The More I Explore, The More I Feel Tinier...

Today, after about five days I joined a workshop on 21st century skills for educators by Prof AK Alias (Thanks to you, Prof), I have a mixed feelings on being an educator of this century. Series of exploration and discovery, pursuant to the workshop, brought me to endless apps in the digital world. Very far from a noble notion of 'tech savvy' or 'IT-geek', what drives me is only a so-called passion to enhance my teaching delivery in order to ensure a meaningful learning, not only to my students, but most importantly to me (as the one who preaches other people to keep on learning).




In the labyrinth of the digital jungle, I try not to loss focus, siding my tiresome and boredom, by holding on to 'the end justifies the means' principle - excitedly want to see the end result of my so-called devotion. It is a painstaking journey. Nevertheless, it is an inspiring and exciting embarkment that make the experience priceless. Coupled with perseverance and resilience, feeling 'tinier' each time a new discovery is made, sense of gratitude to the Creator of all the creation heightened. SubhanAllah! All praises for you My Lord.

My daughter can write

My youngest daughter came back from school one day with a story that she co-wrote with her friend at school. I didn't know about their writing until I saw her reading and kinda busy scribbling something in her book. When I took a closer look, it was a script written about a dialogue between a girl and her younger sister. It was in the picture above.


Upon reading it, I was quite surprised. I asked her a few times " adik, did you (and yr friend) really write this?" " yes....mmmm..mu'allimah (teacher) was absent today so I am bored...so I wrote this and then my friend joined me.." ..but it is not finished yet ummi..." she was kind a blushed when she responded, as if she felt guilty for not spending that 'free' time completing her homework at school instead.


I could sense the misinterpretation that our conversation was led to, perhaps my so-called 'surprised' tone, startled her. So without hesitation, I said:

"Adik, ummi is so surprised that adik could write this. This is a very good writing. We can send this to a contest, couldn't we?". She gave a 'shy-shy' smile.


Then I asked her to rewrite down here. There you go, here's what she copied from her book:


kakak:Adik pergilah solat dah masuk asar ni

Adik:Tak nak .kenapa kena solat ?Adik kan kecil lagi

Kakak:Adik waktu kakak umur 6 tahun macam adik kakak dah mula belajar solat dah tau. kalau kita tak belajar solat dari kecil lagi bila besar nanti susah nak faham pasal solat

Adik:Apa maksud solat kakak?

Kakak:Maksud solat ialah bersyukur kepada ALLAH

Adik:ALLAH?ALLAH buat apa kat kita?

Kakak:ALLAH cipta kita dan memberi rezeki kepada orang yang beriman kapadanya.

Adik:Ooo yeka TERIMA KASIK kak!!!

Kakak:Em SAMA-SAMA .EH jap adik dah solat dah ka

Adik:Emmm belum

Kakak :EH cepat pergi solat

Adik:HEHE

Kakak:Ehhmmmm ehmmm ehmmmm (sambil menggeleng-gelengkan kepala).


So guys, what do you think? Well, maybe you had encountered a better experience with your kids of whom are better off in writing or reading, so mine perhaps was just nothing to you.


But for me, with this such talent of my daughter which I hadn't discovered before (so ignorance of me!!) it rang bell in me that I need to give attention to her and to my other children. I felt so ashamed that as an educator who proudly affirm that 'teaching is my devotion and passion', I never gave a damn to train my own daughter to write something that is beyond her teachers would ask. She collected the skill independently which by right, it should be me who polish the talent in her. A lesson for me. -relearning and learn-