Fake Miffy Correction Tape versus 'cheapo' disposable chopsticks! TWJH Strikes Again!

The infamous TWJH has struck yet again! You may remember this terrific kid!

He's the one who wrote: MURDER begins at home!

http://bubblingbrain-english.blogspot.sg/2017/11/giggles-from-2013-new-take-on-proverbs.html.

Yes, TWJH, again!

Sometime back, TWJH went on a student immersion programme. I did not see him for a week or two. When we resumed our usual sessions, he threw this FAKE MIFFY CORRECTION TAPE at me and said, "Take it!"

Clueless, I replied, "Huh?!"

He continued nonchalantly, "MUMMY SAYS THAT I HAVE TO GET EACH OF MY TUTORS A GIFT FROM MY TRIP TO CHINA. I SPENT ALL MY MONEY ON MYSELF AND SO, I CAN'T BUY ANYTHING FOR ANYONE! I GOT THIS FROM THE ARCADE! REDEEMED THIS! IT'S YOUR SOUVENIR!" 

*rolls eyes multiple times* 

I handed it back and told him to use it. After all, it's correction tape! It's useful!

"IT'S PINK!!" he exclaimed, horrified beyond horrified, and tosses the FAKE MIFFY CORRECTION TAPE back at me.

"BE GRATEFUL!" he educates. "I GOT MY CHINESE TUTOR CHOPSTICKS! YOU KNOW, THOSE WOODEN DISPOSABLE CHOPSTICKS FROM THE FOOD COURTS? I GAVE HER A PAIR OF DISPOSABLE CHOPSTICKS!" 

*face palm* *faints*

This boy has to be Educated in the Etiquette of Gift-Giving. 

Erm, wooden disposable chopsticks (really) do not make very good presents. I guess I should give thanks for FAKE MIFFY? 

A* for Engllish!! (EOY / SA2, 2017) [Primary 5 Student] & Mother's Testimonial :)

What awesome possum news this is!
This diligent and bright student of mine managed to be the only one in her class to score an A* for English language. She is in the best class! Her overall score for English language for End-of-Year (SA2, 2017) is 93%, way ahead of the next highest mark at 89%. 

IMPRESSIVE!!Congratulations!
She stands a high chance of getting "Best In English" for 2017!!

She has scored 92% for CA1, 88.4% for SA1 and 92% for SA1! :)
I am keeping my fingers crossed! :) 

{Update 3 Jan 2018:
She received "BEST IN ENGLISH" for the 4th time for P5 (2017)! :)
Received this prize for P1, P2, P4 and P5.
We are gunning for P6!}

To shine and get that coveted A*, being able to write very well is a crucial factor. Usually, students can do well for Paper 2 (Booklets A and B), Paper 3 (Listening Comprehension) and Paper 4 (Oral). However, they flounder what it comes to Paper 1 (Situational Writing and Composition). Thus, it is of supreme importance to learn how to write well and to write frequently since good practice makes perfect! :) 

FJXX's mother sent me a heartfelt testimonial on Sunday, 5 November 2017. I am exceedingly touched and grateful that my sincerity and good efforts are recognised. I will surely do my utmost for FJXX and all the students under my care.

I look forward to hearing more of such Fantastic News, which always makes my day so much brighter and happier!! :) :) :)

*** XOXO *** XOXO *** XOXO *** 

SA2 (2017) Stellar Improvement! Proud Moment for Parents and Teacher!

On Tuesday, 31 October 2017, I received this absolutely splendid news that LYJI has done extremely well for his SA2 (2017). He worked extremely hard prior to SA2. He did not fare too well in CA2. He missed the coveted Band One by just a little bit!! 

This time round, he has shown great improvement in Oral, Listening Comprehension and Paper Two (Written Paper). His doting parents and I are exceedingly proud of his efforts and achievements!!

Unfortunately, due to the 'not-so-stellar' results for CA2, he did not manage to get Band One for 2017 Overall English mark.

Nevertheless, he is very close to 85% because he persevered and pushed himself harder this time round to achieve better results.

He has improved by leaps and bounds and his parents and I have acknowledged his excellent effort and performance.

We have encouraged him to keep on going!

