Dancing at TPS

For Teacher's Day, our dance troupe performed a Jai Ho, bollywood dance. It was quite fun and somehow, I managed to perform and enjoy the experience to the fullest despite having a fever! I came home afterwards and slept about 16 hours! When I was dancing, I was thinking about all the teachers in the world, myself included. Most of us try so hard to, as the principal said in her speech, "make a difference."

Afterwards, the part of the principal's speech which affected me the most was when she said, and I paraphrase,

there was a time when a student's character was more important than his/her grades.

I recalled the moms who sat around talking yet again about their childrens' grades and about the last test and the next exam. I remembered how one mom came very late to dance practise because she was phoning her family in India about the latest test "scores". Each time, I smile and congratulate. Until the teacher comes up to me after a performance and says, "Frunty did not do so well on his tests". Then I smile but inside, I crack.

I don't expect, "nice dance!" after I have sweated through the performance with my fever. But I also don't expect talking about test scores during a party. Enough is enough.

This morning, I phoned a mom to coordinate a get-together in Phuket only to be reminded that our children must study during the break. And then, the admission. Her son got almost perfect test scores because she got her hands on (purchased?) some previous tests which had, she said, "the exact same questions."

Frunty- you studied hard. We helped you balance your studies with sports and play time, travel and adventures. In my eyes, you did well because you juggled everything to the best of your abilities with the pressure you face. A classroom packed with competitive students and a very loud fan that makes teachers have to yell while teaching. You came home and worked on and off-line. I am proud of you regardless of your scores. NEGU. Never ever give up.

Yesterday, after the party, one of Frunty's classmates also ran over to me.

Jeffrey: "Hi, Mrs. S."
Me: "Hi, Jeffrey! How's it going?"
Jeffrey: "Got really good test scores, lah. F not good."
Me: (silence) "Well, good job! See you later, Jeffrey."

How he found out Frunty's test scores, who knows? I do know though that I am going to have to calm down. And keep dancing in the face of fire.


Click on:

Tampines PSG - Teacher's day dance