Being in the education sector and as a teacher myself, I believed all teachers (does not limit on what levels of experience) must constantly open doors for learning. We all of the same kind must also be smartly brave to do trials & errors while having efforts to be creative and innovative in our teaching. Beside that, I love the idea of sharing and collaborating in education. That is why I am writing my 2011 self-reflection summary here publicly while being in a personal matter experience.

Communication & Teamwork

Whether how intelligent and brilliant you work solely; but if you are in any organization you still need other people energy. What is meant by people energy here is working in a team. Teamwork requires good communication. Once communication are faulty; well, jobs or project won’t work well until all communications have been fixed.

Your instruction is clear, but are they listening to you? To achieve a success in a program; all stakeholders should understand the vision, mission, objectives and its stages.

This will constantly requires learning.

Trust & Delegation

Know who to trust is still serious these days, whether you are running a business or not. But the pleasure of working with a trustful team is very gracious that I can’t even describe. Trust should always be revealed if it is in a positive settings. However showing your distrust to individual will be proven by its static delegation. Delegation may be seen as action and distrustful can be heard loudly and felt. Never enable sarcasm, never backstab, never gossip to which does not requires attention in your job. Remember the beginning of time of your dealt. Why did you become an educator? What were your purpose? What is the primary and which are the secondaries? Which are nonsense?

Delegation should be free from bias, dishonesty or injustice. But having said it; – not all process should be taken out from the manual of perfection. Empathy and sympathy and other complicated process required to understand between human in the team & teams in an organization. Understand the Journey Line of your team. Too strict will bring your organization success; but will the success be meaningful enough if it were to be compare to a humanely success? I’ve seen retired educators who was previously known for his cruelty and heartless; and I tell you the people concern will always be remembered as that, and less on their success achievement.

Efforts, Fairness & Sustaining it; as Integrity

Oh this is one of the toughest. I’m not crudely my mindset now, it is actually a natural disease in my own habit too. Maintaining efforts of any form such as creativity, being on time etc is one of those things requires discipline and interest. In reality, they are some people who can maintain their efforts and naturally being fair in their jobs. These people inspires me. You can see their genuine passion and efforts while they deliver their teaching; being fair on their judgement and decision. These are integrity which should be lifted and constantly be aware. At least these people requires attentions and appreciation from us. These people can be contagious in a good way.

Always Be Nice, Open, Care & Give Honesty

Why do you have to be mean? What wrong did that person did to you personally, that you wish the idea of revenge or vengeance. Seriously? What is the problem anyway? Jelously most probably happened in between.

Nothing better to say than simply saying “Always be nice, be open, offer care and always give honest feedback to help people improve rather than condemning”.

Resources & Environment

Besides the importance of lesson plan (which I still need to be in discipline), building teaching resources for learners is one of my weakness too. Decorating the class beautifully with education related is not my cup of tea too. Not all men are like this. Some are just born with talent to bring their classroom environment at best and bring it to the level of conducive.

So this, technically i need to learn and more efforts need to establish.

By God’s Will

What ever our plans are, sometime it won’t turn out to be as good as it was planned, nor will it be actually be happening. I’m not condemning hope, the possibility and its probability; I’m just stating – life is very unpredictable and cqn be awful. This is the reality; some can even turn out to be good or even greater than we anticipated.

What I’m trying to express is: The more we move forward, the more improvement we can as an individual, team or organization.

For 2012, I hope it will be a great and exciting year for me, my family, my friends and you. All the best and be safe always.

Always be or at least try to be honest & sincere.
We are here to help others too.

As a teacher, we ought to have a good printer (multi purpose) to print teaching aids and other associate print outs within the teaching profession/job.

I already have few, (and i even bought another one recently) but as usual gadgets are temporary, i mean it is in need of an upgrade in time. So I do give the old one to the siblings/others or sell it off. Yes, I’m a printer whore!

The characteristics I’m looking for, is, able to print wirelessly, print out A3 size output, cheap Ink toner. And an awesome add-on is able for duplex printing, faxing and the “wax” shiny ink output.