(PS: Please note the teacher's comments highlighted with little stars! Really, the difference between an A and an A* or a Band Two and a Band One boils down to paying attention to details and concentrating on the lessons taught.) 

Primary 5, here we come!! :) :)  

Meaningful Clippings! English as the Lingua Franca and the Economic Value of English!

Please refer to the points marked with little colourful stars. There are loads of articles about the importance of the English Language. Do a quick google search and you can surely find countless articles and sites emphasizing the Economic Value of the English Language and the need to have a good grasp of the English Language so as not to fall behind others in the globalised working world.

economic value

noun [ U ]

 UK ​ US ​ACCOUNTING, FINANCE

​

the value of an asset calculatedaccording to its ability to produceincome in the future

above definition taken from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/economic-value 

Example -- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-companies-english/no-english-no-job-for-some-japanese-office-workers-idUSTRE6670P120100708

Additionally, here's WHAT GETTING THAT DEGREE MEANS. Please refer to original author as stated on the article itself. 

( Unfortunately, I do not know the dates of the top two clippings. They are from The Straits Times though. I am not the author for any of these articles. Please refer to the names of the original authors for all the clippings. No infringement of copyrights intended. Respectful sharing! :):) ) 

REASONS TO STUDY ENGLISH LITERATURE / TO CONTINUE STUDYING ENGLISH LITERATURE

This information is not mine. All credits go to the original author. No copyright infringement intended. Please refer to the first image to see the name of the wonderful author!

My student shared this with me some years back. Her English Literature teacher printed this information to encourage my student and her friends, who were in Secondary 2 then, to continue to take English Literature in Secondary 3 and 4. 

I am thrilled that my student decided to continue taking English Literature in Upper Secondary and that she did fairly well. If I remember accurately, I think she scored a B3 or a B4.

I only wish that I was the one who wrote such meaningful and inspirational information. Kudos to this amazing teacher! Much love and respect! Salute!

I really agree with what she wrote about English Literature being a new subject which makes it hard for students to do well in this subject, especially in Secondary One.

It's all about putting in the required effort to learn and master this subject or any other subjects like Additional Mathematics, History or Physics.

EVERYTHING IS DIFFICULT BEFORE IT BECOMES EASY, isn't it? 

Whoever said that the route to success or an A was easy? No one.

Got to pay one's dues! Got to persevere! :) :)

Cheers to ENGLISH and ENGLISH LITERATURE! :) 

Where are the cars?! Alternative version of Finding Wally?!

Enthusiastically, my dear four-year-old son grabbed the red pen and drew and drew. Red was the obvious choice for him as red is his favourite colour.

Brows furrowed with great intent and concentration, he moved the red pen here and there.

Afterwards, he announced, "MUM! LOOK! LOOK!" 

Trying hard to be the most delighted mother around (for he is my dear son after all), I gushed cheerfully, "What have you drawn?" 

"CARS! I drew CARS!" he answered excitedly. 

"WOW! Great effort there!!" I mused.

In my head, I wondered, "Where are the cars?"  

PS: According to the father, he has indeed drawn CARS! 

The father, who apparently has amazing powers of decipherment, has found the hieroglyphical cars. 

Can YOU spot them or make them out? :)

Tools of my Trade :)

My favourite "Little Twin Stars" pencil -- a sweet and heartfelt gift from the sister as a souvenir from the Land of the Rising Sun. She knows that I adore Kiki and Lala! :) :) :) 

My "longest relationship" ruler -- a Children's Day present from one of my teachers when I was in Primary Two many, many years ago. Such sentimental value! :) :) :) 

Giggles from 2013! New Take on Proverbs! MURDER begins at home, and more!

TWJH's superbly amusing take on PROVERBS. Still makes me smile at his crazy antics and weird thoughts... 

MURDER begins at home >> I don't want to be in your home, that's for sure!

LOSERS can't be choosers >> Hmmm...

The best things in life are BOOKS >> Pretty Well Said, No? :) 

TWJH is a wild and hilarious kid! :) 

TOO FUNNY!
He 'allowed' me to snap this picture of him with a Reindeer Headband on! HAHA :)

Invest your Money - Lessons Taught By My Students / Memoirs of A Teacher 02

Years back before MOE revised the PSLE English syllabus, students had three parts to handle for the oral component.

The first part was to read a passage aloud.

