My Teaching and Learning Philosophy

One of the common response that I received every time I introduced myself as a Physics teacher, was “WOOOO…you are so ‘terror’..”, or something similar to that.

 (note: “terror” is a Malaysian slang to describe awesomeness, greatness etc.)

People still think that Physics is a hard and killing subject. Most of our students have fears and became inferior when it comes to learn Physics. I have to admit, I was one of them too, not so long time ago.

My goal was simple. I want to change that! I used to chickened out in Physics class during secondary school. I avoided eye contact with my teacher, because I am afraid of answering questions. I don’t want my students to be like that. Physics should be fun, well IT IS FUN!!

During my first few years of teaching Physics, I’ve struggled a lot. I have to re-study the content and I did a lot of exercises. My teaching and learning (T&L) session were focused on delivering the content. In order to achieve the learning outcomes, I have forgotten to add some seasoning to my T&L. It was so dull and boring.

But then, I realized I need to do something as I have chosen teaching as my career.  I can’t be that one boring teacher for the next 30 years. I want my class to be memorable to my students.

So in 2012, I challenged myself to do something new. I changed the way I conduct the class. I tried to improve the usage of technologies in my class. My T&L wasn’t only focused on the contents, but I get my students involved in more hand-on activities and I let them discover the contents in various ways.

As the years pass by, I think I have become more prepared. I believed every student have their potential to succeed. All they need are efforts, attitudes and of course with full supports from their teacher. I believed that learning is a continuous process, teacher can also learn while teaching. 

About me.

Welcome and thank you for visiting this blog.

Stay with me, cause I will take you to a journey of the magical world of Physics. Well, at least in my perception, through my blog.

By the way, my name is Yusrina Binti Abdul Hamid. I am a “Cikgu Fizik”, teaching at a secondary school in northern state of Malaysia.

I graduated from the famous Universiti Putra Malaysia, in Bachelor of Science with Education, majoring in Chemistry. During that time of study, I was given a few options to be chosen  as my minor subject.But I believe, God has guided me to select the Physics subject for a good reason, which now has become a part of myself.

I was born in a family of educators, my father was a teacher, who was then become a Principals and still teaching after he was retired from the formal teaching job. My sister and my brothers in law are also teachers and lecturers. This somehow has influenced me to consider teaching as a job option. And as the time goes by, I’ve become so much in love in teaching. I always thought, I was born to be a teacher!

I started my teaching career in 2008. After I finished my internship and while waiting for the official posting, I applied for a position as a substitution teacher. Having a background as educational graduate, my application was accepted just a week after I applied. I gained so much experiences during my first 6 months as a teacher, before I formally posted as a teacher in a school in Langkawi Island.

During my first posting, I was assigned to teach Chemistry, and Mathematics. It was such a challenge to teach in a school in rural area. But thanks to those hard times, I have now become a grown up woman.

After 2 years of working, I got married to an Engineering student, who was studying in Germany. I took the risk, and applied for an unpaid leave to be with my loved one. But a teacher, is always a teacher. During my so called “leave”, I’ve become a personal tutor to one of our friend’s child. I just can’t stop teaching. I tell you how much I love teaching, no?

After that unpaid leave, I was re-posted to a school in Alor Setar, and this was my kick start as a Physics teacher. Having to fulfill the needs at that moment, I have to say goodbye to my major subject, Chemistry and say hello to my minor. I struggled a lot during my first few years of teaching Physics. I believe learning is a continuous process, we will learn till our very last breathe.

As I am writing this, I have already taught Physics for almost 5 wonderful years. I have developed so many skills in teaching Physics, I have already presented two Action Research in Physics and I have become a Physics’s SPM grader. I thank Allah for giving me such a good life, but I still think that I need to improve myself. So, earlier this year (2015), I registered as a part time student in Master of Education Physics with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris(UPSI). This is not an easy path, to carry so many responsibilities at one time, but I dare to take the challenge and I hope God will ease my way to success.

Enjoy the blog!