My teacher diary

11^th July-15^th July 2011 (Week three)

On 13^th July 2011Wednesday, I joined the disciplinary teacher to listen to a case, 2 girls were caught with a packet of cigarette in their possessions.  There was a boy involved as well. The first girl was hooked to smoking since standard 6, the second started when she was 13. Now they are in form three.

I stepped into the disciplinary room on the ticket I am the prefect teacher.

My action was I asked them questions, to know their story. Perhaps they were framed , or somebody forced them to  bring the cigarettes to school.

They were in form three, and the PMR is around the corner.

According to psychology, we are attracted to things that are obvious and glaring. A black dot on a white A4 paper is easily recognisable than the whiteness itself. We rely on first impression, without thinking further, whether it is true or the otherwise. When students make a mistake, we begin to notice them. When they realise polite students seldom gets noticed, they make trouble to get the attention at least in the school. The 08 sign written on the wall is easily recognisable even when you look at it across the school field.

We assume other people have the same background as us, born in a family like us, and we assume we are better than students who step into the disciplinary unit. Thank God I don’t smoke, so asking them to stop was came from a person who does what he preaches.

We are more prone to accept negative perceptions. After many questions, then I learnt the two girls had father as smokers, doing odd jobs for a living, and their mothers work as well. They smoke Gudang garam cigarette perhaps because the boyfriend smokes as well, and they want to feel like a grown up. Perhaps they are afraid of something, someone, and smoking reduces the fear. Their faith to religion plays important role as well, and their social setting. They are influenced by their parents and the society. That makes their perception about their pride and other people.

I learnt that a students’ background shapes up their actions and behaviour and I improved my listening skills. It is a must to control emotions and not to get mad at people if we want to listen to them. Speech will be disturbed as well when we are angry. We can’t decide what good words to say if we are angry.

Before having a good class control, a teacher must have a good emotional control. Use a cane when we want to educate, but not to unleash.