Category Archives: Educating

Educating

TOTD – That everyone plays a part.

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Was filled with positive thoughts about the young boy in checkers shirt when he first sat down w his plate f rice. I thought he was so independent, worthy of my praise.

Then he stood up and walked away. Came back w a set of steel cutlery.
Oh turns out he was using a plastic spoon initially.

Then he took off his bag and drop it on the floor. Drop literally not put.

and soon enough the plastic spoon landed on the floor as well. Quietly and as discreet as possible, right underneath the table where he sits.

Another young boy, a woman and a man came and sat at the table.

The woman scolded the boy regards the bag.

I wonder what will she do if she knew the boy dropped the spoon.

On my side, as a righteous public member I should have pick it up and place it on his table. (It’s alright afterall to change the mind and wanted to use a steel spoon instead. Just leave it on the table, why do you litter?)

But it feels like if I do that I’m being a teacher again, correcting “student”. Mind your own business Amanda.

But what is it? Lack of the right Parenting? Lack of education in school?

Or is it a blatant unawareness that everyone plays a part in keeping the environment clean?

And don’t you dare tell me drop the spoon on the floor so the cleaner has a job to do. (Unless jokingly of course).

Thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

Story 7 – A New Lens

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Finished reading the book “More Than A Chat”, felt its a really good book.
I realize that there are many perspective to Counseling. People’s conception of it.

In-fact if you noticed, some of my previous TOTD is from the same book as well.
Happen to pick out one story that I do think is pretty applicable in my life, and I wanna share it here.
Do drop by at the National Library or enquire with the REACH Family Services Centre on how to obtain the book.

Story 7 – A New Lens
“You become what you think about.” – Earl Nightingale

More Than A Chat: Real-life Accounts of Lives Empowered through Counselling, REACH Community Services Society

Stepping off the escalator that carried throngs of commuters out of the MRT station, Jit Meng found himself wedged in the midst of weekend shoppers sauntering up and down the makeshift covered walkway. A couple, deep in conversation, was exchanging intimate gestures as they walked past. A group of young girls was chirping away gleefully, breaking out in occasional raucous laughter. Lost in the crowd, Jit Meng was pierced with the familiar jab of loneliness, an old acquaintance that had plagued him for most of his life. However, not too long ago, he had learnt a new way of relating to this acquaintance. He remained himself of the intimate friendship and kinship he was privileged to have.

“It is completely fine to be alone,” he reassured himself.

At home in the crowd, he strode on with lightness, making his way leisurely towards a shopping mall. His gaze then fell on a girl sitting on her father’s shoulders. He involuntarily greeted her with a smile and the girl returned his smile with a beam of delight. A flush of warm feeling filled his heart. Yes, he could relish in the good things the world offered and express gratitude for the good things in his life once again. But his countenance and outlook were not like this one year ago when his mind had been filled with only negative thoughts.

Negative Thoughts and Feelings

Jit Meng had just returned to Singapore after spending three years furthering his studies in Canada. He was 28. He found a job as a customer service executive in an information technology company. Though gainfully employed and surrounded by supportive parents, he felt the world he lived in was hostile, where evil seemed to triumph over good. Injustice reigned in him as he pondered over why life did not deal him the fair share of good things he rightly deserved. Questions about why others seemed to have it all but not him loomed over his head. He was cynical about the seemingly good, and pessimistic about what life had to offer. The negativity was so deep-seated that he was not even aware that it was eating him away.

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TOTD 18/3/12 “of seeing positive changes in their perspectives”

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“These men and women were not deterred by the social stigma associated with counseling when they came forward to seek help. As Jit Meng, one of the featured clients, would say, “A desperate man is not a self-conscious person.” Wei Qiang, in another featured story, agree to seek counseling for he recognized that an issue bigger than his pride was at stake. What was common was that these clients were all motivated by the possibility of seeing positive changes in their perspectives or relationships.”

– More Than A Chat: Real-life Accounts of Lives Empowered through Counselling, REACH Community Services Society

by the possibility of seeing positive changes in their perspectives or relationships.

Thought of The Day

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

TOTD 16/3/12 – “that he now has a better grip of his issues”

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“How would you describe counseling? This question was posed to the counsellors. ..

Another depicts counseling as extending a helping hand to individuals in resolving their issues. At the end of the counseling session, the counselee would feel heard, accepted and leave with the hope that he now has a better grip of his issues.

While family and friends may play the role of a counsellor, what makes professional counseling different from any other conversation is the process. Professional counseling is a facilitated process. It is more deliberate and directional than an informal chat between friends or family members. Trained counsellors are equipped with skills that enable them to elicit thoughts and feelings, facilitate self-discovery and generate solutions from counselees in a manner that lay persons are not adept to do. ”

– More Than A Chat: Real-life Accounts of Lives Empowered through Counselling, REACH Community Services Society

.. and leave with the hope that he now has a better grip of his issues.

Thought of The Day

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

TOTD 8/3/12 – Different

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Sometimes, the teacher that teaches the underprivileged classes feels the most left out. 🙂

Cos everything is geared towards helping average or very good students to score, what about the others?

Topics that seems so general, can be entirely so new, so elusive to them.

Do you know, the world of their mind is actually way smaller than our comprehension, n they have their set of problems & issues too..

What feminism? A more trendy tudung compared to a traditional tudung is just “Tudung” to them.

They are not mindless. You just need to reach their level, you just need to know they are a seed too. You just need to try. You.

“If You Teach Me How”

Good Classes, Good Grades, Certificates are important, but, being average can live too.

More than just helping them to see results. My job is to help them to live.
Live their life.

Different.

Thought of The Day
Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

P/S: Mostly, this doesn’t apply in the Singapore Education System, because it doesn’t show in the grades.

Care for them and they will change. Sure, but not fast enough to show in the grades.

😀

not everything needs a conclusion…

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Met a friend from twitter for dinner recently. It was just very random, out of the blue, a Direct Message came in and asked me out for dinner.

“I was like, oh oki, sure why not, I need dinner anyway.”

😀 yes, you can try that on me too. If you want dinner and needs company drop me a msg and who knows if I’ve nothing planned beforehand we can meet. 😀

Anyway, turns out, one of the objective of the meeting was to find the strength to move on.
To know and to understand from me if the pre-conceived understanding was true.

not gonna share that part of the incident.
I want to write down what I learnt from the person.

“you are right, I agree, not entirely his fault, as you said, you changed. n perhaps this is a good defining moment for you.  this ‘incident’ is a good turning point for you. to be a better you.
guess I was too into convincing ppl. putting my opinion on people.
thinking back, I guess its not that important to have an immediate closure on something, in this case, to close-up/have a conclusion on ur feelings about him. its not important.
take your time then dear. use the situation as a motivation. be restored in the things that were taken from you. be a better you. be an even better you. I believe in you girl!”

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dont eat b4 u sleep

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I didnt sleep well at all last night………………………………………
Bcos I ate before I slept………………………………

It was almost 11pm when I got on bed.
10mins into lying down my stomach grumble…

and losing fats means I must ensure that my body knows it will be fed whenever it is hungry.
So I told myself. Oki… “Woman, you need to get up and feed yourself.”

In case you didnt know why.
Besides binge-ing due to hunger, another way of becoming fat is by starving oneself.
Bcos the body recognizes that it will not be fed hence it will quickly convert food into fats as a ‘self defense’
so no, cannot let that happen, so must eat whenever hungry.

So I got up went out to buy Bao.

I had 2 small baos…

Then went back to bed. Continue reading →