INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS BAHASA ANTARABANGSA

LEMBAH PANTAI, 59200 KUALA LUMPUR

PROGRAM IJAZAH SARJANA MUDA PERGURUAN

PISMP TESL JUN 2014

TEACHER AND CURRENT CHALLENGES

(EDU 3093)
ACADEMIC WRITING

NAME : VISALI A/P VIJAYARAJ

I/C NUMBER : 950511-05-5142

LECTURERS’ NAMES : DR CHIN MEI CHIN

SUBMISSION DATE : 8TH MARCH 2018

1.0 Introduction

Our country, Malaysia has made significant strides in our education systems since
independence. Modern teaching styles have been adopted to better meet the needs of the
learners. For instance, teamwork, social skills, and critical thinking are needed much more
today instead of learning things by heart in traditional school subjects. Teachers have no
choice but to adapt their styles to incorporate the new skills together with the traditional subject
areas. Along with this advancement in the education system, teachers, as one of the
stakeholder, plays an important role in imparting the knowledge to the students as well as
shaping their behaviour and attitude for a better future. In this case, all the teachers in this
world may face difficulties in facing the challenges in work especially novice teachers. A novice
teacher is defined as any licensed teacher of record with less than one year of classroom
teaching experience in a school (Arkansas Department of Education, 2014). Basically, they
are fresh out of teaching institutes and still seeking for experience in teaching profession. As
they are new to this field, they might discover that studying environment and working
environment are two different entity. This includes the type of people they meet, the amount
of task given, the working hours, the activities and so on.

For this coursework, two challenges faced by the teacher which are heavy workload
and misbehaviour of the students during the first year of service followed by how she
overcome the challenges are outlined and elucidated. The profile and background of the
teacher and school as well as description of the conduct of interview will be explained briefly
in this discussion. Based on all the information I have gathered through the interview, I will
discuss critically the lesson learned from the challenges of the teacher.

2.0 Profile and background of the teacher

Ajmal Abu Bakar is a male English teacher in a National primary school in Batu Caves,
Selangor. He is 26 years-old and of Malay ethnicity. He completed his Bachelor of Degree in
Tesl at International Languages Campus of Teaching Training Institute. He majors in Teaching
English as the Second language (TESL) and minors in Science. He started his service as a
teacher in April 2016 with 1 year and 7 months of teaching experience.

3.0 Profile and background of the school

Ajmal works in a National primary school in Batu Caves, Selangor. It is a Grade A

school which is situated in the suburban area. The enrolment of students is 1460; 826 girls
and 614 boys which are considered as big scale. The students are mostly from the middle-
class family background. There are 85 teachers and 6 staffs working in that school. The school
has two sessions.

4.0 Conduct of interview

A series of interviews were conducted with Ajmal which includes phone calls and social
media. First, I asked his permission to conduct the interview via phone call on 14th February,
He agreed to be interviewed so I sent him questions. In between, I have spoken to him via
phone calls to clear my uncertainties and ask more questions to get more information
regarding the challenges. The duration of each interview session was about an hour and less.

5.0 Discussion of major challenges and lesson learned

5.1 First challenge- Heavy Workload

Based on the interviews, one of the major challenges faced by Ajmal in his first year of
service is workload given by the English teachers in the school that has nothing to do with
teaching such as handling their relief classes. He had to handle so much extracurricular
activities and paperwork to a point that it hindered him from focusing on teaching. He was
asked to help his English Head of Panel where he must coordinate and review exam questions
and marking schemes, ensure the syllabus, managing the files of the committee, plan and
coordinate student performance improvement programmes without any prior experience as
he is single and has little commitments in life. Ajmal was a class teacher for Year 5 where it
also had its own works to be done. Whenever he has his own free time, he had to fill it up
either with his tasks or tasks of other teachers. He claimed that teaching has never been a
problem for him, but his workdays extend beyond 3 pm and work duties and stress go into
extra time. He has no time for his own works such as preparing his lesson plans and materials
and he must sacrifice his own leisure time.

Besides that, he was instructed to provide training for the pupils who are involved in
English related competitions such as action songs, choral speaking and must train the co-
curricular activities. Even though it feels great to give out his best, there were times he just
can't take it anymore. Because of the heavy workload, he felt so worn out and lost interest to
a point that he felt he could not give his best in teaching the students in his classrooms.

