DO I look at a Saleman???

I will consider myself one of the most hip teacher around in this "business". Why do I say so?? I am unlike other male teachers, wearing formal shirt, pants and leather shoes to school. I am kind of like smart casual clothes, with sneakers. (My pupils actually asked me,"how many pairs of shoes do I have?" I replied:" about 10, not counting slippers and sandals." hahaha How many shoes do you have, ladies????) I have actually read this in a female magazine (I think it is CLEO) that wearing a pair of shoes everyday actually spoilts the shoes faster. Shoes should be wore on alternate days because we expand the shoes when we wear them, by not wearing them, we allow the shoes to rest. Another reason is my shoes must match my clothes, right??? You do not wear pink clothes with blue shoes, right??? Anyway, I am not too keen on pink. Another reason is black leather shoes are boring and very sad to wear that to work everyday.

Today, the most interesting thing happened to me at Far East Plaza, you know the favourite hangout of many youngsters, also for me too. Standing the shop, waiting for my wife to try the outfit, I have female customers asking me if they can try the outfit or asking me for the price. I admit I do get asked this, maybe once every few shopping trips, but I got asked today four times in four different shops in a short span of two hours. (From Future State to the shops inside) hahahaha. I am not angry, felt funny, teased and alittle flattered.

There can only be a few reasons for this
1) I look young. heehee
Young enough to look like one of the sale staff or the sale assistants working in Far East Plaza. If you have not noticed, the sales assistants working in the many shops in Far East Plaza are usually young, maybe 16 (upper secondary and above). TO look like them, wow, I am totally flattered. hahahaha.

2) My dressing is so hip that I looked totally blend into the environment.
Of course, I was not wearing my working clothes. I wore jeans, sneakers and long sleeve t-shirt (and the long sleeves is connected to the t-shirt, looking as if I was wearing two pieces of clothing.) Hair gel to look hip, of course, not like the stoner hair style i wear to school.

Thinking of it, I also feel totally at ease at Far East Plaza, kind of grow up there. My mum goes there for facial when I was in primary school, which sometimes may take two to three hours. During secondary and JC times, I hangout there with my friends, witnessing first hand the changes of Far East Plaza. I still remember there is a CD shop, that sells banned magazines like SKY (from UK) and COSMO behind the counter, but it is gone now. I am sure there are other shops out there still doing it, anyone knows which ones??

3) I hangout too often that I look and talk like the people there.
See above.

Going there looking like a stoner, will be like Mr. Bean trying to blend into the army, it will stick out like a sore thumb.

4) I got the look of a boss.
Hahaha, maybe i do look like a boss there and if only I am really a boss. However, one day, I hope to have a shop there selling clothes, running my own business. I have put it as my five years plan and making steps to achieve it. (oops, by writing it down now, I really got to work on it. heehee. Wish me all the best!!!!) Anyone has any good contracts to get clothes or accessories at wholesale price??? so that I can fulfill my dream earlier.

That is also why I want to be an air steward. Then I am able to travel the world to buy interesting stuff to sell. The only problem is I am not a steward. Hahaha.

In conclusion, why must male teachers wear shirt and pants? Why do people like to sterotype teachers to come from a certain mould to look professional??? Why do MOE require us to teach the pupils to be creative and do not allow teachers to be creative, especially in their dressing??? How can creative juicy flow when I am feeling so uncomfortable in that shirt and pants??? So much WHY, but who will answer them???

A Happy Sad Promotion Day

Least anyone do not know, teachers can actually decide if a pupil promote to the next level of his/her studies. It is done on Promotion Day, when we decide to play "GOD" with the future of the pupils. Two main situations will occur: first - the failures of the Express stream will either be given some "help" to be promoted or retain at the same level for another year. Second, the top pupils of the Normal Academic will be pushed to Express. (These Normal Academic pupils usually do very well in the Express stream, better than most existing Express stream pupils.)

So I am very happy for my track runner, who top the Normal Academic and will be promoted to the Express stream next year.

The former situation is abit sad. Why I say this? Two pupils: A and B failed and have to decide what to do with them.

Pupil A passed English and Mother tongue, failed the rest of the four subjects at 30%, only Geography at 46%.

Pupil B failed everything at 40+ %.

At the end of the day, pupil A gets the 4% to promote to the next level, because the promotion criteria is to pass english and two other subjects. Pupil A only needs 4% to pass Geography, but Pupil B need maybe 4% in three subjects to promote him (total = 12% rough).

Let's re-look this. Pupil B failed at broadline for all his subjects and have one more year to work on him before 'O' levels, most likely he will be able to pass all subjects after working with him for a year. However, Pupil A failed his subjects at 30%, meaning the he failed to understand the fundementals of the subjects and from past experiences, these pupils cannot cope at 'O' levels because at secondary four, they need to learn new topics (They do not understand the old topics, how to move on with the new topics?) and re-learn the old topics that he did not do well. At the end of the day, they will still fail the same subjects at 'O' levels.

I wondered if this is going on in other schools, are we really promoting pupils who really deserved to be promoted or just for our convenience, we retain a pupil who is more able to cope at higher level???