Book Review: tuesdays with Morrie

Name of the book: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Book genre: Philosophical fiction

 

This book reminds me of my parents, teachers, lecturers and students from whom I have learnt to live and be a good human being in life and throughout. It made me come an inch closer to understanding the meaning of life and that material wealth brings nothing more than a stressful life. 

 

On this special day, I dedicate this book to all my teachers –with the message Happy Teachers Day and to remember the Father of Modern Bhutan, the Great Third, who embarked Bhutan to the outside world with modern educational reforms. 

 

Tuesday with Morrie, a book read and loved worldwide is one of my favorites. It is about a wonderful professor’s reflection of life on –death, aging, marriage, family, love, society and forgiveness as he walks towards his inevitable death journey. 

 

Morrie becomes Mitch’s immediate mentor, that one person in life you have endless admiration and turn for knowledge and advice to. Mitch promises he will stay in touch but doesn’t.

 

Fifteen years later, Morrie falls sick with an incurable illness, ALS. Mitch has settled in Detroit and become a successful sports journalist. Although he had gathered countless money and material wealth, he doesn’t seem happy and satisfied with his life. 

 

In 1995, Ted Koppel interviews Morrie on ABC’s nightline and Mitch sees him on the show. He decides to contact him and travels to Morrie’s place. Having not seen each other for the last 16 years, Mitch freezes. He has no words when Morrie hugs him and said, my old friend, “You have come back at last.”   

 

Morrie tells him that he is dying soon. So Mitch starts visiting him every Tuesday. They decide to hold their talks like a class. Their subject is, “the meaning of life.” 

 

On their first Tuesday, they talk about the world. Mitch notices a pile of newspapers in Morrie’s room. Mitch asks his professor, “do you bother keeping up with news?” To this, Morrie says, “Do you think that’s strange?” Do you think that since I am dying, I shouldn’t care what happens in this world?”

I was much touched by the chapter “family” and “the fear of aging.” Morrie points out how material possessions –money, power, strength, fame and title can’t replace your loved ones. According to Morrie, people who protect you is more important than anything else after all you will be taken care by your family and the loved ones and not by the money or the power you hold in the office. 

 

In their last class they say "good-bye" to each other. It was the sad moment to both of them and to the readers as well. Their final good-bye give a real human touch. He finally dies to avoid tears. But he also made me cry as well.

 

I was utterly touched by how Mitch puts it. “A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops.” 

 

Someday, I hope to meet a Morrie of my own. 

 

Please, do not forget to read this book in your lifetime even if you cannot be like Morrie and his student. It shows the power of relationships between teacher and student. But, above all, it gives the endless life lessons. 

Open Letter

Somewhere, someone told me "a stitch in time saves nine." I want to stitch you in time and save you from any danger. So, I am passing it to you today with concern and with the message work smartly, if you want to wrap your achievement at high end.  

I say you over again because I have hope in you. You are the only hope because you have the ability to reach very far and wide. You can reach the place of your choice that no one has reach in our family but only if you thoroughly keep working hard. I will tell you, things won't come that easy. Nothing is easy. Remember, things that comes easy don't last long and is never valued well in life. You need to sweat. You need lots of sacrifices. No matter what, you need to keep your high end spirit lighted 24/7. You have all the ability and skills to rise above the far hills, the Moroccan hills that you see in your dream. But, I will tell you it's not easy to reach that dream land. The land of fantasy. The land of destiny.

In the process of pushing you forward, I have scolded you, I have rediscovered you, I have put you down in several occasions and we even had irrevocable and though conversation and I have been harsh –beyond what you have imagined. If you remember well, I have used different techniques to arouse your energy, thinking that you will change for the better and harder so that your far dream would come closer vis-à-vis soon. But it isn’t happening the way it is expected from you. I also know it is not so easy to work harder like you are doing today. More than anyone else, I know you are working so hard risking every bit of your life and health but it’s not enough. Remember there are thousands of equally budding and able students like you. They all are having the same hope and dream like you have. Remember to put up the elite challenge so that you can survive well anywhere. Remember, you are competing amongst the finest brain of Bhutan, I call them cream. It is all the tough competition you are actually putting up this year. I know you are taking such cool journey that will sure to make you a gentle man someday –"risk or you will be thrown out from the race." But it is the only way forward to accomplish your passion and the dream. Remember, I told you I love that lens.

