas about how to involve my students in learning and get them doing some active learning with me in the class. I want them to think critically and to respond to me and among themselves. I really like my class to be busy. I also have a lot to reflect on and to write and learn.

When people around me and my students start to ask em how do I manage to come up with the ideas, I paused for a while. They asked me where I find the activities. Do I have a book that I refer to? Are there any websites that I click to learn from? Or did I learn it from my studying time?

I really could not answer the questions in the beginning. They suddenly made me stop from being able to answer these questions straight away. I think all of the sources they mentioned above are actually some of where I get the ideas. However, you just need to find a way to match the activities that you learned or experienced with your learning objectives. Sometimes I get the ideas from reading a book, sometimes from watching a video from Youtube. One time I was watching the tv series Running Man for example and use the idea from there in my class. Another time ideas just come from daily chores. I enjoy the way that ideas just come to me and how I relate them to my class. Question that comes to my mind: "How can I fit this activity in my class?" The ideas just flow like a river.

Thinking about what makes me wonder whether the ideas may dry up? Will I always be able to come up with something new? I have no idea! haha... But if the activity is a good way to train them with some skills and provide rich learning experiences for the students then I believe that repetition is not a bad idea! The activity can be the same but the context can be different!

PS: Ready to go to the end of the semester!

teaching in uni vs teaching in school

OK, it's time to reflect on my experience so far. Now that I have been teaching for almost 2 months, I think it's time to relate back with my previous experience a little bit, just to compare and contrast the experiences of teaching in school and teaching in university. 

1. Lesson Planning

In school, a teacher needs to have comprehensive lesson planning of what to teach daily. In university, the plan consists of topics to teach each week. While a teacher will have different learning outcomes for different lessons, in university the lecturer had to achieve the course outcomes by teaching particulars topics. The area of teaching will be big for a university lecturer as the scope of topics is wide. Teacher the other way around need to focus on the certain skills that the students need to learn and provided in the school syllabus.

2. Teaching and Learning

 I found that there are a lot of similarities between teaching and learning in a school and in a university. The context and scope of the content will be different but the pedagogy that you use can be the same with a tweak and twist! I am still able to use and apply the ARM Model (Active, learning, Reflection and Modelling) in the university class. Moreover, you can do more things with the university students now as the time is luxurious as I will discuss in details later. Especially with my students who are taking a Bachelor of Education, I found it is important to model effective teaching and learning - with the hope that they will take and apply it in their future careers.

3. Time

In school, teaching hours will be short and succinct. I mean, instead of the class being combined together fr one session, the class will be chunked into several periods, throughout the week. For example, if you need to teach 3 hours of maths a week, then in a week the hours might be divided into 3 periods of 3 hours or more. Teachers sometimes need to rush to finish the topic to teach in school and need to limit the time doing some activities in the class, while in the university, you have the luxury of a bit more time to get your students to do some creative activities in the class. 

4. Students

Of course in university your students will be young adults. Most of the time, your instruction to them needs to be simple and short as they will understand better. While in school, you might need to be even more precise and find other ways when telling your students what to do (clear instructions). The level of activity that you gave to your students in school needs to be taught through clearly as well; while in the university you sometimes want your students to come up with something new and innovative!

5. The attendance

Surprisingly, I have found that in university, students' attendance can become a big problem. Almost every time there will be some reason for them not to attend the class or to come late or to leave early. Sometimes I do not understand this situation...aha.... While in school, as much as there are sometimes problems with attendance overall, most of the time the class will be full, I guess parents are still able to check their children's attendance and help to make good choices and decisions, Whereas in university, students will be on their own. They make their own choices and decisions. 

Okay, those are the five points for now. I think it is enough. Again, I am just sharing my opinions. They might not be all correct but that is how I feel for now. Open for discussion! Both involve teaching. Teaching means creative. Creative means awesome. Awesome means epic. Epic means happy! Okay this can go on and on and on! haha... don't scold me anyway! :D

PS: I miss my childhood time playing in the rain... My mom only allowed us to do that if the rain was heavy... Oh! What a nice memory! :D

assessment of opportunities

This week we discussed the topic of validity and reliability in the Assessment of Education class. Instead of doing an explanation to mys students, I decided to let them try, explore and experience assessment by answering quizzes themselves. I started the class by giving them 2 quizzes of 10 questions on common knowledge. The questions for both quizzes were the same except that the first quiz was about general knowledge from different countries, while the second was about

Malaysia. We talked about both experiences and tried to relate it with validity and reliability.

