7:00am
In school, getting ready for class which starts at 7:35am. CARE mantra — “Always be early for class.” It works — gives you time to react to any changes or surprises. Like today. Rain. School assembly cancelled. Class started earlier at 7:20am! Good thing lesson materials and journals were all prepared and ready earlier yesterday!

7:20–9:20am,
Sec 2T1This class has come a long way. BJ is doing a good job as my assistant, getting the class ready for lesson. This class is responding well to the points reward system — get points for what they do right. They are getting lots of points today!

Time to review previous lesson and surprise, surprise! MJ has memorised our “credit card” — CARE’s lesson summary given at the end of lesson as a positive self talk card. He’s beaming like anything. Hey, I feel good!

Today’s lesson activity is going well — it’s pitched just right for them to understand and respond. Students are participating and interacting. Games and competitions always get them. Just have to watch the noise level and ensure the class next door is not disturbed.

End of lesson and response time through journaling. GH is again not writing anything ’cos she has such a hard time writing — but she has started drawing — and that’s good too.

Reminded students to stay back for Club activities in the afternoon.

9:20–11:05am
Break between classes. Quickly scan through the journals for any important messages to reply to or work on. Sometimes students write about their problems and issues — need to handle them in a timely manner. Once students were confident that I take their journals seriously, they went all out to communicate through the journals. Even the non-writers will start to draw and drawings can also say so much. Actually, it’s a very powerful way to connect heart to heart with some students.

School Recess timeTime to get out and mingle with the students at the canteen. We eat and laugh together, sharing small talk and big gossip! A great way to interact with students (& teachers too!) in small groups and build trust and rapport.

11:05–12:50am
Sec 3T1This class is a lot more challenging. Got off on the wrong footing with some of the boys from the beginning of the year and still slowly working my way through the resistance. Things got much better after the June holiday camp though. Just that comparatively, am not getting as far with this group as the other.

TT & HH are unusually quiet today. They are normally so noisy. Must talk to them individually and find out what’s happening. Give them extra points if it’s good.

JJ & LL started a fight in class again. That’s the 4th time they’ve done that this term. Need to refer this couple and the 3 other fighting cocks of the class to the CARE counsellor for group intervention.

The activity is ok, just a bit dampened by the fight. It’s a real challenge to get the whole class participating actively. Never mind, next week will be better!

[note: a class typically has about 40 students, managed by two youth workers and supported by a counsellor]

12:50–2:00pm
Another break before school dismisses. Catch lunch and complete writing the journal response.

2:00–2:30pm
More interaction at the canteen before Club starts at 2:30.

2:30–4:00pm
PowerCharged! Success Club (PSC) — this is about helping motivated students to achieve more than what they could on their own. This club has chosen to work on their NYAA physical requirements today. They have chosen basketball training. Lots of loud, healthy fun, really. Good too, to have volunteers helping as well. The recording of activity is quite a challenge for the students. Have to really help them reflect, process and record what they did. Otherwise, they’ll never get the award!

4:00pm
Club over. Stayed back a little to chat with some students & volunteers. They are interacting very well and volunteer VV has actually helped to surface some issues that student TT is struggling with. Which explains the quiet in class today. Hmm. Need to monitor the situation & keep in touch with VV. If things don’t improve, will have to call the parents next. Sigh.

5:30pm
Home, sweet home. And hit the computer to complete the daily lesson reports before I forget what I did today.

6:00pm
All done for the day. Thankfully, tomorrow’s class starts later at 9:00am.

7:00pm
Phone call from TT. He’s asking for help. Things are not going well at home. Well, switch off the TV and take care of this. Call the counsellor for help too — don’t think I can manage this myself. Thank God, this kind of SOS doesn’t happen everyday!

11:00pm
Finally back from TT’s house. Had a good session with the parents and TT. For now, he’s agreed to stay home and the parents agreed to give him some space. Hopefully, things will improve. Long day, man! Time to hit the bed!


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