Remember, I wouldn't have pushed you, if I think you don't have that ability and the skills, the right potential. I am pushing you forward because I know you have that potent, skills to conquer from your competitor, you just need to polish your skills and ability so that you can shine like diamond someday. You need to work hard, constantly and smartly. I have been through your stage not so long time. I know how it it to be covered by such a selfish books. I know the contents of the book so well. When that voluminous and cumbersome with concepts of physics after chemistry after mathematics hit your 1.34kgs of brain cells, it is hard to resist and forget about its application, its action become so forgetful before you hit your head over your stinking pillow. It is extremely hard and challenging. But, it has everything. I will promise you, it is possible. You will going to enjoy your end goal –probably seven years down.

Remember, you would love to see your end result if you could come victorious, stand above all. That's what we are looking for these many years.

You are the last hope we have in our family. We were born unfortunate in many ways than one and we still have the time to change the clock of hope to a right direction. You still have the opportunity to turn back the clock to zero gravity and restart with hope. Especially, you carry a big dream of papa and our mothers. But I don't mean other do not cares about you. Perhaps, everyone –far relatives to family have the same hope and expectation especially from you. Because you are the hero and still are the hero, you have been doing so well so far. You are the last piece of hope and aspiration. You are the dream. Remember more than anybody else, I carry more hope and expectation from you. Because I know the best part of you. You have that ability and skills to rise above that hill. You have come this far. You don't dear to give up at this moment so easily with few failures and obstacles. Despite you trying so well, you may be feeling irritated at times when I say all these things. I am saying it out of my love and concern for you as a big brother. At times I feel pity on you because I see you working so hard and sacrificing many important things. But, I must also tell you, it's not enough. Don't ever lose your consistency, spirit and target so easily. Pace is what you need for everything. Learn to be competitive. You give a real try at least for few more months with your dedication and personal sacrifices, you are sure to win the race.

You have the choice to be you –"you want to be you, not everybody else."

Child Adoption Dilemma –II

In my earlier post, I stated the "One child One teacher" initiative was a personal initiative of the PM, Tshering Tobgay. This initiative basically was to empower and support students in their academic improvement, behavioral changes, enrich psycho-social support, strengthen teacher-student bonding, instill the sense of belongingness to school and guide them to be a responsible citizen.

 

The motive of one child one teacher initiative was extremely beneficial but at the same time it is extremely sensitive. I said sensitive because if I happen to adopt a girl child, it may inflame endless concern to her parents and to others at large. It may fetch the teacher being so biased and judgmental among students and staff as well.  Any conclusion can be made. 

 

"Unfortunately not everyone is as lucky as you. Not everyone is lucky in love. Not everyone is blessed to have both the parents and not everyone is as lovable as you."

Image:Facebook page.
Ms. Sonam Tshomo

Although she was new to the school. Lawfully, I chose to shelter Sonam Tshomo from the science stream for 2015-2016. 

 

Initially, I did not have much idea on how to go on with this new initiative but as time passed by everything turned out to be fine. We progressed with time. Time matured us. As her subject teacher, I used to meet her on a daily basis. We used to discuss topics such as the meaning of life, good human being, time management and the face of changing the world in between chemistry lessons, which bonded us as a family member. 

 

During her stay in school, I couldn't be as useful and resourceful as expected by her. I couldn't fulfill all her expectations and the wishes. But I've given her a special room to call someone as her adopted teacher, or parent. I have been very professional in dealing and supporting her in times of need and I assisted my helping hand as a subject teacher to perform well in my subject and beyond. 

 

More importantly, I always tried to be a good human being by maintaining utmost professional conduct and ethics. We have always maintained a healthy teacher-student relationship. The good news was, she never had troubled me and I hope she does the same to her parents as well. I felt our teacher-student bond was made in heaven. 

 

Currently she is pursuing her nested degree in "Food Science and Technology" at College of Natural Resources (CNR), Lobesa. I am happy she is doing well in her studies and in her life. More than me, this is happy news for her parents. I find she is the true daughter of "Pelden Drukpa." 

 

I wish our teacher-student relationship to flourish and remain healthy for ages to come. I wish her to remain decent for eternity. I wish her to be a good human being in all her endeavours. I wish her to pursue dream –beyond her mama's expectation. I am lucky to have you as my adopted girl student. 

 

If we think we can, we can do it. Be Happy Always. 

 

                                                    Happy Reading                                        

                                                              

                                                               ***

Birds help in sustaining our environment

By virtue, we humans have ensconced a hierarchy among all the beings due to which we tend to take a lot of things for granted, ignoring just to fulfill our selfish motives. If the trend continues the day isn’t far when we will prove the cliché, “when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then we will realize that one cannot eat money.” One such thing we never care to think twice about are birds that accommodate this planet along with us. A lot of us don’t know the significance of birds in our daily lives like its ecological importance, scavenging to assist farmers, a natural propagator and serving as a tool of science to diagnose the health of our environment.