Specifically, the printers I wish to get is:

a)

Brother MFC-J6910dw
Professional Series Inkjet All-in-One with up to 11″ x 17″ Duplex Printing and TouchScreen Display + Wireless (WiFi).

b)

HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn Printer
• Durable and value-packed for effective business printing
• Fast print speeds of up to 26 pages per minute
• Built-in 10/100 Ethernet networking
• Automatic two-sided printing

c)

HP Officejet 7500A Wide Format e-All-in-One Printer – E910a
• Versatile printing in sizes up to 13 x 19″
• 2.36″ touchscreen
• Printing from mobile devices via HP ePrint
• Ethernet, Wi-Fi
• Lowest cost per page among wide-format inkjets
• Cuts energy use by up to 40% compared with lasers
• PC-free Web printing with customizable print apps

d)

HP Photosmart eStation e-All-in-One Printer – C510a
• Prints, faxes, scans, copies, Web
• Print speed up to 33 pages/min black, 32 color
• Built-in wireless 802.11b/g/n
• Detachable 7″ color touch display with full Web browsing
• Prints from mobile devices via HP ePrint

e)

HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn Printer
• Fast black and color printing at up to 21 pages/min
• Easy sharing via built-in networking
• Automatic two-sided printing
• Ideal for printing brochures, flyers, and marketing material

My eldest sister is a pediatrician, yeah a medical practitioner who deals with most infants and young children in Brunei Hospital named as Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha a.k.a R.I.P.A.S. I think what I have common with her is, we like child development. But for me, through education, and for my sister through health care and treatment. I play the teacher role, and she plays the doctor-doctor.

Oh my, I don’t thing our professions have any common with my brother. He is a mechanical engineer with a Master on his belt. I don’t think he involve with young children at his work place. Despite the odd, my little sisters like him, annoys  him, talk with him better than I do.. Weird!

Back to ECE, Sometime my envy strikes to watch how well my pre-school teacher in my school do her work at best. Not just that, her activities with the pre-school kids are so awesome. Sometime I wish to join in! But too bad, I’ll just interrupt her lesson.

For a male species, it is not a popular culture in my country to teach Pre-School. Most are female teachers. But if I had the chance, assistant pre-school teacher for teaching English would be a nice opportunity.

Oh btw.. I teach ICT for Pre-School. And.. seriously I’m very grateful for my former principal given me such opportunity! I was really happy, and I was like yeah I’m teaching pre-school kids! Thank You in my lifetime. I still remember the days as a student-teacher at Sekolah Rendah Pintu Malim, Brunei 1. While there, I taught few lessons for 2 pre-school classes; and it was fabulous. The pre-school cooperative teachers was so inspiring and awesome! They help me a lot, especially understanding the young children psychology, and how to take care of them and in the same time how we educate and nurture them.

We heard lots saying that co-curricular activities are vital. But how vital are they? How much percentage can you set between the academic curricular and the co-curricular? How does your personal interest infect your commitment on handling these curricular and the co-curricular in school? Are they really in need of a balance?

By simple definition, curricular are those academic, subject contents that are being taught in schools. While the co-curricular or the extra curricular, are define as  activities that involves participants or students to engage with the the outside matter of academic, such as Sports, Arts and performance, Charity and organisation events, School clubs, uniformed group and so on.

Let us take a look how co-curricular set us into the world of goodness.

Co-curricula give participants expression to the social world. It put us at rest for our mental process on our Academic. Certain co-curricula help us to engage with physical movements that can result in physical benefit, thus maintain good health. Co-curricula give as unity and collaboration as well as opportunity to improve communication with one another.

The role of co-curricula become significant when we find group of individual who are having the same excellent academic on our list. Selecting the best candidate are being look into their co-curricular participation.  The job market are also looking at the same thing. They also see their  co-curricular participation. These event add another reason why co-curricula activities play a major role in our students life or even yourself.

When we see it – in a bigger picture, academic itself is not enough to prove you are good investment to work in any department. Because we all know that academic does not play solely in work. Leadership and talents also run when we are working. Who has these leadership skills and talent? We train expose  them in school. So these co-curricular talents do help the students in their life after school. Am I right?

Having said the good things about co-curriculum; we should never neglect the academic curricular for even a second. Do you believe that due to the co-curriculum activities in school, it let us educator to jeopardize our academic roles? To say it nakedly it is very wrong. We know that academic is no doubt the essential of education. What is school without a proper academic?

As one of  Brunei educationalist, let me bring you to the center, in context of Brunei Education situation.

Teachers in Brunei is rush to learn and to attend workshops. Brunei Teachers are being put in an excellent environment by human resource development. We understand the process: We learn and participate in the workshop, then we bring it to school to share it with other teachers/staff and the students. Or at least we could adapt the new knowledge and skills to our profession/job.

