Untukmu Sinaran Hati, 'Ray Of Hope'

On 7th January 2011, Nazeera, a course mate of mine, and I went to catch a live Suria telecast of a fund-raising event called "Untukmu Sinaran Hati, Ray Of Hope" that was televised by MediaCorp. The show was aired live from 8.30pm to 10.30pm on that Friday night, and there was a repeat on the following Sunday night. 

It was a malay event hoosted by Khairuddin Saharom and Hazlina Halim, MediaCorp artistes, and had performances by many of the local artistes like Sheikh Haikal, the band Sleeq, M. Nasir and many more. The purpose of the event was actually to raise funds for the people who are fighting for their lives but have very little to provide for themselves and the elderly who are in need of help. As the partners of the event was TAA Trust Fund 2011, it was clear that the purpose of the show was to raise money for the less fortunate.

The target audience for this event was mostly Malay speaking people, although I did see a handful of Chinese and Indian people in the crowd. Although the whole event was mostly based on the Malay dialect (with bits of the English language being spoken here and there) it was nice to see that people from other races came along, maybe to support their friends on stage or who are fans of the celebrities who performed.

I believe that another group of people who were targeted for the events are the fanatics. Those "fangirls" of the Suria artistes, for example Sleeq, Khairul Anwar and more, they were very much cheering their names throughout the whole event, showing their support. I believe that Suria had invited those artistes to perform to attract more viewers for the event.

'Untukmu Sinaran Hati' was publicized on the television, on Suria as well as Channel 5, also on the malay radio station Ria. It was publicized in the malay newspaper as well, and in these ways, the event was being widely publicized to reach people through different mediums.

To me, the event had been quite a success, as at the end of the night, they had managed to receive donations almost up to $400, 000 in a time span of 2 hours. 

I noticed that they had 15 acts  in total, from songs, skits and monologues to martial arts showcase by the Singapore Capoeira group and Singapore Sports Silat team. In between all the acts, they also had to stop for commercial breaks, where they always put up their commercial of celebrities suggesting that the viewers should make a donation to help the less fortunate. 

During the commercial in the hall itself, the entertainer, or should I say the 'middle-man' (A.B Sheikh) comes on stage and interacts with the audience, making sure that we are still being kept lively in our seats and enjoying ourselves.

The event ended with cheque presentations by a handful of companies that made large sums of donations to the event, as well as a performance by all of the performers on that night.

If I were the manager, I would've felt that the advertisements they had shown during the commercials to encourage the viewers to donate to be very intriguing and heartwarming. Although, I disliked the fact that the performers couldn't remember the number of the hotlines, and they kept stammering the numbers of live television, which shows that they are not professional. Other than that, I think that the whole event was a success and that they have done a great job for a good cause.

Head Of Dept.

Mdm. Rohanah Mohd. Ali
Age 37.
Head Of Department for Greenview Secondary School's
English & Literature Department.

The most fond memory of with her is when we went to Mumbai together for a school exchange program. She served as a teacher and a guardian, yet she showed her love and concern to her students just like a mother. She too, was just like a mother to me.

Rohanah Mohd. Ali, or Mdm Rohanah as I call her, is Greenview Secondary School's Head Of Department (HOD) for English Language and Literature. She has thought me throughout the whole year of Secondary Three the English Language classes, and Civics and Moral Education in Secondary Four.

We share quite a strong teacher-student bond, as we try to get to know each other even outside school premises, yet maintaining our professionalism in statuses. She is like a role model to me, and she even helped me in getting my place here in Communications & Media Management.

It must be tough, to be a teacher for a secondary school, what more a Head in two separate departments.. So I took some time off her very busy schedule to conduct a short interview with her.

Briefly describe your job responsibilities as a manager/head

As a Head in the English and Literature Dept, I have to ensure that the whole departments are working and circulating smoothly. For the English subject, there are a total of 11 of us teachers, and I manage the circulation, making sure that every English class has a teacher managing it.
At the end of every week, I conduct meetings with my the teachers in my department to discuss about the classes we take. We discuss about students, their behaviours and also the topics we are going teaching. I listen to what the teachers have to say, and also ensure that they have the right tools they need to conduct a good learning environment and lesson.
Besides taking some of these classes myself, I overlook all the the teachers in this departments, making sure that they are doing their jobs right, as trusted, that could be why sometimes, you see me walking around the classroom blocks, I'm not there to take leisurely strolls!

What is your management style?

I like a friendly and well-ran department. I love it when my teachers get together and bond with each other, that way, they feel comfortable with each other and their different teaching styles. I ensure that my teachers learn from one another, we share tips and notes with each other more often than the other.

I know in a teaching job, more often that the other, teachers can't take the stress, especially in a secondary school environment. I play an important role in motivating my teachers and making sure that they remain confident at the end of every day, because the stress sometimes can cause them to break down. We all are, after all, human beings, and secondary students can be quite a handful.

I choose my teachers carefully, I know what job is suitable for them and what aspects they are better in, and they too, agree. I make sure that my department has their strengths, and I choose the teachers who I trust are perfect for these jobs. The teachers have to work to get where they are, and I make sure that everything is fair around here.

I care a lot about my teachers and make sure that they are happy with the working environment that they are in, and will go to many lengths to keep them feel safe and happy.

(for me, this management style is more of the scientific management)

What are the difficulties you face as a manager?

Ahh, there are always difficulties in any jobs we do. Especially as the head, we are always in-charge of the teachers as well as the students, their education and welfare. Troubles arise when teachers and students cannot coincide with one another, and the lack of understanding in their communication process affects things heavily.

I remember once, when one of my experienced EL (English Language) teachers came back to the staff room, crying! I was in total shock, as she was one of the fiercest teachers I had, watching her bawl her eyes out in the staff area. She said that she couldn't handle one of the Secondary Four classes as the students were too rowdy and did not listen to any of her instructions. Only 20 students from that whole class attended her lesson that day and most of them were busy chit-chatting and callous.

How do you overcome these difficulties?

At that point in time, I felt that she was about to quit the post of teaching for that class, but I knew that I couldn't let that happen to one of my colleagues. As the head, I consoled her and assured her that everything would be fine, and I would take care of things.

The next day, I went to pay the chaotic class a visit, and made it firm and very clearly that no teacher in the English Department would take their class and they can all be happy to fail the subject for their 'O' Levels if they do not listen to their teacher. After that incident, the class was well behaved, only with an exception of minor squabbles and complaints.

Many a times, I have to make trips to different Literature and English classes to get the students to behave themselves and get their co-operation. It seems that these kids have things to say that my teachers do not one to hear, or so they say. But I always give them a chance to say what they want and need, both my teachers as well as their students.

Yes, being the head is a very tough job and to fill in its shoes takes a lot out of a person. That is why I admire and simply respect all of the HODs of different departments in this school, as well as any other schools for that matter.

To you, what makes a good manager/head?

What makes a head or in-charge?

I think that the core values of the person itself has to be good and pure, like their own intentions. A head must be a good leader first - someone whom others respect and look up to, so that they know who they can trust. They have to be very outspoken and can interact well with not only their staff, but everyone else, because we can't have someone running the management if they are too conservative.

For me, I put my teachers' welfare first, then myself, as I care for them a lot. I ensure that my fellow staff are happy in their place, then I can feel relieved. I only achieve the sense of satisfaction that I have done my job right, once all my teachers come back to the staff room at the end of the day, feeling tired of course, but also accomplished and content.