After that, we played another game. The students this time created questions in groups. Then, each group took turns to ask the questions to the other group. Instead of just sking it in a normal way, I asked the group to write down the questions on paper and hide them around the room. It's like playing treasure hunt but focusing on validity and reliability of the questions. It was fun to do!

The main discussion point that I feel like talking about this week is about the assessment of opportunities that come to you. As much as opportunities might bring you to a bew level of achievement, however, opportunities also open up a vulnerable experience for you. I often forget this. I forget sometimes, when you take a risk and choose to do something different, as much as it will give you the chance to achieve another milestone of your life, it also brings the chance for you to feel disappointed, sad and down! 

I never remember this. I choose to just try and then only later on realise that I put myself on a thin rope hanging up in the sky. It's like you are trying to walk on the rope from one end to another end; you might fall anytime if you are not careful and arrived to a new destination if you are successful. I guss, in order to be safe, you might need to remember to have a parachute on your back or maybe put a spring inside your shoes so that you are ready to bounce back when you fall down...ahaha... Assess the opportunities, get ready to experience the feeling of joy and disappointment...

PS: Jom balik kampung! :D

Forced to reflect?

Have you ever forced yourself to do something until it becomes a habit?

When I was in my teacher training back in 2006-2009, my lecturers introduced us to keeping a reflective journal. We needed to write down our thoughts and opinions about what we had learnt on that particular day. Write about the most significant thing that you learnt. We needed to do it almost daily!

I think it was hard in the beginning. It was a new way to express ourselves. And to be honest, our culture is not much about expressing our thoughts and feelings right? I mean not all the time... Okay, I hope my statement did not offend anyone...ahaha... I'm trying to relate with my own experience. I think especially when it comes to feelings, we most of the time just let it happen instead of saying it out and letting people know what we feel and what is inside our mind. We prefer to let the other people to understand what we feel and hope they get it as well. We most of the time only express it physically and not verbally. For example, when we want to say goodbye tou our good friend, we might show the expression of sadness but we sometimes refuse to say things like we love them, we care for them and so on... Am I right? I hope I give a good example here...ahah...and also hope that you can relate...

back to the reflective journal. After a while doing it because we were asked to do it, it then started to become a habit until I found the usefulness of having a blog and reflection. I love doing it now. My mind always wants to reflect after certain situations that happened to me or in my surroundings. trying to learn from it or at least to consider what else can e done to make things better. I think I became a reflective practitioner myself and would love to explore this more specifically with other educators. Will reflection be helpful for them too? maybe a yes to some and maybe a no to the others. You never know until you try!

What say you?

PS: Wow! Another Ramadhan = another fasting month, Happy fasting to all muslims all around the world!

...experience to absorb...

Okay I should write something this week or else it makes my week feels incomplete..aha... Nowadays I am always aware of myself if I do not write anything. It feels like I did something wrong. There is a dependency to this blog, or an attachment, bonding! ahaha...of course I have know this since I first started blogging. It is not just about writing.

This week was very up and down week for me. So many experiences to absorb. A good experience is great to motivate you. Bad experiences can be very hurtful sometimes, but still they can teach you something. Focusing on the bad experience, sometimes when you are dealing with it, you will find it difficult to take out what is the learning experience. Then after a while, you learn something from it. This does not mean you can suddenly change and stop doing it but it means that you started to acknowledge it. Acknowledging something in your mind and heart is good right? It is an accomplishment. At least I think it is. :D



Yay! A long weekend is coming. Hope everyone is safe and enjoying your days.

PS: The not so sure what to up;date day...aha...

...I felt new but old in some ways...

I'm about to go to sleep but something inside me telling me that I should write first. I'm enjoying reading this book at the moment - Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. Interesting book that gives me a different perspective. Something similar when I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky! There are things and situations that I can relate to in both books. Good!

It's been more than 10 days already since new year. I felt new but old in some ways. New as a new start and old as an old soul...ahaha... I guess you are always there as you are, no matter what year comes, right?

With determination and strong will, things can be changed! Whatever, where ever and whoever... I guess! ahaha...me and some of my funny thoughts.

