Hi people
If you are on this page, I assume that you are a Swiss Cottage Secondary 3 student. If not then I guess one of your friends has given this link to you. I don’t mind visitors- feel free to look around- but if you are going to leave a comment make it count. The world should be a better place because of you.
Swiss Cottage Secondary 3 student said,
May 25, 2007 @ 1:22 am
I like your lessons. So creative. Your blog is very calming. Thankyou!
mrsv said,
May 28, 2007 @ 11:35 am
Thank you very much. Your comments are very encouraging.
wee leong said,
July 5, 2007 @ 8:00 am
Mrs V, ur teaching rocks! i love ur teaching!
mrsv said,
July 5, 2007 @ 9:08 am
Thanks, Wee Leong. I do my best. I confess there are times I feel discouraged when there are difficult students to deal with but I try not to let it affect all the rest. I read this somewhere: kids need your love most when they least deserve it. This is something I have taken as a personal motto.
Here is what you can do to make sure that my teaching bears fruit for you: Pay attention in class, respond as much as possible, stay on task, ask when you don’t understand, get help when you need it, take control of your learning and get your assignments in on time.
Meanwhile, thanks so much for your encouraging comment. Sorry I turned this reply into a lecture! Do also feel free to let me know if ever you don’t agree with something I say or do. But politely!
`~ KʒNnʒth ~` said,
July 10, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
Finally! made it here…
Woots~!! Superb blog…
Keep the posts coming. Jia You!!
I will b Back..
mrsv said,
July 11, 2007 @ 3:38 am
I look forward to seeing you back here, and am thrilled that you finally made it. Welcome aboard!
yunfeng said,
July 12, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
hi mrs v!
here to tag!
U rocks! : )
lalala
mrsv said,
July 12, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
I see you, Yunfeng. Hi yourself! Hope all is well in your little world.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz said,
July 13, 2007 @ 6:49 am
hi mrs V~
mrsv said,
July 13, 2007 @ 10:10 am
Hi Mysterious Alphabet Person
PpiPpi said,
July 19, 2007 @ 6:20 am
I so want to say hi to you: HI!; And to tell you how much I love your blog. Have enjoyed it so much. =)
Btw, glad that you like my name!
mrsv said,
July 19, 2007 @ 10:54 am
I really do! It reminds me of this character in a book I read when I was little girl- her name was Pippi Longstocking, and she was fiesty and independent, just like you. So glad to see you made it here!
visha said,
September 11, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
hello madam shoba…
first of all, i would like to comment on ur blog…
its fantastically super..
i have seen many people’s blog but they have never include anything abt the kinds of people they see and include some things abt others..i am glad to see many of ur student’s work which actually show their creativity. today is my first lesson with u and i learnt a lot in just one day..but precisely i know tts not enough..just in case u might be wondering who am i…once again i would like to introduce myself..
i am visha from 3N1..The indian gal who was sitting at e last row with a malay gal..the first time i saw u, i really loved e way u treated students.i often see u in e canteen with some students and i know bits and pieces here and there…u were very friendly towards all ur students…wen i greated u for e very first time, u smiled and greated me well…without knowing who am i actually, u were very friendly towards me…after tt, i heard from madam silvi who is my tamil teacher tt u learned classical dance …i was very happy to hear tt as we share e same interest.. one of e best assembly programme for this year which i wen through was e classical dance which u choreographed and was danced by some chinese girls…was very proud tt even e non indians respect our culture and had e interest to learn..finally i would like to comment on ur teaching today..it was excellent..especially,u gave us e first 5 min and let us ask u any questions we want to ask abt urself which so far as i know, i have never seen any teachers doing this before..i liked e way u answered all our questions..especially to e mischevious ones in ma class…rock on madam shoba!!!! hope to see u soon..loVe u and may god bless u..
mrsv said,
September 11, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
Visha- I am so glad you wrote this comment. Many people think that teachers don’t need encouragement, but this is not true. As much as teachers should encourage their students, students have great power to encourage their teachers as well. Thank you. This comment meant a lot to me.
nosy sec 4 said,
October 25, 2007 @ 3:52 pm
having chanced upon this blog, i started wondering about the importance of english. i seemed to have forgotten all about this inconspicuous subject while mugging for my other not-so-brilliant ones.
yet, all through sec 3, its prescence has always been made known by the tiny nudges in the ribs as i looked at my report cards. i merely brushed it off, thinking that a B3 was good enough. now, i know that a B3 is not good enough, because it is the only subject stopping me from getting my desired L1R5; more importantly, an entry into my dream JC.
when i got back my report book early this month, it was like a splash of cold water on my face. A splash that woke me up from my idealistic world.
while i know that results are not everything, i also know that my 4 A1s without english is of no use. there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people out there who have 4 A1s. What those hundreds of people and i have in common is this: a failure in the one subject that matters most- English.
to all sec 3 students who read mrs v’s blog:
START NOW before it’s too late. It is no point regretting when all the mugging in the world is of no use.
