An ex-colleague once lauded me as “a refreshing breath of fresh air”. And maybe that’s a nod to my unorthodox and creative ways.

So, my handphone has to now make space for ClassDojo — one more app that induces eye fatigue whenever I glance at my screen. But I turn this into a novel learning opportunity.

Whenever my son’s form teacher posted photos of the class happenings, I would be sure to comment and add in a Chinese idiom (成语). So far, my masterful body of work has included 他们玩得兴高采烈 and 我对这个活动赞不绝口. This is how my boy is gradually getting used to the likes of 兴高采烈 and 赞不绝口 — because I got him to read ALOUD my comments when I showed him the photos.

As if my stroke of genius wasn’t enough, I am crossing professional boundaries and helping my P6 students from my form class learn these idioms. I just show them my comment and urge them to “Read”! But since I don’t teach them any subject, I feel compelled to add some value into their lives and alleviate their anexity, albeit in a limited way.

Helping my form class students helps me as well. They struggle with the reading of these idioms — which helps me immensely in being patient with my son!

The picture depicts my New Year feast. May 2026 be kinder to me.