Life goes on...

My longest serving staff will be leaving me next month. At first I felt my world was going to fall apart. She handles my higher level maths.

Now I feel happy. I remember what my fellow instructor from Phillipines said, when you lose someone, you'll get someone better. And in the 9 years I've been running the centre, I've been faced by that many times. This time, I feel the same.

Pose, smile, pose

Yesterday, I started giving out the medals and certificate from last year's achievements. It took us so long to give them out this year because of the renovation and my J-Cam (J stands for Jurassic!!!) finally decided to retire. I managed to borrow one of the staff's camera and will be using it for the whole week. I can't wait to finally deliver all the medals.

Yesterday, quite a few got it for the first time. I simply love the glowing faces. I made them wear the medal throughout their class. Some said they're too shy, but I knew they wanted to, because in the end all did. I heard a few saying they want it next year.

Surprise visit!

Last Tuesday, I expected 3 new students....but 6 came to start their free trial, and one unexpected visit from an old student who have stopped 4 years ago. He's of course bigger. From the day he stopped, I never stopped thinking about him. He had learning difficulties and at times had to be warded to drain out the fluid in his head. I was told children with this kind of sickness don't usually live for very long. I kept wondering if he's still around and I nearly cried when I saw him at the door on Tuesday.

I asked him if he can remember me, and he smiled and nodded. I was soooooooo HAPPY!!!

In the beggining, when he first joined, I had difficulties in pronouncing his name. You try it in one breath..... ArfakhsyadZ .... that's his name!!!!!!

:)

Today....

Me: Inesh Siva Ramanathan!
Inesh: (while frowning) how do you know my full name?
Me: Because I'm your Mom!
Inesh: really????

Me: Ok! Emma, I'll see you next time. Say bye to Inesh.
Emma: (standing up extending her hand) Bye Inesh. See you next time. (They shook hands)
Inesh: Emma! You're so adorable!!!!

~~~~~~~~~Emma is 4 and Inesh just turned 5~~~~~~~~~

Free Trial oh Free Trial

This time around, we hardly prepare for our free trial. Not many calls, and not many inquiries. So far, 3 of them will not be joining free trial but enrolling for May!! My manager thinks it's weird...but that's reality in my centre.

I saw happy faces.

Today, a few of my students from Monday came back for their 2nd class for the week. Most of them came straight to me with their papers to show me how fast they have done their work. I see a lot of smiles as some of them managed to complete their work in less than their targetted time.

I hope my student-instructor meeting will show a lot of progress in them. If it works, I will see more than 60% of the students going up to Advance Level.

Being Ernest

I am very proud of my first graduate called Ernest. I have been quite shy to write about him, simply because I didn't really have to guide him that much when he was progressing step by step, at his own pace.

However, now, I want to write about him, because I feel proud that I have a student like him. I know I have given him all the moral support he needed when he was my student.

At the age of 15, he took 2 Maths papers. He was confident enough to take "O" level and "A" level papers. He scored the highest in the WORLD!!!! He took an international paper, so the test was actually meant for students using the British program throughout the world. The year after that, he concentrated on his science subjects, and came out top in Malaysia for Chemistry and Physics.

Last year, he was accepted in Imperial College, London. Many years ago, I have walked outside the campus and dreamed of visiting again for my ... well.... children. Children??? Somehow, when I heard Ernest was accepted there, I felt like "my" child was accepted there.

Last week, my heart was feeling so light. Ernest came back for his Easter Vacation and brought the news that he came out TOP!!!! in his class of 300 something, scoring 370/400. Not just that, he was also accepted into Cambridge University.....where he's always wanted to be!!! Many years ago, I told him about my grandfather going there for his Civil Engineering and Ernest told me that's where he wants to go. I'm glad he finally has been accepted.

Student-Instructor Meeting

It's that time of the year where I make time to sit down with each one of the student and talk about their aims and goals in coming to the centre. It's this time of the year that I get to see them really closely and see how much they've grown. Some have been with me for more than 5 years.

We talk about where they are now in comparing it to the school standard, we talk about how to achive the school standard if they have not achieved it, we talk about how to become an advance student if they have already reached the school level, and we talk about how to go beyond the advance level, starting from one year ahead....and of course, the next step, completion.

We started it yesterday, and today, I hope to see more........

Is it worth it?

Last Friday, for the first time, I got bombarded with nasty words from a mother of my student. We've had problem since last week, when the student have failed to exchange his homework and she called to tell us off.

This time, it's because we had to get the student to take his homework instead of completing his work at the centre because he came just 15 minutes before closing time.

It has been our policy to have students take back their homework if they fail to reach the centre 30 mins before closing time.

It's tiring to reason thing out.

Luckily on saturday i met with 2 new friendly mothers. I know I am here for a reason!