Every branch of Ministry of Education has their own timetable that are being downloaded by all schools. If we put all of their schedule in a large calender, we can see how tight the teachers calender is. Yes, you see a busy schedule on our plate.

Can you see what I see? We teachers are same as our students. We have our own extra-curricula activities. Its not a bad thing? Then it should be a good thing right? When the schedule become so really tight, and left no space for us to breath, well that is too much. Working on Friday and Sunday? Com’ on with no overtime.. Please… Seriously, that’s how we must prove our loyalty and commitment? mun inda datang, tunjuk sebab..

Some educators really love this extra-curricula. Some became fan, some turn to fame, some children has teacher missing-in-action  issues, some have lost effort in class, some just born in extra-curricula. Even educator our self have our own talent. It does get work done too, selfishly.

My real question was actually: “How much Co-curricular Activities do we actually need in School?”

Personally, I’m more to the academic matter. I love teaching English, Science and ICT. I love the pedagogic, methodology and the psychology of it. They are heart. But from where I stand, we do need co-curricula. The toughest thing in Brunei Education is that we are fighting for time. We have the Morning session and the Religious session in the afternoon. There are a lot of brainy works going on in a child mind in Brunei.  But we can’t blame it. Its like we are born to have these both sessions.

But I still would like you guys to see some of the education “time” in foreign country. They go to school 5 days a week. Monday to Friday.  Some have 4 days of academic session, and Friday of co-curricula/ sports.

Me, myself was brought to this system in the 90s. So I love Friday. You got to do the sport this week, and next week will be dancing, singing, art, play doh and what ever activities you can think of in a co-curricular. Its fascinating!

Lets go back to the question. How much do we need it? Our kids have a lot of responsibility at a young age already! They work both morning and afternoon to equip themselves with the necessaries knowledge and skills.

How about the pressure  given by the co-curriculum activity?

Yeah, the co-curriculum competitions? The Sports Tournament? Wow. Every departments wants a piece of  our children. We are so ignorance at most, that we are actually given pressure to our students. Practice there, practice here, Do this, do that? To win, to win, to rise name. And we barely forget that, this is just young people, who have already bulky responsibility in both academic in the morning and afternoon.

Now the world are at competitiveness. But why do it have to be unpleasant. Its true some Educators are sometimes fond working hard in co-curricular than the curricular. Being respectful to them, because that is their talent, and that sure is their interest.  But then again, once you have impress and express the co-curricular session, you barely have the energy to put your 200% efforts to the academic in class.

So do you believed in super hero? We are surely not one. We can’t be in two places at once.

The answer to this question is actually lies at your interest for your students and your commitment. But I have no doubt in saying this again, academic are still more vital than co-curriculum. Seriously? Speaking of Brunei as a Zikir country, where can dancing and singing be at its Zenith? Entertainment Haram kali ah bulih~ Adang mem-pressure Anak murid nie. Inda jua lari ke mana tu..  But we are still ignorance to understand it.

I wrote this long time ago at Primary Teachers in Brunei Facebook.

“The quality of teaching is valued by many stakeholders. But to have a good quality in teaching, you have to define it accordingly to the mission and vision of our Ministry. The tentative judgement that runs on people mind can have their own direction. Some selfishly for their sake, some have good terms. To achieve quality, firstly you never ever differentiate the limitings of one another. For example, why do we differentiate, the teacher who is long gone versus those who hardly gone away? But the question is, what can you do more if you are actually in the classroom with the children. A good quality of teaching, contributes to the pedagogic, the time management, the resources, the students and teachers rapports. Mcm puasa, Tunai is much more blessing than menqadha? Sometime, loosing time with them, we are actually jeopardize the relationship of a teacher and its students, qualitatively. Now, lets think of this the easy way “What is a student without a teacher?” Away from a students, is never a blessing, and what of reasons moral or ethically to justify our absent is just plain apathy.” – Alid Misli

It was argument about quality teaching: Teachers going out does not jeopardize the quality teaching in class? Well I say it does jeopardize it. You just wasted your student time in school. They should have learn something from you. Doing exercise is not learning, it’s assessing.. This is not a practice make perfect kinda thing. The real point of teachers in class is the learning and teaching. Assessment is just small part of it. For time ahead, accumulation of the “correction” jeopardize and forward other relevant subject at stake.

