Teach and Teach

Terpujilah wahai engkau ibu bapak guru......
Engkau bagai pelita dalam kegelapan
Engkau laksana embun penyejuk dalam kehausan
Engkau patriot pahlawan bangsa, tanpa tanda jasa
[Hymne Guru - Pahlawan Tanpa Tanda Jasa]

An unresolved question to ponder:

--- Do I prefer to be one of the most valuable contributors without medals of honour of this country by being a teacher at schools with a low pay and stressful working hours, or do I want to cash some jackpots and do the same job but to some rich individuals with flexible hours and me as my own boss? ---

Okay, it started like a week ago. It was Friday morning when I only had to teach 3 classes, each for about an academic hour. So I'd got plenty of time in between the classes (like 2 hours) and as usual, I prepared a novel and a must-bring discman from home. Reading while listening to the Massive Attack CD, I did not hear nor realise that 3 people were rushing in. It took me a while to get to know that the big bosses fr0m Jakarta, Mr. Marcell and Mrs. Silvy, were the ones who came in with Mr. Win. I heard before that Pak Marcell did not like any of his staff spent their time doing nothing unrelated to school, class materials or any other education stuff, but I did not take any serious threat in it. I'm a parttimer, paid by hours, and whatever I do in the while when I do not have classes is on my own risk. As long as my responsibility in teaching and administration are clear and done, there shouldn't be any problem of using my free unpaid time by reading a novel, right?

Anyway, they did not seem to care about it but I then quietly turned off my discman and closed my novel when Bu Silvy took a seat near me and seemingly wanted to chat with me. She started the conversation with Pak Marcell's lost of cellphone a few weeks ago, which made me enthuasiastically retell my own lost of the same item. Yofie, my partner in teaching 4A, was there, too.. but Bu Silvi and I were the most dominant chatters while Pak Marcel and Pak Win were discussing something looking-like a serious matter in the other corner.
The chitchat switched smoothly from one topic to the others until Bu Silvi asked my opinion about the institution's syllabus of the year. Truthfully as always, I told her my objections of some inconsistence and target-missing items of the test/lesson materials we have at that moment. I showed her some proof which she succeeded to see later on, and gave my suggestions on how they should be compiled. She agreed with them and promised to get some changes in it soon.

---

Statement letters of willingness to continue working at MLT were distributed not long after and I eagerly wrote my name and details there to state that I was NOT going to prolong my contract the next academic year. You know how I love teaching very much but it's killing me everyday that I have to wake up at some stupid 4.30-o'clock time in the morning. I plan to get the most use of my time so effectively that I can earn more Rupiahs without getting stressed out. So I think that was the best to let go the schools and go for some private teachings more.

I reread the letter of agreement and couldn't find any not willing to continue statement there. *raising one eyebrow*

I met Rina at Tunjungan Plaza last weekend and asked her about the missing NO. She's known that I've always wanted to quit like some considerable time during my teaching period these almost 2 years. She said she did not know if there was some other form of statement with a not willing part in it. But she asked me to postpone returning the paper back until she talked with Pak Win first about my quitting.

---

Yesterday I was sitting in the dining room of the St. Carolus high school with Rina and Pak Win when he then started to express his disappointment for having me quit. He said that Pak Marcell and Bu Silvy asked him again about my willingness in doing full time there (last year I was offered the same thing but I refused it, which later on I was very grateful I did, witnessing Rina getting too overwhelmed with her 15 classes a week and her oh so many correction papers to bring home). I told him I was sorry I couldn't, that I cared about my health more than money (oh yes, that's a very basic lie, hehe) and that I was just not a morning person. I might have been born for teaching, but obviously absolutely not in Indonesian schools. At least until the government changes the school time to a later logical time, which I doubt it would. :P

Pak Win explained that Bu Silvy was impressed with my being critical in the test/lesson materials and wished me to be the material developer for Surabaya region, so that we wouldn't have to depend on Jakarta's office to get the full materials. Thus I would spend probably half of my time at the office compiling written tests/lesson plans and wouldn't have to teach a lot of classes like Rina does now.
Okay, that's quite an offer. But no, thanks. I know the application wouldn't be that precise as promised. Yet I had this feeling to tease Mr. Win.

Me: Will I get my own room with an air-conditioner in it?
Mr. Win: Yes, you will. You'll have a comfortable cool room if you want.
Me: Will I get a good pay for it?
Mr. Win: Yes, definitely. You're a good asset for our company.
Me: Will I have morning working hours or later?
Mr. Win: I can set your schedules to later hours.
Me: I love teaching the students but hate to do the test correction. Will you make a specific department for it?
Mr. Win: [laughing softly] No, I'm afraid I can't possibly do it.
Me: Will I get a massager chair as advertised at plazas?
Mr. Win: [laughing hard] Carla, you're impossible!

I told him I really had to consider everything but I was almost 100% sure that I'd leave the job. Even as a parttimer. Except if they can get me that massager chair. :D