Now we feel like the new year is just around the corner. Soon, suddenly everything will be so fast and we will already be in the mid of the year... and then it will come to the end. So funny to think about how time flies. It makes us feel so far away but then when we go through it and pass it, suddenly it can never turn back and keeps moving forward!

Let's all cherish the moment and do and feel each moment of our lives! Yay!


PS: ...While listening to the sweet voice - Birdy!

2015

I am back in Malaysia now after a short visit to the UK. First to get started with the Life history research with University of Hertfordshire, second to visit Dr. Kit and family and third to Khairi, my good friend since studying during foundation in IPG Batu Rakit, Kuala Terengganu.

For me, this visit is really important. Not just because of the work that needs to be done but the most important is to go away for a little bit from the world of working life. I just need a place to recover, to reflect and to analyse my experience in 2014. Too many things have been happening in 2014 such as changing career, second book launched, staying in KL and many more.

The research study has officially started now! Wow! I'm very glad to be a part of this project. There will be series of interviews to be held later on via online - possibly Skype. This research will be about the use of ARM in my teaching and learning but going deeper than just in my teaching in school experience. It will covers the life when I was a student to see how does it prepared me to accept ARM. Interesting!

I'm very glad to meet Dr. Kit as he really understands what I have been through. I'm really happy to have a mentor and a best friend like him! Always there to support me and my decision. hopefully it will be forever! ahaha

Meeting Khairi in Bristol is also amazing. Glad to be there and give him a little bit of support. I also liked to go and see the University of Bristol. It gave me more motivation for my next steps ... maybe ... Listening to Khairi's experience, I was really able to relate with him. Good luck all the way Khairi! Yes, You Can!

2015! Come and I'm ready to rock!

PS: nervous all the time

Happy New Year 2015!

Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully 2015 will bring happiness and success to us. Let's be positive and try as hard as we can in whatever we do, okay?

I'm looking forward to the next chapter and the next steps. I believe that you are too. New year is always a good time for something new and also to reflect on what have we achieved and done so far. 

The more we reflect the more we realise that sometimes things keep moving forward and we can't retrieve the moment that has already passed. So, it's time to see and plan the next coming chapter...

You know what? Cherish the moment and make every downfall a way to be stronger and more determined!

Happy New Year!!! 2015!!! Amazing!!!

PS: Let's make noise! Fireworks!!!

I miss you... a lot!!!

A few days ago, I was in a school coordinating a training session to use the Frog Virtual Learning Environment. The session was held at the afternoon time, when the school was empty as the students had already gone back home.

While I was walking into the school, looking at the empty building, the classrooms, canteen and the school decoration, they all overwhelmed me. The emptiness and quietness of the environment gave me chills. I could feel my own heartbeats very clearly and that suddenly turned my tears on! I was almost crying and stopped walking.

Then I started to realise that I miss teaching. I miss school. I miss students. I miss the school system. I miss teacher colleagues. I miss active teaching and learning. I miss the feeling when the students are hanging on to you. I miss the ability to inspire the students directly. I miss thinking about what to do next in the class. I miss seeing the students' eagerness to learn. I miss seeing some naughty students waiting to be scolded! I miss everything!

I guess I have tried to avoid this feeling for a while. I have pretended that I am always OK with moving on to try something new. I have tried hard to ignore the beauty of becoming a teacher in a school. I guess this is the time I need to admit the feeling and accept it.

I am glad to feel this way although it makes me feel uncomfortable. At least it makes me realise that teaching is something that makes me excited! Even though I am now not a teacher in a school, I am still a teacher in my won way. Life is full of surprises and surprises make us have something to look forward to in the next chapter of out life. Isn't it?

I think it is good to feel what should be felt. Missing the school is something good for me to realise and feel. Sometimes feeling demand to be felt! I guess! (Kinda quoting from a famous novel - if only you know what I mean).

Don't misunderstand me though. I love what I am doing now with my new job and roles. It gives me so many opportunities in a different way to make a wider contribution to education. But I realise that actually being in a school gives teacher so much opportunities - to connect, to build and to foster relationships - the emotional side of working directly with the kids.

PS: Thank you to those bloggers and readers for messaging me asking for new entries :) You have made my day! Look forward to receive more messages from all of you.