The second part was to describe a picture using DIEO - Describe, Interpret, Elaborate, Opinion. (Of course, there were other similar methods for describing a picture.)

The third part was a conversation where the teacher would ask questions and the student would answer to the best of his/her ability on his/her feet. To illustrate, the examiner could ask: What are your hobbies? Why is it important for children to have hobbies? How would you encourage others to take part in your hobby? How has your hobby helped you? And so on... 

As part of oral preparation then, I asked this precocious student of mine what he would do if he received a windfall. TWJH was only ten-years-old then. He was in Primary Four. (What kind of responses do you a think Primary School student will give?)

Most students, whom I have asked, mentioned that they would like to buy toys that their parents refused to buy for them. They would donate the money to charity and so on. Honestly, they were very good responses from ten-year-old children.  

TWJH was different though. Our conversation went like this... 

Me: What would you do if you received a windfall? 

TWJH: INVEST IT. I WOULD INVEST THE MONEY SO THAT I GET MORE MONEY. My daddy says that this is the best way to handle money when you have it. I would surely invest the money so that it grows. 

Me: *mind blown by 10-year-old* *He actually remembers what his daddy says / has taught him directly or indirectly.* *calms myself down and continues to converse* How would you invest it? 

TWJH: Property is a good way to start. ... ... ... 

WOW! I really had a good lesson that day. A really good lesson. Now, if you ask me what I'd do if I ever get some money on my hands, you know what my answer is.

Now, let me think about getting that PROPERTY which he mentioned. MONOPOLY, anyone? :) :) :) 

LESSON LEARNT: 

INVEST MONEY TO GROW IT & BUY PROPERTY AS INVESTMENT

(All right, I got you, Mr 10 Year Old Smarty-Pants!) HAHA :) :) :) Well Done!! 

Methodical Mum & Mum No.3 (on a quiz) #noshortcutstosuccess

Methodical - Definitely a YES! 

Methodical: (of a person) orderly or systematic in thought or behaviour

I strongly believe in being organised and systematic. Worksheets have to be filed properly by date or subject etc. Things should have their own 'homes' and should not be 'homeless' floaters. Right angles are the 'best' angles because, well, they are not 'wrong angles'. HA HA! :) 

Clarity in the learning process is also important.
Step by correct step, please.
Don't skip steps because more often than not, skipping steps equals to getting marks deducted for carelessness. 

I am Mum number 3 based on a quiz.
I'm definitely big on getting properly educated and that there are, seriously, no short cuts to success.All of us have to pay our dues to get where we are and to attain our goals (whatever they may be). It's almost always all about Determination, Sacrifice, Resilience, Ambition, Hunger for Success, Desire to Do Well... rather than luck.

For a student to do well, it's about Studying Hard and of course, Studying Well + Smart! The student has to pay his or her dues. There is no other way around it. Others cannot study for you. 

We all naturally want to become successful... we also want to take shortcuts. And it's easy to do so, but you can never take away the effort of hard work and discipline and sacrifice. Apolo Ohno

If you take shortcuts, you get cut short. Gary Busey

There are no shortcuts to true excellence. Angela Duckworth

[The above Quotes are from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/shortcuts.html .
No infringement of copyrights intended. Please go to original site to read more relevant quotes!]

tiny rainbows on my ceiling :) spotted by the little boy #beautifuldelightsaroundusall

It's the little things that delight us most sometimes.
#beautifuldelightsaroundusall

"Delight in the little things."- Rudyard Kipling (Poet, Author)

I left my belt with rhinestones on it on the table and when the sun came in through the windows in the morning, little rainbows appeared on the ceiling. I shall not go into details about reflection and refraction and dispersion of light and whatnot ... because I won't be able to tell you much about those.

What I want to share is the sheer delight of spying these little spots of rainbow on the ceiling. My little boy happened to look up and then, he squealed, "Mum, we have rainbows in our home! We have rainbows on the ceiling!!" His words prompted me to look up and I, too, marvelled at the sight of the little rainbows on the ceiling whose beauty I would not have noticed if not for the keen observation of the beauty around us all as demonstrated by my little boy. :) :) :) 

Lesson Learnt: 

“There is beauty all around us, 

and the light finds us when we realize, 

we are all part of that beauty and worth the cherishing.” ― Tom Althouse 

Words of Wisdom (imparted by others) - Tell Kids to 'Figure It Out' because, well, The Struggle Is Real.

