Teaching -- What Makes it Worthwhile...

This is just a short personal reflection.

I am writing it partly as a means of refocusing on why I want to be a teacher. Doing an accelerated Masters program while trying to juggle the processes of surviving life often leaves me tired and somewhat bitter, twisted and jaded. These things are often exacerbated by organisational bureaucracy and dealing with people who seem intent on making things more difficult than they need to be. So, to all intents and purposes, this is my own little pep rally...Go Rob Baiton, Go!

I tutor a couple of kids in addition to trying to juggle everything else. I do this for a number of reasons; putting it all into practice and to see whether I really have the skills and patience necessary to make this teaching gig work. It is one of these kids that sort of re-grounded me and showed me why I want to do this teaching thing for a crust.

What makes teaching really rewarding for me is that "lights on" moment where someone that you have taught finally sees all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and the light goes on. This is almost always followed by a smile and an exclamation of surprise, "I can do it!" I had three of those moments in one day today; a young bloke in Year 6, a young girl in Year 8, and a soon to be doing the HSC lad. Each are studying different subjects, which is a challenge for me, but this is not about me.

It might have just been a fluke of coincidence, but each of them today had a "lights on" moment where they realised that they can actually do the work, and do it well. In most respects, all I do is help them visualise the pieces of the puzzle and facilitate in getting the pieces into the right spots. It is nice, and it feels good, to watch children understand that they can be successful and grow into that new-found confidence.

It is for these moments that I want to pursue a career in teaching. I am not naive enough to think that I will have them every day, but if I can have more lights on days than lights off days throughout the course of my career then I will be a happy teacher. I must add that the disillusionment I was feeling with my course quickly dissipated.

This sort of got me thinking. I did a lot of teaching while I was living in Indonesia. I worked with, and taught, many wonderful young women and men (and some older ones too) who have gone on to achieve excellent and wonderful things in all manner of fields of endeavour. I hope they remember me as fondly as I remember them (particularly because when they become famous I will be forever telling the story..."I remember when ..."). It was these experiences that drove me towards returning to Australia and formalising some teaching qualifications to make it all academic looking.

Onwards and upwards, I say!

Gus Dur Supporting Prabowo for President

Speechless!

Well, almost...but good readers I am sure you are already aware that it will take more than this foolhardiness to stump me for words.

This support apparently comes with strings attached. There is a sizable push for Yenny Wahid (aka Zannuba Ariffah Chafsoh Rahman Wahid) to be placed on the Prabowo ticket as the Vice President.

For me this support makes Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid) increasingly irrelevant on the Indonesian political stage. I am also surprised that Yenny Wahid is going for this. Yet, in the big scheme of things this foolhardiness is not all that surprising. Gus Dur is a bitter man and still feels that the PKB, which was his political vehicle, was wrenched from his control by traitorous enemies and the complicity of the government. He is likely to do anything to redress this wrong, even supporting Prabowo.

Prabowo Subianto and his political vehicle might indeed have some similarities to Gus Dur and those that support him. However, the reality is that Prabowo's skeletons are real and they are nasty. The man may have been honorably discharged from the army, but there are remaining questions as to whether this was deserved. There are still unanswered questions as to his imvolvement in the Rose Group and his responsibility in the kidnapping and disappearing of activists in 1998.

The interesting thing about Gerindra is that the party has adopted some real socialist ideas in trying to garner support from farmers and blue collar workers under the guise of Pancasila. Pancasila has always been viewed as an avid tool to be trotted out in the fight against communism and socialism. Although, it is easy to argue that the social justice elements of Pancasila in fact lend themselves to a socialist democratic platform. There is certain irony in the support of Prabowo and Gus Dur for these ideals.

In any event, even Gus Dur's support is not going to be enough for Prabowo to be relevant in the coming presidential contest. This is at best a three-way horse race at the front with SBY, Kalla, and Megawati, with SBY being slightly in front as the incumbent. The dark horse will be PKS and whoever it is that they nominate.

Hopefully, after this little charade Prabowo and Wiranto can be prosecuted for their alleged crimes and then fade into history.

Yes, a dream, but without dreams there is no point in living.