Journal for 5-9/9/11

Journal for 5-9/9/11

This is an informal discourse between two men sitting on a log while fishing in Kem Lambaian Danau, Sempang Kerayong.

Saleh:	I didn’t attend yeaterday’s meeting. What was the issue brought up?
Hasbi:	The issue was about teacher’s attendance. A class must be supervised by a teacher-in-charge at all times. Never leave a class without a teacher and the school makes sure this rule is followed everyday. Unfortunately, there were instances where a class is left unattended.
Saleh:	What are the reasons a class is left just like that? I have heard of a question where a teacher in class is asked to meet the Principal. Will he/she leave the class just like that or wait until the period has finished?
Hasbi:	There are many reasons there is a class without a teacher. The absence may be unplanned or planned for. A planned absence would be because of annual leave. The teacher on leave will be replaced by a relief teacher, but the lesson stops until the teacher comes back again. In the meeting, it was mentioned this situation will not happen again. A teacher who wishes to take a leave must exchange his/her teaching period with another teacher who is teaching the same classes that will be left, and teach the class before or after the leave. Let’s say the teacher is about to go for a five day course in Kuala Lumpur, so it’s up to him/her to replace the classes prior or after the course has been attended.
Saleh:	Let’s say the teacher wants to go for a medical check up for a few hours, what can the teacher do?
Hasbi: Saleh: Hasbi: Saleh: Hasbi: Saleh: Hasbi: Saleh: Hasbi: Saleh: Hasbi:  Saleh:	The same rule applies. A relief teacher will be provided, but the teacher must give the students work to do and tell the class in advance that a relief teacher will be around and the students must finish the work during the class hour. The disadvantage with this method is you will have tonnes of work to mark when you punch in the first day of work. Yes, you’re right. What happens if a teacher takes a medical leave ? It means the leave is unplanned for, it is not intentional. An unintentional leave means a teacher takes a medical leave (sickie) for the day. Considering the teacher had joints pain on one Tuesday morning, he/she makes a call to the office mentioning the absence, and a relief teacher will come flying to supervise the class. It is mentioned in the meeting that we can do our work in the class, but a better thing to do is to take the module from the counselling unit to be used in the relief class. The concept of a relief class is new to me.  Making students to behave is just not enough, a teacher must teach the students something. It’s okay, I was like you last year.  In the case of an MC, a teacher involved does not have to replace the class. In my opinion, what I can do is to prepare a set of work for both of my classes, and when I am on MC, the relief teacher can give the work to my class, provided that nobody on earth would bad mouth me planning a sickie then. The best option is to replace the class that I have left afterwards, to make up for the syllabus that I have planned to deliver. The only time this can be done is when a teacher herself is on MC for that day, and if I have the time, I can go into the class and deliver the syllabus. The problem with an MC is when it falls on a Friday or a Monday, and pray to God nobody on earth would question the teacher’s credibility.When an MC falls on the last or the first day of school days, the least new teachers can do is not to look that healthy on the first day of school. This would make others wonder whether was he/she was sick or was it a fake one. I pray to God as well that this would not happen to me, as I do not want to create rumours. All I need is one good rumour and I will be occupying myself to protect my credibility. One religious teacher advice is to avoid any rumours at all costs than trying to mend the situation afterwards. I think the bell has rung. Let’s go to class. We don’t want to be late. Catch you later. Bye.