My Toughest Day At Work Last Week

October 24th, 2011 Bryan Chung

One of the toughest days thus far at work for the almost past 2 months took place last week. One day after training, I went back to office at about 4pm. My boss told me something, “Bryan I need you to be a SSOE trainer too.” I was left in shocked because it was something I was not prepared for. I never wanted to do that training because I do not like to conduct training to school teachers and HODs. SSOE requires me to conduct training to that group of audience. My boss then told me to get the Powerpoint slides from my colleague and told me to be prepared in one-hour for a dry run. I was dazed. Went to the toilet, look myself in the mirror and started crying. I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities and workload I have. My Service Manager happened to come into the toilet and saw me. He started giving me advice. Soon my boss also saw me with red eyes and took me downstairs to talk. I realised what I was getting myself into but I had to share with my boss how I felt.

I always enjoy teaching kids more than adults. Because even if I do present wrongly during the lesson, the kids will not know. And I get to be myself among kids. The joy with them. But yet with adults, I cannot “smoke” my way through presentation. Probably many will know if I am presenting wrongly. So that is why I never like SSOE training. But slowly until today, I am slowly accepting the fact that I need to learn SSOE. My boss needs me, my company needs me. “If is not me, who will?” I asked myself. My boss looks up so highly on me; I must know it is an opportunity for me to shine. But before being able to be a SSOE trainer, I will need to pass the mock presentation with the Ministry of Education (MOE) too. That is the most stressful part because I saw how many trainers got shoot down by the MOE people before. Oh well, I must do it!

Besides that, I went out for training. I was the lead trainer for Ahmad Ibrahim Primary school. But although I was the lead trainer, I did not conduct any training because I had commitments to my other regular schools I go to. But I was there at the school to look out on my trainers attached to that school. Going with me to that school in the morning was also Grace. Derrick’s sister whom I invited to work with me. So it was her first time being an assistant to my trainer.

Today I went to Yew Tee Primary for a 2-hour session as a make-up lesson for 1 class. Primary 5 Humility. It was my first and last time seeing them but they gave me an awesome 2 hours! Instantly I connected with them the moment I stepped into the class. What a waste their Media Literacy Programme ended. In just 2 hours at the end, one student came up to me and told me, “Teacher! You teach so interesting, the previous trainer so boring!” That completely made my day! At least I hope it will be a good start to a week ahead, which has a public holiday on Wednesday! :)

Have a good week ahead! Especially my secondary school friends since this will be your last week before the long holidays! :)

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Rulang Primary School (17th Oct 2011)

October 21st, 2011 Bryan Chung

SAD to say, the final Media Literacy Programme came to an end for my Rulang Primary students. Last Monday, the school decided to lump the remaining 7.5 hours into one day. I pushed my other trainings away just to go back to Rulang Primary because I want to meet them! I was so looking forward to see them all. In the morning before lesson, I drove there earlier, so I could have breakfast with Jabien too. Before you think wrong… his dad was there too at the coffee shop. “Haha!” So I actually sat at another table but his dad called him to join me. =)

I spent the whole Monday with them. Actually the class was supposed to have about 40 students. But only 25 of them turned up. Probably they were too lazy to come as it was a school holiday week for them due to PSLE marking days. Those who came, I totally appreciate them! Every one of them were so cooperative and allowed me to finish all my lessons that was supposed to be taught. They eventually completed a Media Cube as part of the deliverable of the course.

The Media Cube is a 6-sided cube all about advertisements that the students cut and paste from magazines and newspaper. (After looking at the photos below, I realised I forgotten to take one more group photo.)

I bought 4 big packets of tibits for them – Twisties, Cheese Rings, Mamee, Chickadees. Many of them got more than one packet since I thought I will have about 40 students to give away too. While giving them out, one boy hugged me from behind. “Haha!” Epic weird but I felt so loved! And finally here was something Jabien done and gave me.

I am quite amazed because a boy folded flower? “Haha!” “Thanks Jabien and Rulang Primary School – Media InfoComm Club of 2011 students! Love you all!“

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Anderson Primary School (5th Oct 2011)

October 17th, 2011 Bryan Chung

Anderson Primary School class 3/2 should be the toughest class I handled thus far. The students are so rowdy and are noisy most of the time! Yet they are such smart students because whatever I wanted to teach them about Microsoft Office, they seem to already know! So I planned out one mini end-of-course project for them in the remaining 3 lessons I have with them. Proposed for them to do a game show using Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel. Anyway back to the students themselves. So far I have three assistant trainers who followed me for this class. Only one managed to really help out in terms of classroom management. The other two found it so tough. And like I said, this must be the toughest class thus far.

Whatever the case, I am still thankful for them all. Every student is unique to me. Each offers a new challenge for me each time since I am still new to my job. I still remember that day I gave them lollipop for Children’s Day, they swarm around me just to take the lollipop. But barely a few offered a “Thank you”. Haha! At least I can see them happy and that is what makes me happy too!

I am still looking forward to finishing up the few lessons with them in November! :)

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Tabernacle of David

October 11th, 2011 Bryan Chung

There are two tabernacles that the Bible mentioned. One is Moses’s Tabernacle while the other is David’s Tabernacle. You can find the comparison of these two tabernacle in the sermon note entitled “Tabernacle of David” preached by Rev. Dr. Kong Hee during City Harvest Church service two weeks ago. David’s tabernacle is so special because it is birth out of the great love of God. David love God more than anyone else. That is also how Jesus said we should love others.

(Matthew 22:37 NKJV) Jesus said to him, shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Those 3 points can be link to David’s Tabernacle.

  1. Worship (all your heart)
  2. Prayer (all your soul)
  3. Word of God (all your mind)

Details of each point can be found in the full sermon notes. In addition there are 6 points to how you should love God with all your mind and also the 3 points of love. Do spend some time to read up on the notes.

Full sermon can be found in my Sermons page.

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Naval Base Secondary (3rd Oct Week)

October 10th, 2011 Bryan Chung

Before going to Naval Base Secondary, I heard how hard was it to handle the students there from my previous associate trainers and even my colleagues. In fact, it was the express class students who were more problematic than the normal class students. I had one associate trainer who found it so tough and cried on the job and put in a request to me to take her out. So I decided to take over an express class and see for myself how bad it can be. I put myself into the challenge because it was my first secondary school I am to handle too. I took class 2E1, supposedly the best express class. And after going there for 3 weeks, my experience was not as bad as what others said.


Of course there were students in the class who just did not want to listen to the lesson. But that is the in every school that I go to so far. I accept that every class, there are bound to have such well-behaved and not so well behaved students. For those who choose to not listen, I just left them alone as long as they did not contribute to the noise level much. Nevertheless, I am still learning how to I can better engage them to make them interested. Because I will still prefer all to listen to my lesson. As a trainer, I will want to educate them and that is my job to do so.

So how come I was able to communicate with them while my other trainers cannot? I am not sure too. My method I used was to engage into conversation with them they feel much relevant to. Like example for the boys, I chatted with them about basketball since I saw them talking about basketball. As for the girls, it did not require any conversation as they were better behave and wanting to listen. So things like this, I am still learning and hope to improve more.

Till today, some of them have added me on Facebook and following me on Twitter too. Friendships were created out of this experience with them. And I enjoyed myself with them unlike other trainers who found it so difficult.

So I want to say, “2E1 of Naval Base Secondary, thank you for the wonder experience you all gave to me while I was there! Probably I will not teach you all again, but I already miss you all! Let us meet one day if possible! Study hard!“

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