turn my minus into plus

I have been busy with work and tuition these days since the start of this month.

Currently working at Toshiba Service Centre. It is not a sedentary job of picking up phone calls and answering customers' queries. Instead , I follow my partner around in the van to visit customers' houses to fix their televisions. Basically , I am just required to assist him whenever he needs me , such as screw and unscrew nails , carry his bag of tools and the occasional LCD TVs that needed to be sent back to workshop or to be delivered to customers upon successful repairments. It is actually quite a slack job , but I find it very boring. Moments of me actually having to do work is actually spasmodic ---- literally. This is because most of the time my partner is doing a 1-man show himself. Moreover , the whole working environment is not as irrepressible as my previous temporary jobs. The department I am in is a group of uncles. It didn't help that the topics they talk about seem to be revolve around television components which I knew zilch about. It didn't help too that I am the only temporary stuff among them and it seems that I am redundant there. Initially , I felt weird leaving punctually when is time to knock off. Luckily there is a very nice colleague from another department who always look for me to knock off and chat together. Nowadays , I will just pick my bag and go when time is up , especially on nights when I have to teach tuition. There is really nothing much I can help out and I don't get paid if I stay back voluntarily. Moreover , I need to rush to eat my dinner at coffeeshops near my students' place. If I don't , I will risk skipping dinner since after tuition I will be thinking of heading home to sleep instead of eating.

I have 3 students under my charge now. On nights when I don't have to teach tuition , I still have to read up and prepare materials for them. It is mandatory to know what I am intending to teach , otherwise I cannot expect my students to learn under my tutelage. Apart from basic theory knowledge , spontaneous questions from students are expected to be handled with ease. Hence , it is not as easy as it seems. Nowadays , students are not exactly the type who sits down quietly and listen attentively to their teachers' lectures. They have a mind of their own and having gone through their present stages in the past myself , I understand they have their own set of thinkings which may be in sync or vice versa with me. Being half a teacher now makes me realise and appreciate how demanding teachers are expected to meet requirements from all related pressuring sources ---- not just students but also parents , fellow educators etc. To do well academically , student must help him/herself. I used to think teachers must shoulder all the blame for students who failed to perform to expectations. However , I realised that teachers can only be a guide and teach them the relevant techniques and skills to fight , but when it comes to the real battle aka examinations , it solely depends on how well the student use whatever weapons that are taught available in his/her arsenal to conquer the enemies. On the other hand though , it does not mean teachers are completely impeccable if students failed to do well. Indeed , students must help themselves , but teachers should not be bias and show favouritism to only a portion of students. This is blatant discrimination which defeats the purpose of having a class because it encourages division among students as they are being academically categorised and treated differently based on the teacher's preferences. I dislike such teachers more than those who genuinely fails to teach (perhaps because of their inability/inexperiences to handle students or impart the right knowledge). In the past , I have came across teachers who showed favouritism. Honestly , I think they are screwed. I believe every child has a potential in them to succeed and it is up to teachers to help the child to discover that niche within him/her so as to work upon growing that niche. It can be academic or technical or just about anything. Of course , the student must work alongside together with the teacher. Afterall , it takes two hands to clap.

I used to be a tutee myself. Now that I have swop position and become a tutor , I begin to understand the responsibilities that come with it. I admit monetary terms come first. I will be mendacious if I claim that I am an altruist by saying that students' academic well-being is my 1st priority. Let's not kid anyone. The tuition incomes help to supplement my Toshiba income and it will continue be a source of income throughout my upcoming university years. However , the students' ability to perform well has become my area of concern which acts as a gauge of my teaching ability. If they fail to improve , it reflects my dereliction of duty as well. Of course , the student must work alongside together with the teacher. I can accept students who are slow in progress but I cannot tolerate students who are insolent , defiant or just having the wrong attitude towards their studies. Why is this so ?

It always takes two hands to clap.