Should teachers blog?
Today have a fairly fruitful day. In the morning, went for a haircut at Redhill...$6.90 barber..haha...the only time I have a cheaper barber is during my NS days..then visited my grandpa...thank God he is healthy, despite his medical history.
Reached back home by 11... went on net, when my ex-teacher (now my somewhat mentor) msned me, asking me to read the newspapers regarding teachers who blogs... I'm glad to have such a mentor-friend, who prepares me and gives me sound advice in my life ahead... she asks me to be careful with what I say..students or the public can complain against teachers over the tiniest matters...
So I went out and got a copy of Sunday Times from a nearby shop. As I read the papers, 2 articles strike me strongly. The first article is "Teachers in a blog spot", about the public response with teachers' blogging. The 2nd one is "Secret lives of S'pore teens", about Singaporean teens having sex. I'm very surprised by these 2 articles.
For the response on the first article, some people say that teachers shouldn't blog. They must have a code of professional ethics. If they complain to other people their job, it do not seem right, as they are considered to be role models. For this, I feel that why it is good that teachers blog.
(1) We feel young, at least in tune with the present generation.
(2) Students or other people will know that teachers are people with feelings, not just robots or actors on stage. We are as real as they are.
(3) When I read blogs of people, I feel that many of the blogs are filled with negative contents, such as insults, vulgarities, bursts of angers, complains, catfights... shouldn't there be more blogs to emphasize on good values too?
(4) A good role model shouldn't hide his/her struggles. In fact they should share them appropriately, so that people can learn from them, or they may be others with similar struggles writing on to encourage the bloggers.
However, there are some things that teacher bloggers should take note.
(1) Never use blogs to complain about students, or to hit back at them. Blogs should be a vehicle to encourage and edify, not to put down or any political agenda.
(2) Never disclose too much about your school, esp the structure and internal stuffs... we have a code of conduct. If we have anything to complain about the school management and structure, I suggest we should kick the cat next door for instant gratification. Blogging about such stuffs serves only to fan the forest fire even more.
(3) There's no need to disclose too much of your personal life. Come on, we are not full-time celebrities. We need our privacy.
(4) no vulgarities. Even try not to write things like %#$%#%@#%@%@# :)
In respsonse to the 2nd article, I'm not surprised to hear teenage sex on the rise. Even in army, I hear of some of my platoon mates having sex with people during their teenage years. However, I am alarmed at the numbers that are quoted in the article. In one survey of 500 teens, 1/4 people had sex. The average age of Singaporeans having sex for the first time is 18.4. In Singapore, the average marrying age is 30 for men, 27 for women. If you put all these statistics together, you will wonder how many people have premarital sex at least once in their lives? Alarming isn't it?
I personally feel that pre-marital sex is strictly no-no. If I love that someone, I will wait till marriage. I know of ladies who have sex with their so called boyfriends just becoz their boyfriends say they love them. But the ladies feel so "cheap" in the end after that when their boyfriends leave them... But I will juz remind youths that sex does not equate to love. In a BGR, sex without other commitments does not equate love. In fact, it only shows lust. For a strong relationship, commitments, responsibilities, honouring the bodies of each other, care, concern, respect also place great importances. That's why marriage is the only institution that enables all these values to take place, and it is the only safe harbour should a new born come into this world. I have known of teenagers who admit having 6-7 relationships and they are only sec 3! Is this a product of our sex-crazed media, lack of sexuality education from schools and families, or something worse than that?
Then in the afternoon, went church, and took care of the sunday school children.Shared with them on Jesus walking on water. Very fun to be with them. Played hide and seek, and one leg, and running competitions. Kids are really active. i'm old liao. How to manage them in future? haha. but have fun.
Thank God for an eventful sunday.
Reached back home by 11... went on net, when my ex-teacher (now my somewhat mentor) msned me, asking me to read the newspapers regarding teachers who blogs... I'm glad to have such a mentor-friend, who prepares me and gives me sound advice in my life ahead... she asks me to be careful with what I say..students or the public can complain against teachers over the tiniest matters...
So I went out and got a copy of Sunday Times from a nearby shop. As I read the papers, 2 articles strike me strongly. The first article is "Teachers in a blog spot", about the public response with teachers' blogging. The 2nd one is "Secret lives of S'pore teens", about Singaporean teens having sex. I'm very surprised by these 2 articles.
For the response on the first article, some people say that teachers shouldn't blog. They must have a code of professional ethics. If they complain to other people their job, it do not seem right, as they are considered to be role models. For this, I feel that why it is good that teachers blog.
(1) We feel young, at least in tune with the present generation.
(2) Students or other people will know that teachers are people with feelings, not just robots or actors on stage. We are as real as they are.
(3) When I read blogs of people, I feel that many of the blogs are filled with negative contents, such as insults, vulgarities, bursts of angers, complains, catfights... shouldn't there be more blogs to emphasize on good values too?
(4) A good role model shouldn't hide his/her struggles. In fact they should share them appropriately, so that people can learn from them, or they may be others with similar struggles writing on to encourage the bloggers.
However, there are some things that teacher bloggers should take note.
(1) Never use blogs to complain about students, or to hit back at them. Blogs should be a vehicle to encourage and edify, not to put down or any political agenda.
(2) Never disclose too much about your school, esp the structure and internal stuffs... we have a code of conduct. If we have anything to complain about the school management and structure, I suggest we should kick the cat next door for instant gratification. Blogging about such stuffs serves only to fan the forest fire even more.
(3) There's no need to disclose too much of your personal life. Come on, we are not full-time celebrities. We need our privacy.
(4) no vulgarities. Even try not to write things like %#$%#%@#%@%@# :)
In respsonse to the 2nd article, I'm not surprised to hear teenage sex on the rise. Even in army, I hear of some of my platoon mates having sex with people during their teenage years. However, I am alarmed at the numbers that are quoted in the article. In one survey of 500 teens, 1/4 people had sex. The average age of Singaporeans having sex for the first time is 18.4. In Singapore, the average marrying age is 30 for men, 27 for women. If you put all these statistics together, you will wonder how many people have premarital sex at least once in their lives? Alarming isn't it?
I personally feel that pre-marital sex is strictly no-no. If I love that someone, I will wait till marriage. I know of ladies who have sex with their so called boyfriends just becoz their boyfriends say they love them. But the ladies feel so "cheap" in the end after that when their boyfriends leave them... But I will juz remind youths that sex does not equate to love. In a BGR, sex without other commitments does not equate love. In fact, it only shows lust. For a strong relationship, commitments, responsibilities, honouring the bodies of each other, care, concern, respect also place great importances. That's why marriage is the only institution that enables all these values to take place, and it is the only safe harbour should a new born come into this world. I have known of teenagers who admit having 6-7 relationships and they are only sec 3! Is this a product of our sex-crazed media, lack of sexuality education from schools and families, or something worse than that?
Then in the afternoon, went church, and took care of the sunday school children.Shared with them on Jesus walking on water. Very fun to be with them. Played hide and seek, and one leg, and running competitions. Kids are really active. i'm old liao. How to manage them in future? haha. but have fun.
Thank God for an eventful sunday.
posted by samuel lee at
7:35 PM
1 Comments:
yeah, I agree with you on many points. Esp the part where teachers and blogs. Perhaps teachers can blog, but on more serious issues. I would like to start a team blog soon, so that a group of teachers can write on the same blog and share their experiences in teaching. Wouldn't it benefit everyone?
Secondly, I agree that sex doesn't equate to love. It's such a wrong reason.
Eugene
By
Mathpoint, at Monday, March 27, 2006 2:04:00 PM
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