The Struggle is Real.
I would go so far as to say that all of us struggle in some way or another.

Often, another person / teacher has nuggets of wisdom that I resonates with me and that I can learn from. I agree with what Jennifer Wolfe has mentioned about the fact that everyone struggles 'whether you're a straight-A or straight-C student'. I like that she focuses on the point that it is 'not always about coming out on top; it's about valuing efforts and mistakes and learning to respond to them'. 

I'm a competitive person and value the competitive streak in others and so, I would say that I am very concerned about coming out on top and being first (if possible).

However, what Wolfe has mentioned about valuing efforts is correct. It's the learning journey that (often) matters more than the destination. It's about making mistakes and learning not to make the same mistakes again. It's about failing terribly and then failing better the next time. It's about trying hard and harder still. It's about wanting to do better and better. It's about having the thirst and love for constant learning and progression. 

I love what she has said at the end: Life is hard, but you regroup and figure it out! How very meaningful! Students, teachers, children, adults ...  I think we all agree that yes, Life Is Hard BUT we shall Regroup and Figure It Out. We shall emerge wiser and better able to cope with the curve-balls that Life throws at us.   


Disclaimer: Information taken from Real Simple Magazine (September 2017 issue). Column is written by Jennifer Wolfe. No copyright infringement intended. Please go to original sources and refer to original author(s). Thanks! 

Being Biligual - Saying DILIGENCE & DETERMINATION TO STUDY HARD in Mandarin! (zi zi bu juan)

Chinese has many four 'letter' (actually, it's four characters) phrases that pack so much meaning into one short, super pithy phrase! I love this one!

I wish I had heard of or learnt of this phrase long time ago because I would, almost surely, have used this character 'zi' for my child's name. What a meaningful word and phrase! I LOVE! :) 

Words of Wisdom (imparted by others) :) -- Featuring Cynthia Koh

I took a photograph of this part in which Cynthia Koh shared in 'Simply Her' magazine (can't remember the issue) about how she would persevere and do her utmost to act well and speak well in 'Moulmein High'.

Lesson Learnt (see yellow stars) -- Good Practice Makes Perfect. Really, it is about putting in the necessary effort to strive towards excellence / one's goals. Also, it is about getting help as and when required. Many of us benefit from the formal or informal guidance of others. 

Lesson Learnt (see pink stars) -- Being able to evolve and adapt. Embracing (necessary) change to see break-throughs.

Thank you for the Words of Wisdom, Simply Her & Cynthia Koh!

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended :) Please refer to original magazine (Simply Her) and original speaker (Cynthia Koh). 

R for Rabbit and B for BUN BUN?! Introducing Bun Bun the Bunny!!

Adorable picture of real rabbitsfrom-- http://people.com/pets/rabbit-rabbit-rabbit-first-of-the-month-superstition/. Please refer to actual site. No infringement of copyrights intended.


My son re-enrolled for Nursery classes recently. Before he was accepted by the school, the principal met him and conducted some informal tests to kind of just 'check him out', I guess. 

She pointed to pictures of various animals and asked him to name them. 

Principal: *pointing at giraffe* What is this?

Son: Giraffe!

P: Good! What about this? *points at lion*

S: Lion! 

This goes on for quite a while until the principal reaches "R for Rabbit". 

P: What about this animal? 

S: Oh! I know! It's BUN BUN! I sleep with BUN BUN every night! I love BUN BUN! (effusive response) 

P: Bun Bun??!!?? 

Here's introducing Darling BUN BUN, everybody! ;) :) ;P 

The Levitating Sloth! Power of Prepositions! :)

The Power of PREPOSITIONS!

A three-toed sloth inches UP a tree... 

(normal, ordinary sloth)

is very different from 

A three-toed sloth inches ABOVE a tree...

(sloth that has attained sainthood of sorts)

A High Level of Accuracy is required whenever we write (and speak) so that we do not confuse our dear readers (be they teachers or examiners or not).

We should always aim to convey our thoughts and ideas as clearly as possible so as not to have miscommunication and misunderstanding (which, honestly, suck).

attire (not equals) a tyre & I am Robo Car Poli / A Police Car

My darling little boy is (often) the sweetest charmer around. The things that he says can be very amusing.