By far, birds are best understood component of our natural world due to its historic significance and sustaining our daily environment. It is time we must unite together with reliable statistics on how to protect bird species by safeguarding their habitats. It is time for all of us to ‘think globally, act locally’, for the continuity of our environment. 

Why is counting of birds so important? It is because birds tell us a lot about the health of our environment. Like the White–bellied heron already on the edge of extinction has already posed serious concern for viable environment and the fate of the ecosystem is already at risk.

   

Birds are insistently migrating to uncommonly altitudes signaling to relentless destruction of its natural habitats. Like intensive agriculture and urbanization are the outstanding drivers for the cause. However, these all can be easily overcome but only through the active service of mankind.

Birds keep farmers in their farm business intact by providing helping hand to control different pests. As a son of a farmer –I have personally seen different birds safeguarding potato and orchards field from insect devastation. For which there are no safe pesticides that can kill these insects. Birds also perhaps do the least services of eating dead bodies of insects and animals thus controls different diseases.  Birds also add advantages for effective pollination and help in free shipping of different seeds to different location.

Researchers often use different birds to predict the health of our ecosystems, check wetlands health to radioactive contagion. Recently scientists have also use birds to study the effect of global heating.

However, for better or worse, economic arguments always hit more political concern but never about good environment. I feel bird’s life matter in a similar manner like how a single bolt and nut matters to the success of car running. 

Birds are nature’s greatest expression of grace and beauty. Which keeps our ecosystem in balanced for all time? And as hierarchical being we should always strive to maintain the balance, if not we will end up with William Wordsworth expression ‘what man has made of man.’

Child Adoption Dilemma

Does it make sense to you? Is it going to work? Is it going to help in reshaping the behaviors of someone's child with someone's adoption?

The idea of the "One child One teacher" was a personal initiative of His Excellency Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. It came as an order for all the schools to look for the leeway to adopt a child each, or more by the school teacher compulsorily. I was shocked. Child was shocked. Indeed, everyone was shocked. What is a Child Adoption? Whom to adopt? Why adopt someone's child? What are the basic rules to adopt a child? Do the acting parents need to produce legal certification from the court? In fact, the initial idea of child adoption had confused all of us thoroughly. 

Honestly, it took a long time to convince people working in the Ministry of Education –both teachers and students about this new initiative. Not to forget the biological parents –especially some literate parents felt not so fine. It wobbled them. But the majority of uneducated parents were unaware of this change being in the limelight. It made no difference for them. 

I saw many grievances being passed through social media and other platforms on this matter, some verily liked the idea and many were against this idea. This issue has erupted from both  parents and the teachers. More intelligent and clever parents felt that their child might be taken away by the acting parent (teacher) after their schooling, or once they get into a job. This isn't fair was the initial concern. On the other hand, teachers who need to act as a parent felt that this program would further bring them unnecessary workload, burden and so on…

We saw our parents worried so much at the same time it worried teachers back in the school too with this and that misconception. 

But let me tell you the actual purpose of the child adoption program (2015). We believe in providing quality education and branding our students to be innovative, enterprising and trustworthy citizens. The Ministry also felt that it is time to make a combined effort to ensure that every child in the school is safe. Under this initiative each teacher takes up the parenthood of one, or more students and supports them in academic improvement and some behavioral changes. 

From 2015 on, I've been acting as an adopted parent to many students. I finally could learn something from this initiative. 

I feel good to be a part of this program now. I feel lucky to have so many students who can refer to me as "My Adopted parent" even though I was not worthy. In the year 2015, I adopted one student as my adopted child (Sonam Tshomo from class XII science). However, in the following year school came with the brand new "pastoral care" idea and every staff needed to adopt at least 14 to 15 students, meaning school staff (both teaching and support staff) have adopted all the students. No student was left without adoption. This basically had created a better and lively environment for all of us and –beyond. 

In the year 2017, I took the charge of 16 students of different classes and guided them in academic enhancement and helped some in coping up with stress and emotion and other daily affairs. The best part was, I found each child amazing and unique.

Wangchen Dorji and I

However, for 2018 again we've reversed our child adoption policy back to one. We came back with this idea basically to focus on one child's development by providing quality time. For which I have adopted Mr. Wangchen Dorji of class XIE.