When teaching English, we are not only introducing them the English words/vocabularies, but we also includes the rules, which is famous to us all by the name “grammar”. In this 21st century, we are not only teaching the pupils to learn and gain knowledge, facts or instructions, but in between we are also helping them to bloom the necessities skills. Skills are best matured through participating activities. Make the activities fun, exciting and worthwhile! Most of all, relates the learning what they already experience.

In psycholinguistic, always end the lesson after clarities are done; which is repeating the consciousness such as the words pronunciation and its language structures of the day. While on the other hand, the unconscious would includes all the “English/Language errors” they did along the way. Teachers need to “rise” these errors and respond with a proper instructions(to its rules a.k.a grammar).

(L to R: Adi, Hasanal & Halejan at 1st Teacher Anniversary  in Temburong)

A Year Ago..

While in thought thinking to blog this meaningful dates, I also thought that the most meaningful event in my life should be, is during my 1st year being an official teacher. Its a year filled with fresh experience that conquered my life. There are plenty to share about my 1st year; the awesome events and the not so awesome events. We may say that the hardship through our life journey is the most things we cherish more than the good times, but for now I would like to share the most awesome events that  I could wish not or want to forget.

In a year, I survived to stay alone at the teacher’s housing scheme at Puni Village. I bought my own entertainment set, such as my TV and my BluRay player accompany by dozens of DVDs and BluRay Disc from Amazon or local retail shops. I also achieved to install a satellite subscription channels: “Astro” – well with the help of a friend name Halejan ;). Not to forget installing my air-conditioner for my bedroom and water-heater for my bathroom is the most essential stuff I could ever please ( wait – plus my Kitchen Gadgets! haha).

Meeting with my 1st year colleague in Sekolah Rendah Semabat, Temburong is awesome. The mutual bond should be highlighted here. I present their names as Hj N, Wii and Die are people I like to brag their names everyday. And I thank the Almighty for meeting me with the rest of the teachers here, especially fantastic Principal for being a fantastic leader.

While being here, I also get unique opportunity that I could highlight. The biggest opportunity was being enrolled to a 3-4 months School Leadership Program, organized by the Action Learning Association, from USA with ILIA, UBD. I think I could brag more about this, I was the youngest participants, and should not be in the group. Most of the participants was seniors teachers, who have been teaching in Brunei schools for more than a year (hehe). So I was lucky, and thanks to my Principal for selecting me for this such opportunity. It really improved myself as a leader, and indeed a lifetime experience and knowledge. I’m currently missing the AIA Team: Mr Bob Robert Knowling Jr., Evan Unger and Judy (+ Don Przygodski and Dr. Noel Tichy).

Other than that, opportunity to present in training or workshop such as for the SPN21 subjects especially: Science Subject and being one of the facilitator for Science year 2 are also one of those delightful moments (oh yeah maybe I’ll be the Year 6 Science Facilitator too, if the Science CDD want me hehe). Also, being in this training or workshop I met new people and made new friends; It’s fun and I really like it.

Being in school, the main objective is for sure about the children. Alhamdulilah.. even though I’m not yet at my absolutely best and still at my due diligence on teaching them, but I still see the improvement from one child in time. I’ll improve more once I get older in this field. It is clear, my head is still trying to understand the admin work that attached with me for the rest of my life, while at the other side and on the same time trying to improve and applied the best practices in teaching.

(L to R: Mathius, & Razif at 1st Teacher Anniversary in Temburong)

A year from now..

What I wish to accomplish last year was to be more as a listener then the one who like to talk and contribute. I would also like to maintain and continue that accomplishment. On the other hand, I also want to improve myself in term of administration and academic. Administration as in the admin work that needed to be settle down. While the academic work is to improve my teaching and care towards my children and their academic more.

Now, everyone is currently thinking about their inservice proposal. I have not yet planned on that yet. Maybe (just maybe) I am more ready after 4-7 years teaching here in Temburong. In other words, I’m not ready to leave Temburong yet. There are still a lot of things needed to improve or help. Simply saying, I like the teaching environment here. Its so peaceful too, and there are plenty to work on with the children here.

However, I still wish to continue my study, and that is a must. How I wish I could own a Phd.. But in reality, I just hope in this life time of mine I could reach and gain the Master degree. I still can’t figure out what to pursue; there are areas of choice that I could learn more. My choice of areas are English Language acquisition, Early Childhood Education and Care (with reason to teach English Language for Pre-School), Elementary Science or School Leadership and Management + Counseling or the usage of ICT in School. That’s just my current choices, maybe by 4-7 years, my option is much more clearer and slimmer than today.

