Back to school

The big change this past week is that I've gone back to doing some part-time teaching.  I've actually been toying with that for quite a few months and I've finally overcome my inertia and fear of change and returned to the education service (on a part-time basis anyway).  There was a strong inertia because I must admit I had become quite accustomed to my flexible lifetsyle and the thought of returning to a 7.15am to 4.15pm work life just didn't sound right.  There was fear involved because I was worried if I would choose the right school and if I would be able to get back into teaching.  Well, as usual, the argument simply comes down to the simple fact that there is no such thing as a sure thing in life.  If I don't try, I'll never know.  So, since the door appeared to be opening in the right places, I've joined Junyuan Secondary School as a part-time teacher.

It's hard to imagine that I am actually travelling to JYSS in tampines, all the way from Serangoon.  At first, the thought was quite daunting.  But the surprising thing is that it actually takes just about an hour from my doorstep to the school.  That's not too bad actually, considering that it took me more than 1.5hrs to get to and from NUS wben I was studying there.  

I'm currently on a part-time basis with the school, which means that I only need to report to school when I have lessons and I can leave school whenever my lessons end.  In a way, I still get some freedom like before.  The tough part is having to report to school at 7.15am 3 days a week.  This means I basically have to get up at 5.30am for those 3 days.  5.30am.  That's a freaking crazy time.  Even when I was in RI, I could get up at 6.30am and still be in school in time.  That's the toughest adjustment which I am still trying to get used to.  

It's also been quite interesting trying to get back into the rhythm of teaching.  It's been more than 2 years, (actually, I think more than 3 years) since I've taught.  It's always a challenge to try to adapt to different students.  One thing which I cannot escape is the fact that I'm really much older now and it's a little harder to connect with the students.  I've already met all my students and I'm glad to say that so far, I quite enjoy my lessons with them.  Hope I can continue to say that all the way to the end of th year.

It's only been a week and I'm still busy adjusting to this new routine.  At the same time, I'm still handling some tour projects.  So I think things should be quite busy for me until the end of the June holidays.  Of course, at the back of my mind, I do wonder if I've made the right decision to return to teaching.  I guess only time will tell. 

Oh yes.  I did something quite silly last week... last Tuesday, I actually went to the new Iluma mall at Bugis to catch a glimpse of David Archuleta!  haha... can't believe I actually did that.  No regrets though.  Hearing him sing live was quite a treat!  He's every bit as unassuming and bashful as he appears to be on tv.  I did feel a little out of place though.  The whole place was filled with screaming teens!