Orig. written: Thursday, May 18, 2006

Sometimes, being the imperfect person that I am, I get annoyed at people who have no initiative, especially at work and most especially when those people are getting three times my salary merely because they have more work experience than me, and are older than me (and of course they like to play the boss's pet.)


But I don't want to deal on that frustrating, annoying and depressing thought. I just remembered one particular school moment that somehow instilled an initiative in me. I am not perfect but because of this experience, I often try to do the things expected of me, without being told.

One of the greatest teaching routine in our elementary school, I realize just now, was that every week, we got to learn twenty new English words in our Spelling subject. The "Word List" was usually given every Friday, along with the assignment of looking for the meaning of that twenty words and then translate those words in our dialect and then use those words in a sentence (in English of course, not dialect. LOOL) .

So for us back then, it was so tedious coz we have to look up the words in the dictionary, ask our parents what it means in our dialect and then struggled to use it in a sentence.

Then one Friday in our sixth grade (we've been doing it since first grade), our homeroom adviser (who's usually our teacher for Spelling, Reading and Phonics) just gave us the Word List but forgot to give us the assignment of finding the meaning, translating in dialect and using in the sentence.

I remembered I rejoiced a lot then coz it was hours of more free time in the weekend for me. When Monday came and our teacher prepared to go over the usual routine of asking for the meaning, exlplain the word further to us and have us spell the word three times and write the words three times in our spelling drill notebook, the majority of us squealed and complained, saying that she did not give us the assignment.

And she chuckled at our reaction. However, Janice Marie (to differentiate her from the Janice only) said that she did it though.

And what did our teacher do? She praised Janice Marie for her initiative, wrote the word "initiative" in the blackboard and explained the meaning of the word - doing things expected of us without being told. And Janice Marie got extra points (much to the disappointment of some of us, especially those in the honor rolls for up to the last decimal point matters then. LOL)

That had been a very enligtening and a very learning experience for me. I can still remember that day so clear until now. So from then on, I often try to bring out my initiative. :D :D

Labels: initiative, life lessons