5.1.2 Response to the challenge

Ajmal responded to this problem in so many ways. For instance, he approached a few
experienced teachers in the school to ask their opinion on how they manage heavy workload
in the workplace. Some teachers advised Ajmal to have his personal time where he started to
follow it. For instance, Ajmal attended Zumba classes and go for a movie every Wednesday.
Next, Ajmal took the initiative to seek for suggestions on how to overcome heavy workload on
the Internet. The Internet has been crucial in the evolution of our education system in various
ways (Sharma, 2016). He learned on how to prioritize his workloads where he always put his
own tasks such as completing his lesson plans and materials as the first one to be completed
, how to delegate the tasks with the help of his students where his students complete the
classroom jobs such as taking attendance of the students, setting up the LCD projector, writing
down the day and date through rotation.

5.1.3 Status Quo

Ajmal no longer facing the challenge after the presence of new teachers who recently got
posted to his school. He has overcome the challenge through his responses to the problem.

5.1.4 Lesson Learnt

According to CCEI Newsletter (2017), time management is the thread running through
almost all aspects of teaching — organizing the day, organizing the classroom, deciding how
long and how often to teach various subjects, recording student progress, or keeping time-
consuming behaviour problems to a minimum. However, prioritizing time for personal needs
is recommended to teachers and boundaries should be set up to avoid burnout (Azizi Ahmad,
2017). Novice teachers should pursue activities that they enjoy such as swimming lessons,
hiking, the family time where they can be relaxed and find their own peace. If teachers get
exhausted due to lack of personal care and time, it is possible that the classroom becomes
less effective and efficient. The students in the class can be great helpers to the teachers who
can save their time as well as finishing the classroom tasks effectively (Bubb & Earley, 2004).
Based on the statement above, with the student's help, novice teachers can be stress-free
where they can devote themselves to teaching.

Next lesson is, a novice teacher should have the good rapport with the colleagues, people
in the office and the administration. Novice teachers should not hesitate to ask any questions
or to carry out a difficult task to adapt quickly to your new environment. For example, they
should find themselves a mentor in the school whom they can seek advice and guidance as
well as get to know each other more. Novice teachers should be a part of the social
conversation that is going on at the school as it shows concern towards them (Catapano,
2009). Relationship with colleagues can be a great source of support throughout one’s
teaching career, especially in first few years (Catapano,2009) which helped Ajmal to overcome
his challenge.

5.2 Second challenge- Misbehaviour of the students

The second major challenge that Ajmal faced was the misbehaviour of the students in his
classroom. Students misbehave for various reasons; to seek attention, desire for power, look
for revenge, lack of self-confidence (Ministry of Education Guyana, 2015). Disruptive students
often cause teachers to feel unappreciated, disrespected, and exhausted where Ajmal felt
most of the time in class.

His Year 5 students who are majorly boys are rude, defiant, rowdy and distracting of
others. Some use vulgar words to speak or curse his friend, some tease the other friends with
sexual content, some disturbs others by picking up the fight with them and some even talk
back to him whenever he corrects their mistake. Besides that, the students began to sleep
whenever he starts to teach no matter how interesting the lesson is. Every now and then, he
felt that the students disrupting the flow of lesson and results in frustration among the other
students. He struggled most of the times with these unruly students as he can’t punish them
for their actions. The remaining time would not be sufficient to carry out the activities he has
planned for the student. This problem negatively impacts the learning environment which
made him feel challenged all the time.

5.2.1 Response to the problem.

Ajmal decided to use Canter’s theory of Assertiveness and where he became strict and
firm where he warned the students to behave appropriately in the classroom. He decided on
using non-verbal cues such as five-second stare, being aware of all classroom activities and
using the timeout in his class. He made sure that he follows through with his punishment
Moreover, he monitored closely where he constantly walks around the classroom to check on
students' progress and give personal help when it's needed. This kept the children focused on
the task at hand and keeps them from falling victim to distractions that cause misbehaviour.
Besides that, Ajmal also communicated personally to the misbehaving students where he
started to show interest in the students' lives. The students began to share their personal stuff
day by day which mends the relationship between them.

The challenge that he faced in his first year of service has been settled over the time. As
he decided on using one of the theories learned in IPG which is Canter theory of assertiveness,
the problem was settled one by one.
5.2.2 Lesson learned

The lesson learned is novice teachers should not use punishment as a last resort to shape
a pupil's behavior. Instead of punishing the students, the way of handling the students has to
be firm and strict without laying hands on them.

