As always, at the beginning of a round, there’s a theme provided. This theme might be one of the best theme I’ve had. It’s “Make the Most of Your Learning”! Normally, we would be provided a specific theme and is assigned by different tasks. This theme, however is different. We could actually plan our own schedule during the English literacy hour! We can plan our schedule however we want, as long as what we are doing are English literacy related. We will document our tasks everyday in class, write down the time we spent on the tasks, check if we complete the task and description of the task. The main purpose of this theme is for students to be able to gain independence in class and have ownership of their own literacy class. Students can also bring tasks from other classes that are related to English literacy to work. I find it very convenience because you have the freedom of choice to choose what you wanted to work on.
Although we get to do a lot of independent work, but once in a week or so, we have assigned work to do as well. One of the work we have to finish was the novel study. We are required to choose any novel and finish it. During that period of time, we need to also keep a vocabulary log for the novel and at the end of the round, we need to do a book review of the novel we read.
I chose to read a novel named “Diving Deep, Going Far”. It’s about how Cambodian women are fighting for their rights against discrimination, forced marriage, etc… The title of the book is actuallly inspired by a Khmer saying that said “Woman can’t dive deep or go far”, however this book will proof that the saying is wrong based on the women’s experience. I found it very motivating and empowering to read the book. The book displayed a lot about the society in reality, not just fictional, imagining book. The book was written from four different women perspectives, which show us different experiences of all four of them.
Another task we did during this independent time is How to be Happy Essay. Below is the final draft of “How to be Happy When You’re Running Low Financially”.
Three Steps on How to be Happy When You Run Low Financially
Struggling to stay positive when the latest iPhone released and you found 10 dollars in your wallet? If so, this is the right place for you. Some people might find it very difficult to stay positive and happy when you are broke, but this tutorial will make you realize that being happy is an easy thing if you do it the right way. Just a reminder for you not to forget or skip a step, because it might result in a different way. Without any further ado, let’s get to the steps.
Step 1: Recognize that you are rich in many ways
According to Cosmopolitan and Lifehacks, we should appreciate and feel great about our strengths, about what we are rich in. According to Michelle Kennedy Hogan, an explorer, editor, author of 15 books mentioned, “People who are actually wealthy (in cash) might act stressed and frazzled, proving that being rich with cash may not be the best thing for everyone.” To add on to what the quote said, being rich (in cash) doesn’t mean that you are rich in heart. It’s best if you are rich in heart, like showing the kindness, the friendliness and the enthusiasm in you. This shows proof that you actually feel a lot better when you have the traits of being a great person than being rich in cash without the richness in your heart. If you have the traits of generosity, hard-working, etc… in you, there’s no doubt that you’ll be surrounded with friends that are supportive.
Step 2: Keeping a list of things you spent on.
Now you should start keeping a list of everything you spent on, even the smallest thing like buying a cone of chocolate ice cream. Keep the list with you all the time, especially when you are outdoors because that’s usually when you spend money most. The list could be written in a book or a note on your phone. Just have a three columns list of the name of things you bought, its price and would you considered it as a need or a want. Below is an example:
| Names | Price | Need or Want? |
| Teddy Bear | $20 | Want |
| Notebooks for different subjects | $10 | Need |
Step 3: Avoid It!
Keeping a list like one above will help you to reflect and not overspend again. After having this list noted down for the whole week, then you should look back and reflect on how you managed your wants and needs, maybe you spent too much on buying things you want when it’s not even a need. Remember to look at this list weekly and never forget to use it effectively. By that, you should minimize your wants as much as possible. Limit yourself to use your money for needs only and you can award yourself once in a while if you’ve done well managing your wants and needs.