Foundations Newsletter

I am currently working in the Foundations program at Sharjah Men’s College. However, my ideas for HCT poetry came after spending 5 years at Fujairah Women’s College where I began to write short works for my level 1 and Pre-Foundation students. In the past, I used poems as listening and rhyming exercises based on unit themes. I also was involved in the FWC poetry day and recited my poetry to staff and students during library week. My inspiration for ‘Ode To BBL’ came when we struggled to do final assessments on iPADS. ‘Exam Dance’ ideas came naturally as we are now invigilating every 8 weeks.  ‘Ode To Ban Five’ is dedicated to students’ struggle for success on the IELTS exam. My poems always express my passion, but I also like to keep things on the ‘bright’ and ‘light’ side! I hope you enjoy them!

Ode To BBL

Bedazzle me with BBL
Try it, make me fly
Why don’t I use it every day
You can imagine my reply

Students groaning, teaching moaning
Oh where IS that cursed code?
Welcome to my BBL classroom
To my loving chaotic abode

Tapping here, tapping there
My browser won’t work
Miss I need your help
I turn at once with a jerk
Bliss planted on my face
Visualize myself in another place
Other than my cheery room
Calm and bubbly that I am
Distant from any doom and gloom

Ode to Ban 5 – 06/09/16

I sit, I dream I smile and wait

To have that ban, that mark is great

Seeing a five’s gonna make me smile

It will be all worth it after awhile

The teacher droans on there’s no escape

The ten minute breaks students longingly wait

Some can’t seem to stumble to class on time

Oh no, task 2 again, most of them whine

I try to see through the foggy haze

Of this level 4 total IELTS craze

I don’t want to be here for too long

I gotta have a laugh or two

Before we’re gone

Linguistic bliss for you

 

Exam Dance – 15/12/16

Step one, step two

Oh here I am, just me and you

Pacing in sheer delight

We go on

basking in an endless exam fright!

 

Clunk, creak, thump

There goes the open door

It seems this class could use

AT least one invigilator more

Walking with purpose

Is effective they say

We can relish in students all

Writing their last exams today

 

Never has a task been envied

By teachers all but none

Sliding up the spacious rows

Academic zombies, one by one

 

Lurking over student shoulders

They often cast a glare

To those that peek

At friends beside

For an answer or two to share!

 

Tapping pencils on the tables

Sniffling noses to appear

Yawning, scratching sighing

Oh my do the minutes

They crawl by

 

Thuck! A hand goes up

A student gasp does emit

The first one of the group

Exclaims ‘Finished!’

And the others throw a fit!

 

The rustling and the squirming

Continues on

It’s really quite a gas

I wonder exactly how many

Of these little guys are

Really gonna pass