SCENARIO 01 -- 

After using the toilet, we washed our hands thoroughly. Then, I told him, "Check your attire by looking at your reflection in the mirror, dear." 

Bewildered, he answered, "Mummy! I'm not a car! I don't have tyres! How can I check my 'a tyre'?!?" 

I chuckled and explained that 'attire' refers to clothing and not 'a tyre' but well, he still thinks that he does not have 'a tyre' because he is not a car.


WHICH BRINGS ME TO SCENARIO 02 --


Teacher Assistant: (in Mandarin) Hello there, what's your name?

My Son: Wo Shi Jing Cha Che. / I am a police car. (Making reference to Robo Car Poli - his idol.) 

TA: Oh! Really? What is your real name? 

MS: I Am A Police Car. 

Me: *facepalm* (thought he told me that he wasn't a car) 

Good Grades Matter (A Lot) because A equals Awesome! :)

FULL MARKS FOR BOOKLET B!! WOW!! *Salute!*

92% for English!!! Oh la la!! :) 

My older sister and younger brother 'combo' who have done so well for CA2!

*BEAMS FROM EAR TO EAR*

Receiving happy/good news is something that I really do not get bored of and would want more of!

How delightful to hear of such Brilliantly Impressive Scores! 

For people who say 'grades don't matter', I would like to ask, "Why not?!" Grades do matter, in my opinion, because after putting in so much hard work, wouldn't you want something to show for it?
Additionally, let us be pragmatic. What do people look at to see if you are considered "good enough"? Well, your GRADES! Good grades speak volumes about your abilities and your diligence. It isn't easy to attain Good Grades and so, it is much sought after!

SUPREMELY PROUD OF SQLC and SHYE :)
You both ROCK! Keep on going!
I Look Forward to Receiving Good News about Awesome Grades, because "A=AWESOME" :) 

[An aside: saw a T-shirt that had 'A stands for Awesome' printed on it. I should have taken a photo!] 

Improvement - From Band 2 (76%) to Band 1 (85%) for Primary 3 English! Woo Hoo! :)

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!
An improvement of 9% from Band 2 to the much coveted Band 1!!

:) Cheers!!

32/35 for Paper 2 translates to roughly 91.4%.
His overall grade is 85% after including Paper 1 (Composition) and Paper 3 (Listening Comprehension). Paper 4 (Oral) was not tested for Term 3, CA2. 

An 84.9% is still Not a Band 1! 
Therefore, I am so thrilled that he scored 85.0%!! :)
We shall continue to strive hard to get our "solid" Band 1s! :)

46/50 for English [92%] (Term 3, Continual Assessment 2, 2017) *Nothing is Fun Until You are Good At It!*

I always wait with bated breath when it's time to get back results. I wonder if our preparation has paid off. I wonder if there'll be improvement. I wonder if the students, who are doing well, will maintain their stellar grades.

I always feel immensely proud of our good efforts whenever I hear that my students have done very well in school for English and that they love the language because "nothing is fun until you're good at it" and to become good at something, all of us have to WORK SUPER HARD!

*** *** ***

There is no way around it. No Pain, No Gain. There just isn't a short-cut to success.

Got to Pay Our Dues by Being Hardworking!

Of course, I believe in Working Hard *yes* and Working Smart *very important too*! 

*** *** ***

“Nothing is fun until you're good at it.”

― Amy Chua, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother 

Haiku - 2 Lovely 'Festive' Haikus (featured in school book) !!

"Haiku" is a traditional form of Japanese poetry.  Haiku poems consist of 3 lines.  The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.  The lines rarely rhyme.

Here's a Haiku to help you remember:

I am first with five
Then seven in the middle --
Five again to end.

Because Haikus are such short poems, they are usually written about things that are recognizable to the reader.  Animals and seasons are examples of recognizable topics children might enjoy exploring.

(Above information from -- http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm. Please refer to original source. No infringement of copyright intended.)

Student, SHYE, and I discussed how to write Haikus and we came up with these two! :)

These two Haikus were featured in Student's school composition book!

How delightful! :)

Enjoy these two 'Festive' Haikus!