Closing of a Chapter

I am left with a couple of deadlines, all due this Friday, plus one exam on the 28th, and I will no longer journey to the west almost every (other) day. It's been four years, one longer than the time I spent in Ngee Ann, more than twice the number of years I spent in Murdoch, and as along as it took me to get my O levels cert. Gosh. It's been a long while. Some of my pals who went into NIE with me in 2002 have already completed their 3 year bond by now. And I am just beginning.

Although it's not too hard to bid farewell to salary-less days, I must say I have to think of a genuine excuse to diss credit-card telemarketers off courteously. No longer can I unabashedly proclaim, "Solly, I am too poor to apply for your credit card." I must try saying, "No, I am not interested," and bear drowning out their voices of, "but but!" as I gently disconnect the call.

To fully close this chapter, there are probably several things I need to do, one of which is to clear my library fines. I have quite a number of uncollected assignments and files, and unfortunately some tutors have already left NIE and dumped my files away. What a waste. Oh, and some of my precious notes have mysteriously disappeared from home also. I'm indeed a hoarder - four years of uni and I have 5 boxes of notes, not including the box that went missing and a few stacks that also mysteriously disappeared as well as my missing assignments and one Math folder. :( I really doubt I'll look through them though... I'm giving myself 5 years. At the end of the 5 years if I don't touch my notes, I'm recycling the papers. :)

I think the school posting will be out soon. It's a bummer I can't check with anyone coz I don't really know of anyone who'll be graduating together with me. To those who received your postings, was it near the exams, or after? Or closer to the results release date? :)

I just hope that I will transit well and settle down in teaching. I have indeed learnt a lot these past four years, and it has made me a better teacher, and more importantly, a better parent. Ben & I were discussing our parenting methods, and we really give thanks to God because we parent differently from how we were 'parented'. And I think to a large extent, this has been influenced by what I have learnt in NIE. Perhaps some may say that what has been taught is not applicable especially when the end result is still exam-based assessment a.k.a. the PSLE, yet I think the children will benefit greatly from the changing trends in education. I don't know what kind of teacher I will become, but I always believe in being firm yet gentle. Even as I struggle to stabilise myself and my moods, I hope I will be able to achieve a sense of consistency with my pupils and help them become useful and caring citizens of the world.