390. The relief teacher and 2 Malteses
Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore
"I was paid $8.00 per day as a primary 2 school relief teacher in 1968," I recalled my fun days teaching a class for 8 months before I left for Glasgow University to study veterinary medicine. "How much are relief teachers paid nowadays?"
The homemaker in her late thirties, with 3 young children and 2 malteses opened her mouth in disbelief. "Around $60.00 as I don't have the paper qualifications from the Teacher Training's Institute. The school phones me whenever they need a relief teacher a few days. I guess the Principal likes my teaching."
The Singapore Prime Minister last week announced an attractive pay plus better work conditions and innovative recruitment scheme to attract more teacher recruits. She would qualify for those "mid-career executives". She had left her Secretarial job working for a very good Japanese boss who loved overseas postings to look after the 3 young children some years ago but now she would be able to work full-time. She would be one of those with passion for teaching.
"Are primary school children motivated to get good marks in their studies by stars and stickers?" I asked her.
"Yes, but for primary 1 and 2 children. They get the stickers when they have top marks. The older children could not be bothered."
"How do teachers motivate the older children?"
"I teach for a few days. These older children may switch off their attention. The full-time teachers award small prizes for top marks."
Rewards vary for different stages of mental developments.
How does this relief teacher motivate the two female 10-week-old Malteses to eliminate on the correct toilet areas?
"Very difficult," she said. "I separate them into 2 crates with pee pans below. But the puppies refused to get into the crate as they know they might not get freedom.
"So, I used a playpen each to confine them. Inside the playpen, I put a pee pan with newspapers.
"But the puppies will avoid the soiled newspapers in the pee pan. They eliminate outside and step all over the stools. They shred the newspapers. As the newspapers are in the balcony, the slight breeze would flutter the papers. This motion excited the puppies to shred the papers."
"Yesterday, I have purchased two pee pans with grilled top. I put the pee pans at one corner and the puppy cushion bed, water bowl and feed bowl at the other corner. I feed twice a day, leaving the feed in the bowl for 20 - 30 minutes. The puppies go to the pee pan with grilled top. This is the first day."
"What should I do if the puppies had accidents peeing outside the designated areas? Should I scold them?"
"No," I said. "They will not know why they are scolded and will be frightened of you. Just clean up quietly. Unless they are caught misbehaving, scolding will not be effective for puppies."
She promised to give me feedback at the 3rd vaccination.
"I was paid $8.00 per day as a primary 2 school relief teacher in 1968," I recalled my fun days teaching a class for 8 months before I left for Glasgow University to study veterinary medicine. "How much are relief teachers paid nowadays?"
The homemaker in her late thirties, with 3 young children and 2 malteses opened her mouth in disbelief. "Around $60.00 as I don't have the paper qualifications from the Teacher Training's Institute. The school phones me whenever they need a relief teacher a few days. I guess the Principal likes my teaching."
The Singapore Prime Minister last week announced an attractive pay plus better work conditions and innovative recruitment scheme to attract more teacher recruits. She would qualify for those "mid-career executives". She had left her Secretarial job working for a very good Japanese boss who loved overseas postings to look after the 3 young children some years ago but now she would be able to work full-time. She would be one of those with passion for teaching.
"Are primary school children motivated to get good marks in their studies by stars and stickers?" I asked her.
"Yes, but for primary 1 and 2 children. They get the stickers when they have top marks. The older children could not be bothered."
"How do teachers motivate the older children?"
"I teach for a few days. These older children may switch off their attention. The full-time teachers award small prizes for top marks."
Rewards vary for different stages of mental developments.
How does this relief teacher motivate the two female 10-week-old Malteses to eliminate on the correct toilet areas?
"Very difficult," she said. "I separate them into 2 crates with pee pans below. But the puppies refused to get into the crate as they know they might not get freedom.
"So, I used a playpen each to confine them. Inside the playpen, I put a pee pan with newspapers.
"But the puppies will avoid the soiled newspapers in the pee pan. They eliminate outside and step all over the stools. They shred the newspapers. As the newspapers are in the balcony, the slight breeze would flutter the papers. This motion excited the puppies to shred the papers."
"Yesterday, I have purchased two pee pans with grilled top. I put the pee pans at one corner and the puppy cushion bed, water bowl and feed bowl at the other corner. I feed twice a day, leaving the feed in the bowl for 20 - 30 minutes. The puppies go to the pee pan with grilled top. This is the first day."
"What should I do if the puppies had accidents peeing outside the designated areas? Should I scold them?"
"No," I said. "They will not know why they are scolded and will be frightened of you. Just clean up quietly. Unless they are caught misbehaving, scolding will not be effective for puppies."
She promised to give me feedback at the 3rd vaccination.
posted by Photography by Sing Kong Yuen | 6:20 AM
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