START NOW, before you look back and say, “damn, i could have done so much better…”.
START NOW, before you think back and say, “if only i had tried harder…”
mrsv said,
October 25, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
This is quite an epiphany! The fact that you chose to share this reflection with your juniors says a lot about your desire to make a difference- that’s a powerful plus point that is going to get you far in life. For every A1 that a potential employer looks at there will be a whole list of other, more important qualities that s/he seeks among the candidates applying for the job. Ultimately, what you make of the choices life gives you, and how you present yourself as the result of all these choices is what matters the most.
Yes, the A1s help. And yes, to a certain extent we can control the grades we get. But maybe that’s as far as it goes. Effort plays a huge part- there’s no denying that, but there are so many other factors involved.
There were two occasions in my life when I felt I did not get the grade I deserved. Both served as turning points in my life- causing me to make decisions that I would not have made had I achieved the desired grade. One year later, it still hurt- I’m not going to lie to you. Two years later, I was still talking about it to the peope around me, to help rationalize how badly I felt about it.
But it is now 16 years after the event. I like the way my life has turned out, and I like whom I’ve become. Maybe there are better experiences waiting for you in a JC other than your dream JC- experiences that will strengthen and nurture you in ways you never thought possible.
Having said that, your advice to your juniors is very appropriate- more so because of the sincerity with which it is put across. I hope they take it to heart, and I will be sure to bring it to their attention. When it comes to learning a language, effort should take the form of looking for opportunities to use the language meaningfully. This does not only refer to the production end. Even when we read or listen, we are using language. Just as you have so astutely pointed out, this is an ongoing process that needs to start early for it to be of any use to you.
Your comment is not the result of nosiness. It is the sign of a person who thinks of those around her. That, my dear, is what the world needs now. I wish you all the best in your O levels. You just might surprise yourself with a fifth A1.
.. said,
November 1, 2007 @ 3:14 am
ok..i get it
i’ll start early.
mrsv said,
November 1, 2007 @ 11:30 am
SO glad you got the point! I’ll be keeping tabs on you next year…
huiqi! said,
April 24, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
thanks mrs v for the quote! caleb and my class loves it!! yeah! haha!
thanks for the lollipop! i like the watermelon flavour which you gave me(:
mrsv said,
April 24, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
Hi Huiqi! I’m glad you liked the lollipop- especially the watermelon flavour. I noticed that the boys all wanted the cola ones. The quote is really special, isn’t it? I think that if you keep coming back to it every now and then you will discover a fresh new way of applying it to your life each time you read it. I’m so glad you stopped by here. Visit often ok?
huiqi! said,
April 30, 2008 @ 2:40 pm
yeah thank you! haha
Zhang Yang (They call me Zhang Ruo 7 But it doesnt matter) said,
June 11, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
Hello,everyone,its me Zhang Yang and im here to say hi to everyone and of course not missing you out mrs v =D yeah, and where was i ? Oh yes, as i was saying,i came here to say hi to all of you. You know something, holiday can be really interesting,as well as a boredom sometimes as well. i really hope school will reopen lets say,in one more day,so that i can continue to hear the laughter everywhere i go and experience the ambience of school . HOHOHOOHOHO…. hahahhaha…..but i think i am enjoying myself very much though…Eh??Got a question here though. Your Blog cant seem to paste a picture when writing…sad but nevermind its ALRIGHT.take care everyone.your health.
Jun Hong said,
July 6, 2008 @ 10:16 am
Hi Mrs V and everyone out here. Good job with your English lessons
Mrs V, very enjoyable. =) Have a wonderful holiday Mrs V and all the students out there. ^^
Gary Wong said,
August 11, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
Hi mrs V, juz chanced upon tis blog! wanna say i love ur teaching and gd job on the blog XD! =)
mrsv said,
August 11, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Thanks Gary- I’m so glad you stopped by! Keep up the good work, ok?
Shariffah said,
September 25, 2008 @ 6:28 am
Hi Mrs V,
I am a student from the NIE and was wondering if it is of any possibility for you to get back to me via email with regard to one of the essay questions featured in your website?