Wangchen Dorji and I had a twist of fate. I taught him in class IX. But due to some reasons he left Zhemgang CS and joined Yebilaptsha CS and completed his class X. He luckily qualified and he is back to Zhemgang CS. I'm happy for him. When he was in class IX, I scolded him, I even knocked him several times for not doing his work and punished for not obeying me. But sadly I didn't seek to understand his problem. 

However, what I've found new in him was, he wasn't that same Wangchen of 2015. He has changed top to bottom. He became handsome and more mature, he started to know his being in many ways and not to forget he also improved in his academic discipline. I started to feel he is a very special and talented boy from his class. He is always a hero for his father and to me as well now. 

As much as his father is concerned, now I hope to help him excel in his behaviors, passion for games and academic performance as well. I hope and pray he can become a role model not only for his father but also for the whole school. I don't want him to quit his academic life. 

The Life of a Bell Girl

In the fall of 1996, I first heard the sound of school bell as a little naughty boy. Thereafter, my life is all bound with bell as a student and now as a school teacher. In fact I've been hearing the bell sound for almost 1/3 of my life and how many more years to go is still a mystery. 

"Do you know Zhemgang CS has a bell girl?"

Bell Girl of ZCS for 2018

Let me introduce her –she is Ash Rani Subba. Student of XII Commerce and she is from Samtse District. Before coming to Zhemgang CS, she has studied in her hometown school. 

Although Zhemgang lies hundreds of miles away from her birthplace, which is hemmed behind mountains and the powerful Mangduechu following downhills. She picked this place to pursue her higher secondary schooling.   

I have seen our girls not willing to take such a hectic and nuisance responsibility boldly like her. Our girls turn down their face from bell ringing business because it is a cheap post. Even during my early school days, I did not see any girl coming out to be the bell captain. 

Many feel that bell captain should be a boy. This is our notion and intuition. Memories then were fresh of those rough boys taking up such heavily timed duty of ringing the bell.

In traditional Bhutanese society, ringing a bell has its own purpose and significance. We use bell during occasions like prayers, rituals and ceremonies. People also ring bell while entering into temples and monasteries with pride and honor to connect themselves with the God. 

Back in the school, it serves many purposes like wake up boarder students, guide students on study hours and change in periods during the day. It also marks the end of the day. 

Despite being a girl and a class XII student, she still chose to ring the school bell. She still chose to sacrifice her few minutes from her study and teaching schedule each day is a sign of great concern and love for the post. 

I know it require tones of positive energy to be someone like her because this job responsibility demand someone to be very highly efficient and trustworthy. Defect of one press and one minute delay would definitely bring many dispute, fury and frustration among people working in the campus. Thus, she needs to be very mindful, reliable and astute.    

For a long time, school follow a bell ringing system to discipline students and staff working in the campus. And bell controls every activities that happens within the school.

In my school she is one most important and powerful lady, she is the boss. She controls every moment of the school activities –class hours to meals and sporting to study.

  

If someone ask me about the best part of ZCS smooth flow in time, I can proudly say, my school has a bell girl. I wish her many successful life. I pray her success to be vast like the ocean. She is not only our bell boss. But also our Role Model. 

  

Bell Girl

BELLBOY JOKE

There was a church that has a bell that no one could ring. One day, a boy came and asked the priest if he could try. He went up into the tower and ran straight into the bell face-first. The bell tolled loud and clear. The priest gave him the job.

One Sunday, the boy ran straight toward the bell with his face and missed, so he fell off the tower and died.

“Congregation,” the priest said before the assembled masses. “Does anybody know this boy's name? I don't know him, but his face rings a bell.”

Source: http://jokes.cc.com/funny-god/qg3e9q/bellboy

Hope of Education

I wasn’t surprised by Kuensel headline, dated April 2nd on ‘teachers will require master's degree in the 12th plan.’ But doing away with teacher licence system has surprised me more. I was more confused now. I was confused with uncommon reason. If they feel teacher come out with licence to teach. Then why teacher licence in education blueprint. Because education blueprint serve as a bible for ministry. Whatever happens has to happen within the periphery of the blueprint.  

Why this concern at wrong time when we have already lost enough qualified and dedicated teachers from the field? 

High quality teachers are must. But not necessarily a teacher licence system will find better option for the job, job of a teacher, job within the four walls of the classroom. Is our teaching job an admirable enough for anyone wishing to join teaching force? Do teaching job have enough salary to match all those series of test and exams?

