SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS (Last Episode)

by Dr Harlina Halizah Siraj – a medical educator since 1997

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 41 - Pick a student today and walk down the corridor with him/her. Observe his/her body language. Does he/she look relax, comfortable and chatty? Or does he/she look tense, anxious and scared? You can try this tip if you are curious about how the students perceive you. If you couldn't bother to find out, simply ignore this tip....

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 42 - Practise student-centred teaching learning process. Focus on your learners. Identify their learning needs. Enough with teacher-centred learning, where you decide everything for the learners - what , why, who, where, when & how to learn. Stop pushing the learners to score good marks for your subject because it will make you look real good! Guide them from where they are.

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 43 - Never worry that one day, your students would exceed you in so many ways. Do not feel insecure. Teach them all the knowledge & skills that you have. If they inform you that they are inspired to be like you, gently squeeze their hands, look straight into their eyes and say this with full sincerity: `I pray that you are going to be better than me.'

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 44 - Pray that today, you are going to help your students in your class realize that learning is supposed to be liberating, enjoyable and fun. At least, ONE student...if you can't do much for the rest. For that one student, she/he will soon venture to be an independent learner throughout his/her life. Then, you can sit back and say : Mission accomplished!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS (Episode 2)

by Dr Harlina Halizah Siraj – a medical educator since 1997

TIPS 21-40

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS: Tip no. 21 - Aim to greet your students first, before they greet you. Surprise them with your warm salam/hello, calling out their names (if you have good memory) at the end of the greeting.Enjoy their initial `stunned' facial expression. Dale Carnegie reminded us : The most important word a person would like to hear is his/her own name!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS: Tip no. 22 - Be a good team member among the teaching staff. Demonstrate outstanding tolerance, cooperation and teamwork. Do not back-bite, gossip or talk bad about other teachers infront of your class. Settle all misunderstandings with colleagues. Never turn the teaching staff room into a war zone!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS: Tip no. 23 - Use encouraging words when you're giving feedback to students. Replace all those harsh, bitter, humiliating critics with better alternatives words in your comments. Be aware of your body languages. Constant degradation and humiliation is the WORST form of teaching! If that's your usual feedback strategy, it is indeed high time to change!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS: Tip no. 24 - Extend your friendly hands to your partners in this noble mission of teaching; the parents & guardians of your students! They might not seem to be interested or just too busy to supervise their children, yet their role is indeed pivotal. Engage them as much as you can, don't give up! How about sending them an informal personal friendship card through their children? You might see an increase turn-ups in the next PTA meeting!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS (Episode 1)

by Dr Harlina Halizah Siraj – a medical educator since 1997

TIPS 1-20

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 1 - Reflect on the main reason you become a teacher in the first place. Was it your childhood dream or mainly because you did not have much choices then? Why on earth are you still a teacher now? Find the answers in your heart. What you are today is a result of how you first took off in this noble profession...

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 2 - Assign a special task to your students today : ` Write ONE word that best describes my teacher, Puan/Mrs/Dr/Prof/Mdm ....(fill in the blank with your own name)' Provide each student with a post-it note. Input should be anonymous. Pass around a small box to collect the notes. Paste them on a wall surface (in your bedroom) - the words describe what the students see in you!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 3 - Prioritize the weakest student in your class, instead of the cleverest. Those who are gifted with superb IQ could sail thru' without much of your help. It's the weakest who needs you the most. Don't ignore him/her. Look at her/him with a different perspective today - full with hopes & dreams!

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR TEACHERS : Tip no. 4 - Be a great teacher who inspires. From William Hart - a mediocre teacher tells, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates & a great teacher inspires! Convince your students that you're a different breed of teacher - the one who really cares & prays for them, every time, every day!

SELEMBAR RISALAH QAIS

Oleh: Wan Mohd. Huzairi Wan Md. Nor

Bidayah

Pujangga Arab ada berkata, “ Jika anda mahu hidup selepas mati, tulislah sesuatu yang dapat dibaca.”

Saya mulakan tulisan ini dengan pengenalan diri. Meski ramai yang tidak mengenali saya sehingga menyangkakan saya ialah Mahdi atau al-Aqra’ atau Muaz atau al-Buhturi ibnu al-Ja’d. Namun sebagaimana yang disebut oleh Abu Bakar al-Walibi, saya ialah Qais ibnu Mulawwah, seorang pemuda dari bani Amir.

Saya menulis risalah ini dengan satu tujuan satu harapan satu seruan; mahu mengajak semua menghiaskan diri dengan sifat-sifat para anbiya’, ashab dan tabi’en.

Ikhlas

Ikhlas ialah membersihkan perbuatan daripada perhatian manusia. Hasilnya selamat daripada seksaan dan celaan, serta memperolehi darjat yang tinggi di syurga.

Allah Taala berfirman yang bermaksud: Padahal tidak diperintahkan mereka melainkan supaya mereka menyembah Allah dengan mengikhlaskan agama kerana-Nya. (Al-Bayyinah: 5)

Dalam sebuah khabar musnad, Rasulullah SAW dikhabarkan oleh Jibril A.S, sesungguhnya Allah Taala berfirman: Ikhlas ialah satu rahsia daripada rahsia-Ku, Aku menitipkannya kepada hati yang Aku kasihi daripada hamba-Ku.