Happiness Journal 2/10/25

Thought a student was kidding when she said that she wanted to write an extra composition for me, but today, she really submitted her work.

Reading it, I was floored by her ability to paint vivid images with powerful precise nouns and verbs. I questioned her if she had used ChatGPT. She said nope vehemently, as if repulsed at the thought of me questioning her artistic integrity.

I think I would give her the benefit of the doubt. An AI tool would have organised the scenes more systematically.

Anyway, I realized how getting students to adhere to the Story Mountain might be tantamount to squeezing the joy out of writing. There was no central character in her story. Needless to say, no compelling climax and no emotional journey. But who’s to say that it isn’t a magnificent piece of writing.

Anyway, since she asked me to give my esteemed opinion, I scribbled some Show Not Tell phrases on her work and told her to include feelings the next time. I was heartened to have helped her maintain her innate interest in writing.

Happiness Journal 6/10/25

My son recently made a crocodile for art and craft in his pre-school. As one who prides himself on being resourceful and shifts his mental gears nimbly (脑经转得快), I saw an opportunity for my students to revise the characteristic of reptiles. Took it to school and just as I expected, no one seemed to know that reptiles’ distinctive feature is their scales. I’m sure some of them have internalized this fact due to my expert intervention today.

Yes, I hear you. The insidious forgetting curve will turn some students’ brain cells into pulp. But not to worry, my friend. I intend to take my daughter’s stuffed turtle to school tomorrow!

Happiness Journal 9/10/25

My fifth graders’ hyperactivity is starting to get on my nerves. I understand that their prefrontal cortexes are not fully developed yet, so there is no excuse for bad behaviour. Clowning around, disturbing their classmates, treating my subject with scant respect.

Then, a brainwave came to my mind. In view of the meeting with the school leaders in November, I should start recording down every misdemeanor in my trusty notebook. (I often carry it to class.) I would use evidence to convey their misdeeds to the principals, if need be. They will not climb over Sensei’s head!

Happiness Journal 12/10/25

Pasted animals representative of various categories on a paper and shared it with a parenting group. garnered five likes and drew traffic to my blog. I’m not just educating my son, but also, spreading my knowledge to concerned parents.