MED838

Question: What is "milk and honey" in education?
Response: In Biblical symbolism, the promised land is described as "flowing with milk and honey". A school should also be a place "flowing with milk and honey." Milk would then be the symbol of the care and affirmation that the teachers and school leaders give to students. Honey would then be the symbol for the passion for the love of learning and the sense of belonging to one big famil among the students and the staff members. This is possible only if the teacher is happy.

Question: Am I happy as a teacher?
Response: Not really. Intellectually, I do not get to have any indepth discussion on my subject matter with any students or colleagues. This explains why I sign up for the Master in Education -- seeking intellectual stimulation. The job is physically demanding, having to climb up 6 flights of stairs across 3 buildings only to discover that I have forgotten to bring my audio cable for my computer notebook. The pain in my knees is coming back. Psychologically unsound as it has always been at the back of my mind that having spend much time and energy on others' children, I fail to watch my own children, resulting in my son in Primary Six going to Normal Acad Stream next year (Touch Wood!)
On the other hand, on a more positive note, this vocation does has its perks. There is financial security, the school provides a well-ordered social environment with clear sets of rules, routines and traditions and I get to enjoy trusting relationships with my superviors, colleagues and students.
So looks like the pros out-weigh the cons. That is why on a scale of one to ten, ten being happy and one being sad, I'll say I am currently on a scale of six and a half.
Happiness is not absolute. It has ups and downs and the in-betweens and can be pretty unpredictable and you would not know what hits you. Such is the transient nature of happiness and life and there lies the beauty of this sense of being alive.

Question: What is Self-Efficacy?
Response: Self-Efficacy is the belief that one can do it, and doing it will lead to the desired outcome. But I have many students who keeps thinking that they can do it. But they don't get started studying for their exams, thinking that they can do it. So they have overly high self-efficacy, or they are suffering from self-deception or fatal procrastination?