simulated teaching

Simulated teaching is actually a practice which helps a teacher going to be like me with my classmates to at least experience the teaching situation. This semester is the first time that we were observed by Dr Edwin himself because last semester, we did it with our tutor in a group. Contrarily, this time we were going do the simulated teaching individually. Moreover, I was the first student to do the simulated teaching in my class. I was so nervous since I never experience to be the first one to present individually in any presentation for the whole of my life.

For the simulated teaching, we were assigned to teach the upper level students like college or either lower or upper secondary level. Due to that case, I decided to teach and focus on the character traits of Antigone for this assignment. I have divided my teaching into three parts excluding the set induction. In my set induction, I ask the students to listen to the song ‘We are the champion’ by Queens since I want the students to relate the spirits and desirable besides the determination that we feel if we are so serious in doing something that we want which is similar to what Antigone felt and character traits. In the first activity that I have planned, the students need to read the extract and underline the modal verbs in the extract that I have given them. They then have to note what is the verbs that they have underlined indicates. Next, the students need to fill in the table, the possible character traits of Antigone in the extract that they have read. I then ask the students to write the differences in the character traits of Antigone and Ismene. In this activity, the students are allowed to use the evidences in the other parts of the text. In the last activity, the students need to write a letter to Haemon, as if they are Ismene. In the letter, they need to tell about Antigone traits that they could not stop any longer or prevent her from doing something that can cause her to death. They also need to include their thoughts and feelings as they want Haemon to advise Antigone.

However, I was quite down when Dr Edwin says that my 2 (b) activity does not really relate to the previous activity. In addition to that, I did not have the opportunity to redo my lesson plan like some of my friends have done because he advised me to concentrate to other assignments. But then, I was quite satisfied since I have done my job while many of friends still being worry and nervous waiting for their turn. As a matter of fact, I was actually happy with the marks that I get. Overall, simulated teaching is something indeed a lesson to me to learn of besides taking it as one of the preparation of my real teaching which is soon going to be.

Pygmalion

I have heard about Pygmalion since I was in the foundation course which is about three or four years ago. In addition to that, my juniors in the Temenggong Ibrahim’s Teachers Trainee Institute used to do the performing of the novel Pygmalion and that should makes me knows the novel better. However, it never happed to me. I seemed like to know nothing about Pygmalion except for that there is Eliza in the novel and she is a flower girl. I was so lucky that my classmates and I were assigned to watch the movie through the EDU 3217 and this time, I get to know the real thing, what is actually happened in the novel. Besides watching the movie Pygmalion, we are supposed to learn the novel too.

As we learnt and watch Pygmalion, I felt that this novel is quite humorous compared to King Lear, Anike or Antigone in the way that Eliza is not so used to the new environment that she wants to be fit in. When we watched the movie, I guessed that it was so funny at the part when Eliza was shouting and scared as Mrs Pearce scrub and bathed her. Of course, I did not really understand her language and it is in fact quite funny to know that there are people like Eliza in the English society. Well, aren’t all the English people supposed to speak better than us, where English Language is only a second language?

Next, I also learn from the novel that it is so hard change and be something so unfamiliar and different from whom we really are. As we can see from the character Eliza when she does picks up the new style and language but she is actually speaking like a robot that just memorize and no nothing of what she is talking about at all. However, I still cannot see the romantic part in the novel that Dr Edwin has mentioned in the class. May be I should read the novel again or look for some information more about Pygmalion from the Internet.

I then realised that in the novel, there is element of discriminations of woman in the novel as what we can see through the treatment of Higgins towards Eliza. If I was Eliza, I will also choose Freddy rather than Higgins. I said this because what actually a woman need is a respect and not to being treated ‘Barbie dolled’ or an experiment that have no feelings at all. Honestly, in this case, I am a bit being feminism. May be it due to my education background where I used to study in a girls’ school and my siblings are all girls. Hahhahaha……

Pygmalion is indeed something to me to learn besides the interesting side that it has provided.

Antigone

At the first time that we were asked to read the play Antigone, I think I do not really understand the language of the play. Luckily, we have watched the theatre of the play Anike. So, I tend to get some idea of what Antigone is all about as it is in fact merely the same as Anike and as a matter of fact, Anike is just another Malaysian version of Antigone. I was lucky too as Dr Edwin helped a lot in understanding the play. Well, there is also religious part included in the play which is obviously I do not understand and have no knowledge at all of stuffs like Tiresias.

As we read and learn the play, I get to know the characters and the theme of the play better. In this play, the main character, Antigone is going against the rule of Creon by giving her brother a proper burial. She has a sister whom is different from her as Ismene is so obedient and act like any other woman at that time besides being a rationale to the situation contrast to Antigone. However, we get to see that both do love and care about each other. Antigone falls from a princess title to a traitor of the law. We then can see the weakness in the character traits of Creon although he actually presents a powerful king. I said that he is weak because he could not bear with Antigone that is just doing the right thing for her brother. Creon is seen as a person that takes law and justice to safe his status. Well, how could a girl be so brave and betray a king’s law? Again, the atmosphere of woman being dominated is clear in the play. We can see that it is obvious if we analysed the play especially Ismene’s lines.

Honestly, to me, Antigone is quite a boring play because it is so serious since it is mainly about again, serious problems and theme where there are many people died in the play besides the tragic part of it. I was so glad and relief that we have finished doing this play.

King Lear

Finally! We have finished study King Lear! What a relief! Honestly, it was so boring. However, it is actually interesting indeed. In a way that it has something that should be learnt to by any students especially TESL students as it is a necessity for them and me in order to be a better person.