Thanks! (=
krys said,
December 29, 2008 @ 5:03 am
Hi Mrs v, i found your blog very interesting and it was a pleasure to read your posts. Thanks!
mrsv said,
January 1, 2009 @ 4:26 am
I am so glad you like the posts. I hope you will keep coming back and commenting on them.
sec3 students said,
January 7, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
mrs v whats ur Email address i forgot write down during class。
jionghan said,
January 12, 2009 @ 1:20 pm
Hey Mrs.V! I need help in my creative writing, especially on my grammer! Can you help me and when are you free?
mrsv said,
January 12, 2009 @ 1:43 pm
Sure! It would be my pleasure. Just e-mail me and we can fix a time to meet up.
jonathan ng 3e4'09 said,
January 13, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
hi mrs v,
im jonathan ‘ng’ in this year’s 3e4.
just happen to stop by and have a good look, this blog’s cool!!
i will remember the things u teached in class and i hope i will not get a C5 or C6 for english, while it happened to me in the last 2 years
i will always do my best so help me with whatever im weak at.
your teaching in class is so much better than my other teachers because i look forward to english lessons nowadays than my previous to years.
the quoted surname is just to let you differentiate the 2 jonathans in the class.
hope you have a smooth teaching year!
mrsv said,
January 15, 2009 @ 11:58 am
Jonathan, thanks for writing in. I am enjoying your class a lot, and I hope I can live up to your expectations. We will work together to make sure that your grade goes up and that you continue to enjoy English your whole life!
krystal said,
January 15, 2009 @ 10:34 am
Hi mrs v,
Just wanted to comment that your lessons are really interesting! I look forward to english lessons now, and i especially like the teaching material that you use, such as ”The Lorax ” that you handed out to us today. Its really refreshing as its a whole new topic and theme to read and also write on for the essay
mrsv said,
January 15, 2009 @ 12:00 pm
I am so glad you liked the story. The response in your class blew me away today- such refreshing ideas, and so confidently put forward. All the best with the essay. I am looking forward to reading it!
Thomas said,
January 17, 2009 @ 2:31 pm
Hi mrs V.
U are the BEST teacher i have ever had in my life from primary one till now.
you are interesting and so fun to listen to.
Ur lessons make it very hard to sleep in class.
Yea.
Teaching english in a fun way is what every teacher should do.
making the lessons interesting.
YEA.
MRS V U ROCK!!!!!!!
=D
Thomas 3e2′09
mrsv said,
February 2, 2009 @ 10:43 am
Thanks, Thomas. I hope you still like me as much when the work gets more intense!
Ziyong said,
February 5, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
I told you I’ll drop by. =) Keep it updated!
mrsv said,
February 5, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
Gee what an honour! I don’t know if I can stand the pressure!
nosy j2 said,
February 6, 2009 @ 4:06 pm
hi mrs v.
i was wondering if the upper sec intra school debates are still going on?
if it is still going on, i was wondering if the sajc debating team could go down to swiss to give a few introductory lessons to the participants as a form of cip?
eliz
Beverly said,
February 9, 2009 @ 1:43 pm
hey Mrs V, its Beverly from 3E1. just to drop by and tell you that your lessons are interesting and i think the way you speak is really cute! hehe neway, i need help in my expository writing cos i have never passed a paper for it
im looking forward to writing narrative next semester tho!
cya x
mrsv said,
February 9, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
Hi Beverly- thanks for stopping by! I am so glad you find the lessons interesting, but I think you might have some of your classmates to thank for that (I’m sure you know who I’m talking about). I will be very glad to help you with expository writing- that is why we are doing a lot of it in class this week. Do make sure you get all the reading done. It will really help to make Thursday’s writing session much more meaningful and relevant for you.
JiaMin said,
February 28, 2009 @ 2:22 am
Mrs V. I love your lesson so much . You find means and ways to help make the lesson so interesting and funny !!! haha …
mrsv said,
March 1, 2009 @ 11:03 am
Thanks Jia Min. Your fantastic responses make the lesson fun for me as well!
just a passer-by said,
April 3, 2009 @ 1:49 am
Hi, I was doing a litte research on situational writing when I chanced upon your blog. As a fellow educator, I must say you are doing a great job! I just want to say thank you for your generosity in sharing.
mrsv said,
April 3, 2009 @ 3:59 am
Thanks, passer-by. I hope you’ll visit again.
jonathan liew XD said,
May 3, 2009 @ 3:05 pm
Btw AWESOME blog for an AWESOME teacher!
MrsV rawks…XD
MASAKA. said,
July 23, 2009 @ 2:08 pm
mrs V, i hope you’re doing great.
take comfort in knowing our(3e1) new english teacher is pretty good!
wish you the best, and VISIT US SOON!
mrsv said,
August 12, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
WAAAH! I miss you all SO much!!!! Hope you are doing fine and that you continue to love learning as much as I loved teaching you.