The Deputy Education Minister, P Kamalanathan (2016) said, “A teacher cannot cause
harm or hurt a pupil, to me that is the main rule, no matter what reason, you cannot lay your
hands on a child, if you have a problematic kid, there are always counselling sessions, there
are always parents, talk to them”. This is because in the old days, when teachers punish their
pupils, parents will accept that as their children making the mistake and the teacher is right.
However, it is not quite the same these days. When teachers punish their pupils, parents would
blame the teacher, sometimes to a point of threatening and eventually violence itself.

Adhering to his words, as proposed by Canter’s theory of assertiveness, it is important to

practice assertiveness discipline for an excellent classroom management. According to
McIntyre (n.d.), assertive discipline is a structured, systematic approach designed to assist
educators in running an organized, teacher-in-charge classroom environment. Conscious use
of non-verbal language is not a show, but rather it makes the effects of individual words
better(Mortazavi,2013). Agreeing with the statement, Teachers who use non-verbal language
properly have a better relationship with their students. Besides that, a novice teacher should
be aware of all activity in the classroom which means paying attention to what is happening in
the classroom “at all times.” and personal communication between a teacher and a
misbehaving student will communicate concern and care by their tone of voice and use of
body language (Silver, 2012)

Next lesson, novice teachers should understand that the family background of a student is
not only the reason for a student to misbehave. A teacher also plays a major reason in the
misbehaviour of a student. Some students want to be the centre of attention who will do
anything to get the teacher to look at them (Linsin,2010). For example, Novice teachers should
create a sense of community in the classroom where establishing a stronger relationship
between the pupils and a teacher. For example, Novice teachers can gather any information
you can on the students in that class, such as their names, hobbies, behaviour in class. This
will help whenever interaction occurs with the students, they will feel significant if you know a
few things about them. Teachers who experience close relationships with students reported
that their students were less likely to avoid school, appeared more self-directed, more
cooperative and more engaged in learning (Dawn, Dona, Daria, Christenson, & Sandra, 2007)
6.0 Conclusion

Beginning teachers enter classrooms today with high expectations for themselves and
for their students. Yet, we know that the first year of teaching is a sobering experience for most
new teachers, and that, over the course of one year, teachers experience a decreased
strength of belief in their own efficacy and in the learning potential of their students (Harris and
Associates, Inc., 1991). Hence, it is essential for the novice teachers to equip self with
adequate skills to meet the expectations of many individuals in the school for the stress-free
career life.

7.0 Reference

Azizi Ahmad. (2017). Heavy workload; stressed-out teachers need help. New Straits
Times, Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2017/04/235 011/heavy-
workload-stressed-out-teachers-need-help

Arkansas Department of Education. (2014). Novice Teacher Mentoring Programme

(pp.1-2). Pine Bluff. Retrieved August 13, 2017 from http://www.arkansased.gov/
public/userfiles/HR_and_Educator_Effectiveness/HR_EducatorEffectiveness/Induction_
Mentoring/NT_Mentoring_Program_FAQS_7.13.15.pdf

Bernama. (2016). Teachers not allowed to hit students, Kamalanathan says, p. 1.

Retrieved from http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/03/1
1/teachers-not-allowed-to-hit-students-kamalanathan-says/

Bubb,S.,& Earley,P.(2004). Managing Teacher Workload.London : Paul Chapman

Publishing

Catapano, J. (2009). Relationship Building with Teacher Colleagues. Retrieved from

TeachHub.com: http://www.teachhub.com/relationship-building-teacher-colleagues

Dawn, D., Dona, P nhbnnbbbgb., Daria, Christenson, & Sandra. (2007). Behaviorally at-risk
African American students: The importance of student-teacher relationships for
student outcomes. Journal of School Psychology, 83-109.

Linsin, M. (2010). 8 things teachers do to encourage misbehavior. Smart Classroom

Management, Retrieved from https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com
/2010/12/04/8-things-teachers-do- to-encourage-misbehavior/
McIntyre, T. Assertive discipline child discipline in the classroom. Behavioradvisor.
com. Retrieved 13 August 2017, from http://www.behavioradvisor.com/Asser
tiveDiscipline.html

Ministry of Education, Guyana. (2015). What are the causes of misbehavior in the
classroom? Guyana. Retrieved August 20, 2017, from http://educationgy.org
/web/index.php/teachers/tips-for-teaching/item/1 675-what-are-the-causes-of-
misbehavior-in-the-classroom

Mortazavi M. Meta-analysis of communication patterns in math learning journal article. Journal

of Educational Technology. 2013; 9(2): 155–64. Persian.