Obviously Finland has the finest education system in the world. It is not because of teacher licence system. Teaching job in Finland is one of the most sought after career because they have everything in place –right kind of curriculum to policies in place. Salary and teachers welfare are the prime concern. Not to forget world class building structures and smart classroom setting are what they have for so long. The one thing I like about Finland education system is everyone regard teaching job as the most important job. High academic performer with high aptitude opt to become a teacher. It is all due to salary and job reputation. Teaching profession are the noblest job in Finland. 

2013 survey showed that Finland has a very high retention rate for teachers, almost about 90% of trained and qualified teachers remain in the profession until retirement. They have a curriculum which support creativity and innovation. Their curriculum serves the daily purpose. And usually their curriculum changes on need base and not like ours. I still could remember how I was made to remember 'Maasai Herders of Tanzania are the most backward people –they are hunters and live in jungle which was not true and Cocoa cultivation in Ghana –as if India don't cultivate.' Now I have realized enough that Tanzanian and Ghanaian people are far better than us. A cow boy of Tanzania own iPhone even before we knew Apple Company was there. We only knew Apple which fell on Newton's head through Physics subject. Isn't it eerie?

Are our trained teachers not capable to teach our students in the school? Are they not teaching professionals? Aren’t our teachers certified to teach? It seemed our teachers have learnt only about stones and walls during their training periods. Because our teachers are underrated. What more than this? Is it that they deserve a licence for their poor conduct as a teacher? 

What is teacher licence? Why teacher licence system when we don't have enough trained and qualified teachers in the field? I feel we still have very unbalanced teacher - student ratio in the field and we still demand for teaching licence. What next?

I feel one way it is good to introduce teacher licence system to better off our education quality. But where are we heading? Do teaching job have enough salary to match all those changes and high demands of –lesson plan, child adoption, planning, preparation, assessment of the students, making of teaching learning materials, games and sports etc... If our government was concern about education they must have done it FIVE year before. Now who will bother about ministry’s vision of retaining teachers on wrong time. This is absolutely foolish. It don't make any sense to me. 

How many teachers have been enrolled in master program so far? Aren't we failing the vision 2022 of teacher master qualification requirement? 

What our ministry have done so far to retain our teachers in the field. Is it the hope of master degree that is still holding back our teachers in the field? Or is it that five days summer workshop keeping them back in the school? 

I have one piece of suggestion to the ministry of education –send those high academic performer and someone with high aptitude to pursue education training and not bad ones, if Bhutan wanted to be like Finland ten years from now. Otherwise, stop teacher licence business. It's not a profitable affairs at all. 

Read: http://ncee.org/what-we-do/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/finland-overview/finland-teacher-and-principal-quality/

Cross – Country Race

Cross – country race is a running race on open air courses over natural terrain such as muddy to grass, slope to straight and uphill to downhill. This race can be run by both men and women of all ages. This running race is one of the disciplines under the umbrella sport of athletics. The natural terrain version of long-distance running competitions and its rules and regulations has emerged in Britain. This event is a real test for the tough nerve and a diligent heart.  

The formal cross country competition traces its history to the 19^th century and an English game called “hare and hounds” or “the paper chase.” Initially English schools started this competition way back in 1837 and finally could established a national championship on 7 Dec, 1867.  The competition was held on Wimbledon Common in south-west London. The first ever Olympic was held back in 1912. During this Olympic, Sweden took home the gold medal.  

Although this discipline of sport was existed there for a long time but far –beyond our dream until we planned to give it a try for this academic year. In fact, the history was made in Zhemgang CS for hosting such a rare event, the event of hope and dream for an aspiring runners in near future. Perhaps this race is first of its kind here in the District. This was possible due to the collective work put forward by our management team, staff and students. 

Almost all the schools and other organizations has very rich idea for a usual marathon as well as a rich running experience but not many has the experience to run this running discipline. This run requires lots of determination, strength, power, technique and energy. The participant needs to be absolutely fine and efficient. While participants can run in any way they like within the track -one can run, march, walk, even crawl to complete this race. 

The school has organized this particular run event to devil the challenges of changing times. School always believes in providing the highest level of knowledge and experience. Not to forget academics are given the utmost and the highest priority within the dimension of 21st century pedagogy.  

We hope this event in particular would have given our student participants a rich take home knowledge and experience. We hope to see our students participating more in such rare event in future from any place of work. 

School congratulate to all the winners and participants for making this event a grand success and memorable in many ways. The winners of the race took home some handsome cash prizes. Nevertheless, the day's program ended with serving of chilly refreshment to sumptuous lunch for all the staff and students gathered to make a day. We hope more such life thrilling and uncommon event to take place hereafter. Indeed, school has many of such events in pipeline.