Why You Should Not Look Down On The Normal Stream Students

When teachers meet each other on the corridors, besides giving the all-diplomatic-smile, the first things they do is ask, Which class are you going to?

Any answers that points to a Normal Stream class is normally met with a Good Luck or Best of Luck. And my school is considered a not bad school already.

Senior teachers have been advising us reliefs to adopt the "teach less do more" approach in Normal Classes. Meaning cut short lecture, use the time to let them copy the workbook answers. Meaning giving up on them.

I cannot fault them because after years of teaching, their energy and passion has long been hollow-ed out.

But me, being new, being young, being fresh and full of energy is still trying. I saw one of my two classes of Normal Students today.

After waiting for 10 mins for them to settle down without interrupting them, I said, "those wan learn come in front. Those bo chap go to the back. at the back you can do anything you want except sleep and disturbing me. i dun care (gives my most bo chap face)"

Imagine my surprise when the whole class moved forward. Even if it turned out later that some just followed the crowd and kept talking, I could see more faces following my lesson. Although its still early to conclude, but at least its a early victory. And I look forward to going in next week.

Now, to my arrogant and ignorant counterparts who rose through the express/special streams, those normal students are not stupid.

In fact if we migrate the schooling population to countries such as Switzerland, you will be classified as Normal students. Over there, unlike Singapore, vocational skills are more valued than academic results.

Me will be the worst student I tell you. I hand like leg, leg like hand. Cannot coordinate.

Those Normal students are just victims of our locally chosen education system.

Now as my friend always say, Wake Up Your Bloody Idea