While some misfortunes and
shortfalls in our systems are involuntary, a majority of these wrinkles can still
be ironed – after all, the system itself is man-made.
The blame game malady that has
plagued our officialdoms strangulated my privilege to receive the medal of the dedicated
service bestowed by His Majesty the King this year. While my mates of 2007 were
adorned with such recognition from the Golden Throne for their 10th
Year of service, my name was mislaid from the eligible list.
On asking the District Education Office why my name was missing, “the list of the entitled recipients
from your school has not been submitted on time to the district office” I was told.
Then, I asked the relevant stakeholders in the school and they replied, “We have already attached the
list of those eligible teachers”.
Instantly, I was roasted with
the conflagration of frustrations and choked with a throbbing defeat of this
very blame game. By now, I have witnessed the drama of blame game occuring repeatedly in every part of our system and came to realise that it has officially become a culturally approved phenomenon.
Unless rewards and
recognition are drifting into the tunnel of our direction, cautiously delivering
our service – even if we are mandated to – has now become a forgotten story.
Had it not been the recognition
from His Majesty the King, I would not mind slipping other accolades – for I
have achieved a lot.
However, realizing that life isn’t
a dress rehearsal, I have nonetheless, solaced myself to entomb the memory of
this misfortune with some embroidering milestones I conquered this academic
year 2018.
Even if the act was deliberate ignorance
or accidental negligence by the people who were tasked to do it, I only wanted to focus on what I have achieved thus far.
My Milestones
1. December 21, 2017 – January 10, 2018 (PISA-D Science Coder)
Following the endorsement of
Bhutan’s participation in PISA-D – an international
standardized assessment to measure 15-year-old students’ knowledge, skills, and
competencies in the three domains of reading, mathematics, and science during the
18th National Education Conference held at Phuentsholing – I was
privileged to be one of the six Science Coders selected amongst hundreds of school
PISA-D focal persons. It consumed almost a week to be a qualified science coder
after running through a series of evaluating processes based on international
standards.
In my capacity as the school
PISA-D focal person, I conducted a preliminary assessment on PISA-D
preparations under Wangdue district. The manuscript, after subjecting to a blind-peer
review got published in the Bhutan Journal of Research and Development (BJRD) – an academic journal maintained by the Royal University
of Bhutan.
2. January 1 (Publication in an International Journal)
One of the manuscripts
supervised by my advisors during my post-graduate study at Mahidol University
got published in Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching. This same academic paper was rejected twice for
publication by high-impact factor-bearing journals.
2nd in Asia and 13th
in the world in Education by ranking, this journal indexed in Scimago sufficed
my thirst for academic publication.
3. February 12 (The Precious gift)
The most precious gift, not for this year alone but for my entire life
is my little princess. More than infusing me with complete happiness and joy of
an unfathomable measure, the birth of my daughter Tshering Choden Wangdi brought
me a stroke of luck. Nothing in
my life gave me durable happiness of this sort, which is unequivocal and infinite.
She has now been the synonym of my life’s purpose and my vision for the future.
The love between us knows no distance that we miss each other even if we are separated
by a wall.
4. March 18 – April 14 (6th Young Professionals
Leadership Program)
19 days after my little angel was born, I was selected for the
prestigious Young Professionals Leadership Program held at Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS) at Phuentsholing.
RIGSS, a premiere leadership training institute is a brainchild of His
Majesty the King. YPLP is a course intended for mid-career professionals
based on meritocracy and their potential to be prospective future leaders.
The birth of my little lucky charm blessed me to be the recipient of this
prestigious program. Having an audience with His Majesty the King for more than
an hour itself was equivalent to this dedication medal.
5. April 2 (Sherig Endowment Fund)
I have been the recipient of the Sherig
Endowment Fund – the research grant bestowed by the Ministry of Education to bolster
research enterprise at the school level. While the proposal of some schools
could not make even once, I was lucky to be the recipient of this grant
2 times. The study conducted last year through this grant was published in RABSEL – the CERD Educational Journal. This year’s manuscript is currently under blind peer review.
6. June (6 – 9) and (13 – 17) (Facilitator for Action Research)
Erasmus has aptly put in, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is
king”. By the virtue of having a few publications and research know-how, I was
humbled to facilitate Action Research Workshop for 88 School Principals of the five
districts (Punakha, Wangdue, Gasa, Tsirang, and Dagana).
My presentations were grounded in 3Rs: Research, Resources, and Reinforcements.
