"we love you, miss jaja"

the sentence was written on the blackboard in class 6C, Sek keb Pedu, a remote school.

It is located about 1 hour drive from Alor Star.

We: Me, k.nurul and k.tia are assigned to teach English to standard 6 students there as a social service activity by our college. We have started the programme since June. We go there every Wednesday.

The students come from various family background.

They are Malay and Siamese students, a new environment for us the college lecturers.

Their English language competency is also varies.

Some are advanced, some are just at the intermediate level.

they are afraid to speak in English, but they do not even speak standard Bahasa Melayu, they speak very thick Kedah dialect..

During the first class there, I told my colleagues that I was not fit to teach primary students, they were just so naughty and noisy.. they could not sit still after 5 minutes.. they would walk around and make noise..

Week by week, i've started to understand them better..

I introduce rules such as they need to be quiet when i'm teaching, speak when i ask them to do so, finish up the work, speak English, and if it is very difficult, use standard BM, not Kedah dialect.

One thing that i like about these students is that they respect the teacher.

Although they are quite naughty, when you instruct them to do something, they will do it.

They are also very excited to to the exercise. they will finish up the work as fast as they can, and they will compete who is going to finish up first and show it to me.

I start to feel at ease with them..

Today, is our first meeting after quite long holidays; school break, matrix break, awal Ramadhan public holiday.

and this is what i saw when i walked in the class this afternoon:

"We love you, miss jaja"

i love you too, students.. perhaps my short duration class and my lack of experience and knowledge in teaching UPSR students, will just help you a little, but i hope it will be very meaningful ..

one more meeting, and the class will end.. school will go on holiday, matrix will have Raya break, and after that UPSR is waiting..