my boss
so the above’s my boss, and i had a senior cher as a mentor, both of whom are from my alma mater, which mostly stressed me out because i had that extra standard to measure up to…not just as a normal trainee cher, but someone with kim gek values as well.
so that’s ended, and i must say the other people on attachment with me made life extremely fun. some stories to share…
while preparing for a lit lesson:
me: oh cav, can you explain to me the difference between simile and metaphor again? i’ve mixed them up! dieee.
cav: easy. you are like a cow – simile. you are a cow – metaphor.
someone else: ouch HAHAHAHAHAH
me: gee, cav, thanks…
was sharing my singlit resources with my boss during a department meeting. she picks up a book…
boss: oh, wow, this is really old.
-silence while she flips through its contents-
me: -points- it’s from scgs library! condemned copy. maybe it’s from your time!
-lmw, another lit teacher, glances sharply at me-
me: -realization dawning on me- oh shit oh shit that’s wasn’t what i meant! im so sorry! omg! sorry!
-boss looks me straight in the eye-
boss: in fact, i taught this. -gives me a mischievous grin-
cav: -in low tones throughout- i can’t believe you said that omg. and you survived. my god.
another conversation with my boss, this time in the presence of 3 other HODs and an EL teacher, and several of my ‘brothers’. this happened on a friday evening at 6.30pm.
boss: so, all ready to take my classes on monday? (i was gonna teach sec4 lit, cav to teach sec4 EL)
me: um, i haven’t read to kill a mockingbird the play before, only the book. im not sure whether i can teach it.
boss: they are doing ‘the crucible’.
-i began to wither in horror under her unflinching gaze, my ‘brothers’ began to give each other ‘the look’. the omg-she-die-look-
boss continues: it’s the sec2s who are doing mockingbird. didn’t you sit in during my lesson yesterday? clearly your mind was somewhere in the clouds.
me: um..uh…um…oops.
boss: -broadens into a wide smile-
-the HODs and teachers laughing at my awkward predicament-
boss: i was just kidding you. -laughs- don’t worry, i have set some written work for them, you may just supervise them if you wish. . .are you ok? -i supposed i still looked shell-shocked, then i started laughing too-
at the end of it all, after we left the HOD room, cav: i can’t believe you survived again. you are like…woah.
i ended up going through poetry with the sec4s. some of my favourites – sir andrew motion, christina rossetti, and a bit of carol ann duffy. i think that class went ok. i prefer teaching lit so much more than el! god i was bored at my own lesson while doing oral and compre with the sec4s.
on the boys attracting attention – the day before our last day, we were having lunch at the canteen when three sec2 girls ran up to elt. three!
girls: mr tan! mr tan! can we meet you after school tomorrow?
elt: no, im not free. -meanwhile, um-chios all around the table, we could hardly contain it-
girls: huh, why?
elt: i have a meeting with the HODs and the Principals tomorrow. we all do. -motions to us-
one of the girls: oh hello miss ch__! (i was teacher-in-charge of her cca.)
girls: so, we can’t see you after school tomorrow? really can’t?
elt: no. not free. go study la, bye!
-as the girls left, laughter erupts-
…: wah mr tan, superstar la. fanclub leh!
…: eh don’t let us see you in the new paper next time. headlines: teacher has illicit relationships with studentS.
edt: elt, do you know that even when the girl greeted ange, her eyes were on you?
elt: eh you all stop it ah. tsk.
ke: eh not fair k. students actually ask to see you. mine is always ‘you! see me after school!’ sometimes must go and chase somemore, you, people come and look for you. -rolls eyes, smh-
-laughter all around, echoes of ‘shit man, ya we are the ones making them see us, unlike you!-
on the last day, edw receives a note from a sec3 girl:
‘dear mr tan,
blah blah blah, you are much nicer than the other mr tan! at least you don’t dao us.’
edw to elt: eh you’ve been breaking too many hearts already.
me: ya man be careful, teenage girls have fragile hearts. I, know!
elt: eh stop it ok. what am i supposed to do?
-we all snigger-
on how we became siblings:
on the last day of work, we were running around in a mad rush. i was handing a gift and card to my lovely mentor when edw interrupts.
edw: ange! 10mins! we have to go to the library to return these and then meet the Ps and HODs!
me: ahhh! -throws a stack of worksheets at edw- help me hold! -dashes away- (later on, i find out abt what happens..)
miss j was near us during this whole exchange, and she frowned when i threw everything at edw.
mentor: -to miss j- oh don’t worry about them, the six of them have been cooped up together in the R3 room, that is, the dungeon, for four whole weeks! they’re as close as brothers and sister now. hahaha!
yeah, annoying but entertaining brothers…
tell you more about my 4e classes next time!