I also shared some tips on using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) by
beginner researchers.
The Chief of the Teacher Professional Support Division on her visit to assess
the program acknowledged my voluntary academic contribution. I am yet to
collect my acknowledgement certificate which I am told to do so.
7. June 14-16 (Writing Project Work with Research Components)
Writing Project Work with Research Component which has now converted as
one of my personal annual academic events since 2016 is a platform where I impart to students of grades 9-12 how to write a research-based project work.
The new science curriculum demands that students submit work largely
based on investigations, inquiries, experiments, and explorations. But the majority
of our students are still stagnant with the conventional form of writing
project work – i.e. having an only introduction, body, and conclusion.
No matter who recognizes me, by this year, I have impacted thousands of
students. In a move to make it inclusive, I extended my volunteerism to teach
grade 12 Arts students how to undertake qualitative research as well.
8. July 3 – 12 (BCSE Physics Test Developer)
Never in my wildest dreams that I saw myself developing a Board
Examination paper for the nation. Thanks to the Bhutan Council for School
Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA) for entrusting this sacred duty. It was
an eye-opener for me to learn about developing competency-based questions, the
kind of which our national-level exam papers are made up.
9. September 12 (Presiding Officer)
Without the slimmest hesitancy during
the political debates, any candidate sodden with a political temper would opine on the availability of electricity, mobile connectivity, and road linkage in every nook
and corner of the Kingdom. Repentantly, this claim of accessibility is largely
a definitional morass in the arena of politics.
 |
| This only device that could receive signal exactly at this spot for me to report voter turnout |
 |
| Declaring the election results |
 |
| Reporting the election results |
Having presided over
during the primary election 2018 at Wogyal was a bitter-sweet experience.
Wogyal is a small hamlet under Wangdue district, situated at the forehead of
the nation’s acclaimed Punatshangchhu Hydro-power project but lacks energy
accessibility. Mobile connectivity is 99.9% sterile while the motorable road is
left halfway.
10. August 10 (BCSE Physics Guide
and Extension)
1000 copies of a comprehensive Physics
guide and extension book jam-packed with 420 competency-based questions were published
from the Kuensel Corporation Limited, Thimphu. With this publication, I got the
taste to embark into the publishing business, right from receiving a registration
number from Bhutan Info-Com Media Authority (BICMA) to getting ISBN from the Centre
for Bhutan Studies (CBS) to bargaining the printing cost with the publisher.
11. October 26 (Oral Presenter at Faculty-Student Research)
I have done an oral presentation
on one of my academic papers at the Faculty-Student Research Convention at
Samtse College of Education. Presenting in the attendance of professors,
college faculties, enthusiast trainee teachers and M.Ed professionals was not
only enriching but fulfilling. I travelled the Phuentsholing-Dorokha Highway, the
most peaceful, safe, and unused highway.
13. November 14 – 21 (Chief Visiting Examiner)
I was entrusted with the role
of a Chief Visiting Examiner for Physics at Nima Higher Secondary School during
the Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) by the BCSEA. As an
examiner, I had the opportunity to evaluate science project works and conduct science
practical examinations for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology along with two Biology
and Chemistry professional examiners.
14. November 28 (Manuscript submitted to an International Journal)
Following the critical reviews
and suggestions from the editors, I have submitted another manuscript for publication
in the Turkish Journal of Science Education which is also indexed. Since I have
made the required amendments with justifications, I am hopeful that it merits
publication.
15. December 6–7 (Facilitator for Action Research)
At the request of the Principal
of Samtengang Central School, I have facilitated Action Research Workshop for
35 teachers. The elucidation of the action research model (Maxwell’s model)
popularly followed in Bhutan, developing research questions and generating their
own research proposal was done successfully. At the end of the workshop, the principal
gracefully endorsed the action research topics submitted by 5 subject
departments. My appreciation to the Principal who assured me to render administrative
support and financial incentives for the team to complete the action research
next year on their proposed topic.
16. December 20 – January 4 (Chief Marker for Physics)
More than 13,000 grade ten
students have appeared at BCSE this year. 38 physics teachers along with thousands
of other subject teachers will assemble at the College of Science and Technology
for the winter evaluation camp. Thanks to the BCSEA again for giving me this privilege
to coordinate the marking of Class ten Physics this year. With the generous
guidance from the organization and 37 other markers, I wish things will sail
smoothly.
May the Kenchog Sum bless me as always!!!
‘The best achievement in life is doing something you think you can’t
do” – Anonymous
