Callous Remark
A callous remark made by someone in the class set me thinking about how insensitive or just unrealistic some of our students are.
There is no denial there all of us know that there are unfortunate people out there. But knowing it and understanding it are two different matters.
There are people who tried hard to eke a living, there are some who lives with a silver spoon in the mouth. There are people who don't have to make a choice between wants and needs because it will always be the latter while others spent their time deliberating over really minor wants.
I once have a friend who came to NUS to study on a scholarship. From a small little town in M'sian he came, and the scholarship could not really substain him for Uni education in terms of fees and living. He once told me that there came a point in time when all the money he has left was $2 in his pocket and he stood at the foodstall, deciding whether to buy lunch or save the money for something else. In the end, he was too hungry so he bought lunch. I am not sure if that will ever be an issue with some of us. Anyway he found tuition later on to support himself through Uni.
He is a friend whom I admire, for his perservance, attitude and warm personality.
After graduation, I received a call from him out of the blue during CNY. He was on a train holding on to a can of abalone and he called just to tell me how excited he is in returning home with his first paycheck and that can for his family who is not well-off. . I felt very happy for him and it was also an honor to be able to share his joy.
Why are I writing this?
I am not too sure. At 17-18, life had barely began and it is really hard to expect most of my students to be able to relate to certain circumstances or troubles of life but perhaps it is time to be more aware of life out there.
------
There is no denial there all of us know that there are unfortunate people out there. But knowing it and understanding it are two different matters.
There are people who tried hard to eke a living, there are some who lives with a silver spoon in the mouth. There are people who don't have to make a choice between wants and needs because it will always be the latter while others spent their time deliberating over really minor wants.
I once have a friend who came to NUS to study on a scholarship. From a small little town in M'sian he came, and the scholarship could not really substain him for Uni education in terms of fees and living. He once told me that there came a point in time when all the money he has left was $2 in his pocket and he stood at the foodstall, deciding whether to buy lunch or save the money for something else. In the end, he was too hungry so he bought lunch. I am not sure if that will ever be an issue with some of us. Anyway he found tuition later on to support himself through Uni.
He is a friend whom I admire, for his perservance, attitude and warm personality.
After graduation, I received a call from him out of the blue during CNY. He was on a train holding on to a can of abalone and he called just to tell me how excited he is in returning home with his first paycheck and that can for his family who is not well-off. . I felt very happy for him and it was also an honor to be able to share his joy.
Why are I writing this?
I am not too sure. At 17-18, life had barely began and it is really hard to expect most of my students to be able to relate to certain circumstances or troubles of life but perhaps it is time to be more aware of life out there.
------
Topics for Common Test
MCQs:
- DNA & Genomics
- Genetics of Virus and Bacteria
- Diverisity & Evolution
Structured + Essay
- Org and Control of Pro and Eu Genomes
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Homeostasis
- Endocrine
- Nervous System
- DNA & Genomics
- Genetics of Virus and Bacteria
- Diverisity & Evolution
Structured + Essay
- Org and Control of Pro and Eu Genomes
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Homeostasis
- Endocrine
- Nervous System
Questions of Week_23 Feb
Do we say Carbon Fixation or Cabon Dioxide Fixation?
Both terms have been used by different texts so there is no issue with either. But usually we would say carbon dioxide is fixed into the cycle so to avoid confusion and to adhere to notes, I would advise to use carbon dioxide fixation.
Can cyclic photophosphorylation run by itself?
*amended*
yes. Cyclic photophosphorylation will run when there is not sufficient ATP in the stroma (ATP/NADPH ratio) (switch from non-cyclic to cyclic).
Note: there will be more than one electron involved in the cyclic pathway, when we considered those coming from PSII as well. Thus technically, we do not consider p700 as the electron donor although (and unless) in an isolated system where it will provide that first one electron for cyclic photophosphorylation
Why do we call the TCA cycle light-independent reaction? Can it occur without light?
Light-independent reaction is so called because it can occur in darkness but only in a while. The reaction still requires products i.e. ATP and NADPH from the light dependent reaction. When those are exhausted, the Calvin cycle cannot proceed.
So when you switched from light to darkness, there will be a transition period of time when Calvin cycle continued until it stops.
Both terms have been used by different texts so there is no issue with either. But usually we would say carbon dioxide is fixed into the cycle so to avoid confusion and to adhere to notes, I would advise to use carbon dioxide fixation.
Can cyclic photophosphorylation run by itself?
*amended*
yes. Cyclic photophosphorylation will run when there is not sufficient ATP in the stroma (ATP/NADPH ratio) (switch from non-cyclic to cyclic).
Note: there will be more than one electron involved in the cyclic pathway, when we considered those coming from PSII as well. Thus technically, we do not consider p700 as the electron donor although (and unless) in an isolated system where it will provide that first one electron for cyclic photophosphorylation
Why do we call the TCA cycle light-independent reaction? Can it occur without light?
Light-independent reaction is so called because it can occur in darkness but only in a while. The reaction still requires products i.e. ATP and NADPH from the light dependent reaction. When those are exhausted, the Calvin cycle cannot proceed.