Last but not least, I would like to say congratulation to my friends who enrolled to school as a teacher on 10/10/2009. I hope we can make changes in Brunei Education to become more successful and sustainability country by our own human capability as resources. Thank You again to Halejan, Razif, Adi Asmiran, Hasanal and Mathius to accompany me to celebrate our 1st anniversary as a teacher last night. I wish Hadi was available to celebrate with us. All the best guys :)

I want them to remember me good..

I never thought I would want to become a teacher in my teen eras, but hey being in this Education fields it feels GOOD!  REALLY GOOD! I really don’t want to stop at a Diploma Level (in Primary Education); I wish  tu pursue to other areas of Education too. Sport or Physical Education will be great, because as a man, its a natural to have this masculine interest in sports studies (very debatable: women do have strong interest in sports too, hehe); I also would love to take minor Management and Counselling in Education, or English but now, what I think I could empower my education, (after my 4 month of teaching practice at school) is, “I really want to further my studies in Early Childhood Education”.

Yes, you read it correctly; Walid or Alid wish to take ‘Early Childhood Education course somewhere on this earth’. After going through many things in your life, all the sudden you want to do this and that. Its weird but what the heck, life is too short not to get what we want right? Now, that I think that, I wish the degree in Early Childhood Education were still open at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. I’m aware of the next generation course availability at UBD. But it doesn’t suite me because I guess I’m not the next generation hehe. The changes happened because Changes are needed I guess for a good cause for our country’s benefits and the people. Seriously I’m no expert on this Political Education System. Well I’m not a pacifist either. Well if I were a pacifist, wouldn’t I be cute? :) haha

So back to my Early Childhood Education interest, seriously I like teaching kids, I’m totality falling in love with them. But Alhamdulilah, I’m not a pedophile, I’m straight and normal! HAHAA. I believed the reason is both my pre-school cooperative teachers at Sekolah Rendah Pintu Malim (during my teaching practise), inspires me very deeply about their work and how to handle the young children, with care and love. At this point, there’s time when the echo of the small voice will sung:

“I want this, I really want to do this, God where do I start? I believe I can be an early Childhood Educator, well an excellent one”.

It’s not easy to request things when you get older. When you were just a kid, you could easily select the toys you want and buy it. But now, no way man. It is so damn difficult, so much for asking or saying to the girl you adore “I love you”.

With all do respect, sometimes a thought of a comedian act or drama in my mind, on how I could simply knock the Minister of Education of Brunei ‘s door, and ask kindly if he could help me to pursuit my Education Dream. Yeah.. Thats illusionary wooon’t really work in reality. HAHA

At this point also, I start to regret and I wish I did well in my Education, especially during my A levels. But maybe if I didn’t mess up with my A levels, I might as well wouldn’t be in this education field. So its all about fate in the end. So right now what I can TRY and do to pursuit it is by:

1) Hopefully got posted to a great school, with great Administration, thus a good negotiation will be applicable if I could take the Pre-Class/school with the principal consents.

2) In 3-5 years,  given the opportunity to continue my education, Integrated Master in Early Childhood at UBD. And hopefully given the Early Childhood Course. And not Integrated Master in other than English, ECE haha.

These are just hope. On the other hand, I wish I could get a miracle too; like to be send right now to do a Early Childhood Course, maybe a degree or even an HND level . Preferable overseas hehe. Yeah! I LOVE that to happen. I wish. I just need about BND$90,000+ for an average of HND level  for tuition fees and life expenses. That will be enough to carry my dream flying. So Oprah Winfrey would you like to give me the Oprah scholarship, I’ll be an asset to your Oprah School. or Andy Baldwin (US Naval Officer, Doctor, Humanitarian, Ironman Triathlete) I’m definitely be an asset with your volunteering program, oyeah i like the Got Your Back Network, I wish I could be involved; seriously by that! it reminds me I’m not a US citizen. Toing~ Oyeah Baldwin like kids.. just like me HAHA. I know I get Prasan sometimes. Dear Baldwin, Go get a great wife, marry once and have kids, I’m sure you will definitely be a great father. But when that happen, don’t questions me about your time management. He have this bunch of schedule for people.. he need to get his own quality time for himself. On other words he need to rest.

Ok, I’m signing out.. “everyone have dreams, and this is mine, this is part of it, and I’m very dedicated for it.”