How to Teach?

After enroling in the program for 4 months, I have felt that my whole being is 'sucked up' because of the level of commitment required for everyday preparation. For some other people, it would be fine to participate a bit more with class social activities or even some extra training. I always seem to struggle with time and regular needs. I even find myself changing my sleep schedule, work habits, and eating preferences. It is unbelievable! I very much hope to read a bit more books (I haven't read much or exercised much to fulfill the needs of being a teacher!). It feels like a plant having no water in the roots. Reading, resting, and exercising is just like finding an oasis in a desert. I would have no idea how people would survive by going out every night for drinks, dates, and church commitments. There is no time or space left for self-nourishment in the mind and the soul.

Teaching in Vancouver is challenging because we are struggling with the diverse needs of student population. It is very diverse that makes teachers feeling a bit uneasy, because teachers should aim to work with many cultural and religious differences. We have to identify the living environment of the student in order to be supportive, constructive, and positive about their learning process. Comparing to the system in HK, students in Vancouver have more freedom to express who they are, learn what they desire, and have more opportunities to discover about self. For instance, students in HK have a teen culture that evolves around exams, competition, and preparation towards foreign secondary institutes. I feel sorry for the little ones who constantly go to after-school tutoring, just because they can win the game ahead of everyone measured according to time but not their level of intelligence. Although I have had a hard time with students in Vancouver 'slacking off' by having no homework, I think that having homework is a means to train self-discipline and studying habits. It helps students to develop a sense of commitment to something that requires their attention that is essential and be personally responsible for it. I don't believe that students know how to regulate their own self, unless someone like a parent or a teacher who models and guides their thoughts and actions. I would have a hard time if parents challenge me about the necessity of giving homework. As teachers, we would have to spend time in marking them. There is a reason why we give homework in order to keep learning as two-way. Students don't just listen receptively. They think about the questions that they don't know at home and would come back to discuss together in-class. They learn how to work with others. As far as I know, I'd be a bit disappointed when students don't do their homework and would expect to pass each grade. It would be a tough time for me as a new teacher.