I do not even know what actually King Lear is about when we first were asked to buy the book by Dr Edwin and I thought it would be more interesting than some of Shakespeare’s pieces of arts such as Midsummer Nights’ Dream, which have I studied before. However, I then found out that it is in fact different but there are conflicts that involving parent in both plays; Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear.

In King Lear, it is obvious that both Lear and Gloucester have been blind and make a false decision and their weakness has been taken granted by their children. In this play too, we can see that the role of the wheel of fortune in our life does takes its place and role. I said this because I can see that it is true that sometimes we can be at the highest place or hierarchy in our life but then, there are times when we move or go down and own nothing compared to what we used to have. As we can see in this play, Lear at the beginning is the most powerful person, as everybody has to follow what his rule is. For example, when he banished Kent and Cordelia, nobody can question what he said. But we then see that he has no power at all and it turn worse when he could not even have many men to follow him as Goneril against it.

Lastly, I was hoping that we could watch the movie or video of the play King Lear so that I would see and understand it better. Besides that, it will also be more interesting.

open text

What is an ‘open text’? As what I understand, it is called open text because it help the director in a drama or play as he can do whatever he want the text or speech or dialogue be read by the actor. Well, if it is not an open text, the director has to follow what have the scriptwriter planned. In the text, the speaker can be anybody. There is no rule that needs a specific person to read it as there is no name or gender of character is written. There is also no stage direction in the text. Again, the director has the opportunity to do anything as what he wishes it to be.

All these years of learning, I never realise that there are such dialogue like open text until the day my classmates and I were assigned by Dr Edwin to read some lines in the book, ‘Now Read On’. I still remember the day; it was Monday, 15 January 2007. At first, we were asked to read those lines for quite a few times according to any mood that we like. My partner, Adibah bt Abdul Latip and I, tried to read the lines several times with different ways of pronunciations and moods. Besides that, we tried to make it so real as we even volunteered to present in front of the class. Earlier, I was confused of how to pronounce those lines differently because there was no reference how to do it at all. But then, I was quite happy at that time because our presentation was good and most of the students enjoyed and laughed when we do the presentation.

Personally, I like the way Dr Edwin taught the open text stuffs to us because he some kind had let us experienced the learning and it is somehow had helped me to remember the key words, the criteria of open text as I had to relate it to myself when I personally practices and do the presentation.

Macbeth

Macbeth

Before I watched the movie Macbeth, I never knew what actually the play Macbeth is all about. I always get confuse between Macbeth and Oedipus, the one that kill his father and get married to his own mother. To be honest, I never read Macbeth so, thanks to Dr Edwin for giving me a chance to watch this fabulous movie.

The first thing that attracts me most is the person that acts as Macbeth was absolutely handsome and good looking! I think most of my friends would agree with me.

Next, from what have I get from the play Macbeth, I think prophecy does play a big role in a person’s life. It is obvious from the character Macbeth himself as we can see that he was actually so cool, brave, strong, and the best warrior that he could even fight with so many people yet he was still alive and survive while many of his opponents had already died. However, the minute he got to know that he was fighting with Macduff which he had been told before that he only can be defeated by those that are not birth through the natural way by their mother; he turned to a total different and weak fighter although he had almost made Macduff met with death.

In addition to that, Macbeth would not have killed the king and best friend if he does not believe in prophecy, here again; I think that we are actually the one who decides our future and fate, and not those witches or prophecies. Yet, if we are so into the fate and prophecy, it then can turn to be a part of us and it even sometimes can destroy ourselves as what had happened to Macbeth.

I think this art of Shakespeare had something that all of us should know and learnt. It is just the way that we see it differently and we take it differently from other. As a matter of fact, we are different in our own way! I think Macbeth is something that is not so boring and good to be watch and learn.

Shakespeare Walla

At the first time I heard about Shakespeare Walla, I thought the movie contains of collections of Shakespeare’s play like Midsummer Nights’ Dream, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and etc. I never thought that it would be something that involving those people in Indian until it was mention by Dr Edwin before my classmates and I were given a task to watch that movie.

The next thing that I found out is I used to guess that Walla is another kind of Shakespeare’s language just like any other words in his play until a friend of mine mention that she found in the internet that Walla is an English words and it means dedication of life to something as if you’re a slave to it. Another friend of mine said that she found out that the director of Shakespeare Walla defines Walla as a Hindustani word which means a small-time operator or anyone closely identified with something.
In this movie, the Buckingham family is the one who dedicates their lives to Shakespeare’s pieces of arts.

Shakespeare’s play seems to be everything for Buckingham’s family lives. They even rely only on acting Shakespeare’s play for living. Shakespeare Walla is a story of the Buckingham’s family that loves Shakespeare’s play so much. They become like nomad and never settle down in a place for so long since they want to perform the play almost every place in India. Something that I keep question is why are these people performing Shakespeare in India? A place Shakespeare not belongs to. If I were in the Indian people shoes at that time, I will too watch Hindi movie rather than Shakespeare. Plus, I would understand Hindi movie better than Shakespeare.

I also think that Sanju is an example of a man that does not appreciates arts and values and that is why he is a playboy and does not stick with one women; either Lizzie or Manjula. Lizzie has made a good decision by going back to London as Sanju never gives an answer to her although she is willing to do anything for him. To me, it is somehow just like the Buckingham, where they are willing to do anything to perform Shakespeare in India but nobody wants to watch it as what it used to be. They don’t know the value of Shakespeare in their society.