piu punya.: November 2008

在近期内, 也就是学生在赶 final project, presentation 的时候. 除了学生很忙之外, 讲师和助教都也是一样. 陪学生忙. 忙 critique. 忙改分数, 忙想些 ideas. 忙过滤易意见. 当然..讲这些东西的话, 未免太闷了吧..

本人就是个新鲜出炉的助教. 今天... 在学生的 final presentation 几天. 都是忙到乱的. So, 我的脑稍微不怎么运作. 而且还不怎么应付得来. 然后就有听到一些小小声音传来,

"喂.你要找助教critique还是讲师?"
"讲师"
"Shh..小声点, 等下伤到他(我)的自尊心"

其实这些学生是在我面前讲. 但我当做没听见. 也不知道他们是真的以为我没听见还是怎样. 因为我在帮学生 solve 功课上的问题. 这种事情已经不是第一次发生了. 我每次都告诉自己说, 不要紧, 因为我新. 所以人家对我没信心是应该的. 但这次有点 emo 的我. 有点不好受. 甚至还有些学生说:"助教都是新鲜毕业生". 我个人是觉得他是有其他意思. 在想, 是不是每个人都并不会愿意或并不敢冒险的给我们这新鲜人些机会. 还是只有我这种所谓没什么 quality 的新鲜人?

我自认我没经验, 还有很多东西要学. 但我当场 solve 不到学生出的问题时, 其实会尽量去找其他方式或其他可能我忘了的方式去协助他们. 也许要用很长时间. 但我还是会去做. 因为这是我的责任. 体验过这时段的学生应该很清楚.

Post 上这个故事并不是想得到同情. 只是想发泄.

Critique 到头痛. 真的体会到什么叫做 critique 到想吐. (因为头痛所以吐.)

我知道很多人都是 prefer 讲师 critique, 我真的了解的.明白的. 我没有在介意.

今天一大早.. 但也没有很早, 就收到我公司楼下的一个call.

便问到 :"炜标, 你是XXX的助教是吗?"
我说 :"是啊.怎么了?"
她问到 :"XXX在班上的表现好吗? 因为他的家长来了!"

突然有一位学生的家长要见见讲师和助教. 说是要了解孩子在学校的状况和表现. 而通常家长亲自来的话.. 都会是很大见事吧.(我个人认为) 那时的我..紧张到. 因为那学生的讲师, 也就是我的partner是guest lecturer, 所以没来. 我也不知道怎么办好. 就叫另一个讲师陪我. 当我看了那学生的名单. 他的出席记录不错啊... 没缺席过呢.. 然后在想想..XXX到底是谁.

"哦...那位...嗯, 他的表现都不错啊. 为什么家长要来找我们呢?" 边走去见那家长, 边想.

一进去, 就看到两位uncle. 哦..原来另一位是那家长的朋友. 在我和那家长聊天的时候, 其实我深深的被感动了. 所以才决定把故事post上和大家分享.
一开始还以为家长会很凶的, 破口大骂的. 但其实一进去. 他还蛮心平气和的. 跟我想象的不一样.

原来, 他是特地把手头上的工作丢下, 从关丹来到了KL. 就只是为了要知道孩子在学院的学习状况. 他其实很关心他的孩子(也就是我的学生啦.) 但每当他问他的孩子,:"读书怎么样啦? 跟得上吗? ok吗?", 他的孩子只是问答说: "啊, 嗯, 哦, ok咯.". 他其实很想跟孩子好好沟通. 但还是失败.

他说他的孩子从小功课就不好, 不善于沟通, 家里本来就有生意等他接手的. 但孩子就是不要. 就是要读书. 什么是MM? THE ONE在教什么? 毕业后到底有没有工作? 孩子的成绩怎样? 他都不知道. 孩子一个人离乡来到了大城市, 就担心孩子学坏, 担心孩子不会跟别人沟通. 当我一一的像他解释, 然后拿出他儿子的出席报告跟他解释, 其实他的儿子很乖, 很好学的时候. 他那本来很紧张, 很担心的心情也慢慢消失了. 而且我看到他眼睛带着泪. 他终于可以安心. 他感到很安慰.

最后, 也因为可能我和学生们的年龄差不远, 所以聊得来. 所以他还笑着向我请求了说:"那麻烦你帮我看着他. 多跟他沟通", 然后有很多的"麻烦你们, 真不好意思!", "谢谢你们."

我们还聊了很多..写不完. 再写就很乱水.

I received a call from the SRA department this morning.

"wei peow, are you XXX's tutor?", SRA staff asked.
"ya. ermm..is there any problems?", i replied.

"Erm. well. how's XXX performance in class? Because his parents are here.", she said.

Suddenly, there a student's parents came over to college to understand and to know how is their son's performance and involvement in class. And also to wanted to meet lecturer and tutor to discuss about it. From what i thought of, normally if there is parents who come and have a meet up with teaching staff, the student should been giving him/herself a big trouble. I was quite nervous. The lecturer for the student is a guest lecturer, so i have to face the parents all by myself? NO WAY. Luckily there's another lecturer able to accompany. You know, this is my first time. HEHE... I took out the attendance list, and i noticed the student's attendance report is quite good, no absent.

Then i start thinking why are his parents come while walking toward the counseling room.

Once i step into the room. I saw 2 men. Oh... the another is actually the student's father's friend. Well, i actually felt touched when i have a conversation with the student's father. So, i decided to post and share this story.

The father purposely leave his job for the day and came down from Kuantan all the way to KL just to get more details on what is his son studying. You guys may asks, "why don't he asked his son himself?". He tried, but failed. Whenever he try to asks, "Son, how's you studies?", "Are you able to follow up the lessons?" His son would just answer, "Hmn.", "Ya.", "not bad.", "Ok lo..". Definately wouldn't more that those answers. As a father, i actually understand how he feel to lost communicate to his son. In fact, when he told me how he feels, i saw tears. Not much. But it's enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

He mentioned that his son is very weak in study and communicating since young. So he is very worry about him. His family is actually having a business waiting him to take over. But he refused. He wanted to study. What is multimedia design? What kind of education is The One delivering? Is there any job opportunities after graduate? How's my son result? He has no answer for those.

So, when i slowly showed him the attendance report of his son and explain his son's performance. Telling him the truth that, his son is actually very proactive and do not have any communication problems yet his attendance is beautifully marked. And slowly again, i saw his tears again. But this time. the tears came up with different reason. ^^

In the end, thousand of "Thank you" i received.