Planning for the New Year | January 2017 CCEI Newsletter. (2017). Cceionline.com.
Retrieved 8 August 2017, from http://www.cceionline.com/newsletters
/January_17.html

Sharma, V. (2016). Importance of Internet in education at schools. KLIENT

SOLUTECH. Retrieved 12 August 2017, from http://www.klientsolutech.com/import
ance-of-internet-in-education-at-schools/

Silver, F. (2012). Why Is It Important for Teachers to Have Good Communication Skills?
Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/important-teachers-good-communication-skills-
10512.html
8.0 Appendix
TEACHER AND CURRENT CHALLENGES QUESTIONNAIRE

The purpose of this questionnaire is to get the information about the teacher's experience in
a primary school after completing the bachelor degree programme at an institute of teacher
education (IPG) in Malaysia. This questionnaire is going to be used for my education subject
coursework assignment which is the EDU3093: Teacher and Current Challenges. Thank you
very much for your response.
* Required

Email address*
ajmalashburn@gmail.com

Background of Respondent
Name (optional)
Ajmal
Age*
26
Gender*
Male
Race*
Malay

Marital status*
Single
Hometown*
Kedah
Name of IPG*
IPBA
Teaching experience (Years and months)*
1 year and 7 months
Subject Major *
English
Subject minor *
Science

School's profile (State school's name)

Type of school*
SK
School location*

Sub-urban
Students enrolment*
1460
Number of Teachers*
85
TEACHER AND CURRENT CHALLENGES QUESTIONNAIRE
The purpose of this questionnaire is to get the information about the teacher's experience in
a primary school after completing the bachelor degree programme at an institute of teacher
education (IPG) in Malaysia. This questionnaire is going to be used for my education subject
coursework assignment which is the EDU3093: Teacher and Current Challenges. Thank you
very much for your response.
Challenges Faced by Novice Teacher
In this section, you are required to provide detail description for each question. You may
allocate more time to answer the questions below. This section will be divided into 3
subcategories (challenges). In each category, please specify and explain in details about the
particular challenge.
Challenge 1
State ONE challenge that you faced as a novice teacher (within the 1st year of teaching).*
Many workloads
Please describe about the challenge stated above*
Everyone (administrators & other teachers) were giving me a lot of works because they think
that I still single and have no other commitments at home. So, i have been given a lot of
positions, i have to train the kids in english related competitions such as action songs, choral
speaking. And also have to train the co-curricular activities. I am also since my first year
posting, until now, a class teacher. Also, every thing the school did that require teacher to
travel, new teachers have to follow (bring the kids for competition, learning trip). And i also
have to do mural at school walls!
How did you face the challenge? Explain in details.*
I did everything that I have been asked to do. But, if i something that I enjoyed such as (action
song/ choral speaking) i will do my best and make sure we win. And we did won! If not
something that i like doing (sports, mural, stupid positions), i did it badly. So that they wont
ask me to do it again in the future.
Did you able to overcome the challenge now? If NO, explain your reason(s).
Yes
What is your next step to overcome the challenge (if your answer is NO)?
-
What have you learned from this challenge?
Be realistic, do only what you are capable of doing.
Challenge 2
State another ONE challenge that you faced as a novice teacher (within the 1st year of
teaching).
Student misbehaviour
Please describe about the challenge stated above*
I was the teacher for year 5 students .So the kids were quite rude and arrogant. We cannot
touch them because their parents always complained and will take actions against teachers.
Although the kids are not gangster all that, they are always giving me problems that i have to
handle despite not being able to punish them.
How did you face the challenge? Explain in detail.
-used canter theory (Strict and firm)
-didnt scold them and tried to be a friend
Did you able to overcome the challenge now? If NO, explain your reason(s).*
Yes
What is your next step to overcome the challenge (if your answer is NO)?聽*
-
What have you learned from this challenge?*
Be humble.
Challenge 3
State another ONE challenge that you faced as a novice teacher (within the 1st year of
teaching).*
Posted alone
Please describe about the challenge stated above*
Always have to do everything on my own such as filing system because most teachers are
seniors and they are not familiar with new systems.
How did you face the challenge? Explain in detail.*
Ask my friends from other schools
Did you able to overcome the challenge now? If NO, explain your reason(s).*
Yes
What is your next step to overcome the challenge (if your answer is NO)?
-
What have you learned from this challenge?
Connection is important
Thank you for your feedback :)