So when you switched from light to darkness, there will be a transition period of time when Calvin cycle continued until it stops.
Days of a Teacher
Thurs
- went to school.
- lecture test followed by lesson
- 2 period-lesson for 3L
- 1 hr break for lunch which never existed since there was a need to confirm details of an overseas student trip with the finanace office. Only coffee.
- 1230, yet another lecture test, sneak off to try and catch Ms Lim to talk about the students who will be going for yunnan CIP project; never did catch her
- 1320, back to staff room. fret over a pile of mock SPA marking due. lunch meeting with teachers on coming exams until 1730hrs.
- look for ms lim - mutual exchange of information and we decided on the last student to send for trip and she gave me more forms to work with.
- went home at 7pm.
got home. dinner.
- compile exam details until 1030
- start mock SPA marking
- mark mark mark until next day 2:30 am. weary. not sure if I can maintain the same standard of marking. decided to sleep. set alarm clock.
Fri
woke up at 545am to continue marking.
mark mark mark, 7am - all done.
prepare and went to school
after assembly, went for my first class, return mock spa + went through tutorial (2 lesson block). maintained adrenaline
after lesson, back to staff room at abt 1030. had brunch.
wanted sleep badly but decided to create a nervous review to prepare students for the topic which they are rather confused in and which we might not have time to cover at all before common test. Spent an hour in the creation.
bell rang. finished zapping the worksheet. went to class.
last part of tutorial + hand out review worksheet and went thru. adrenaline maintained. Nervous system. one of my faves.
1320 went back to staff room. form sent out to CIP students did not come in. asked for an extension for them since I know that the probability of return is low and they will have problem getting them out today. Liasing and communication ended 330pm. Went to look for a member of PE dept to discuss student overseas trip. nope. not there. back to staff room 4pm.
tired and decided that I would not be productive in marking the lecture test so slept with my head on the table in the staff room, after the attempt to return home for nap is foiled by rain.
woke up at 6pm to find more papers on my table to be worked on. so sound asleep that I did not hear anyone coming to me to pass me stuff. But it was power nap.
Went out on a ride with a colleagues to buy dinner back for some other colleagues and myself. 645pm diiner delivered. chomp down food in 15 mins - went for drama feste to support my students.
1000pm.drama feste ended. there was an external meeting that I am supposed to attend but I decided not to given the state that I am in and I still need to get some stuff settled by tonight. called to inform the committee.
went home. took a detour to buy coffee.
got home. settled in and worked til 1230am. decided to sleep.
and it was all the way til 11am the next day as the body took its renewal nap.
decided to just lay back and recuperate for sat.
- went to school.
- lecture test followed by lesson
- 2 period-lesson for 3L
- 1 hr break for lunch which never existed since there was a need to confirm details of an overseas student trip with the finanace office. Only coffee.
- 1230, yet another lecture test, sneak off to try and catch Ms Lim to talk about the students who will be going for yunnan CIP project; never did catch her
- 1320, back to staff room. fret over a pile of mock SPA marking due. lunch meeting with teachers on coming exams until 1730hrs.
- look for ms lim - mutual exchange of information and we decided on the last student to send for trip and she gave me more forms to work with.
- went home at 7pm.
got home. dinner.
- compile exam details until 1030
- start mock SPA marking
- mark mark mark until next day 2:30 am. weary. not sure if I can maintain the same standard of marking. decided to sleep. set alarm clock.
Fri
woke up at 545am to continue marking.
mark mark mark, 7am - all done.
prepare and went to school
after assembly, went for my first class, return mock spa + went through tutorial (2 lesson block). maintained adrenaline
after lesson, back to staff room at abt 1030. had brunch.
wanted sleep badly but decided to create a nervous review to prepare students for the topic which they are rather confused in and which we might not have time to cover at all before common test. Spent an hour in the creation.
bell rang. finished zapping the worksheet. went to class.
last part of tutorial + hand out review worksheet and went thru. adrenaline maintained. Nervous system. one of my faves.
1320 went back to staff room. form sent out to CIP students did not come in. asked for an extension for them since I know that the probability of return is low and they will have problem getting them out today. Liasing and communication ended 330pm. Went to look for a member of PE dept to discuss student overseas trip. nope. not there. back to staff room 4pm.
tired and decided that I would not be productive in marking the lecture test so slept with my head on the table in the staff room, after the attempt to return home for nap is foiled by rain.
woke up at 6pm to find more papers on my table to be worked on. so sound asleep that I did not hear anyone coming to me to pass me stuff. But it was power nap.
Went out on a ride with a colleagues to buy dinner back for some other colleagues and myself. 645pm diiner delivered. chomp down food in 15 mins - went for drama feste to support my students.
1000pm.drama feste ended. there was an external meeting that I am supposed to attend but I decided not to given the state that I am in and I still need to get some stuff settled by tonight. called to inform the committee.
went home. took a detour to buy coffee.
got home. settled in and worked til 1230am. decided to sleep.
and it was all the way til 11am the next day as the body took its renewal nap.
decided to just lay back and recuperate for sat.
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