WRITING

`Abdur Razzaq told us after Mu’amir after Ayyub after Abu Qulabah as saying: Luqman was once asked: Who is the best one in terms of patience? He said: It is the one who practices no harm after observing patience. Those who asked him said: Who is the best one in terms of knowledge? He said: It is he who adds to his own knowledge through the knowledge of others. They asked: Who is the best from among the whole people? He said: It is the wealthy. They said: Is it the one who has properties and riches? He said: No! But, it is the one if whose good was sought, he would not hold it back or prevent it. And, it is the one who does not need anything from others 

~ Luqman on patience, knowledge, and goodness

I fell asleep quite early, slightly after 9 p.m. while surfing the internet.  Woke up again at around 12, performed some prayers, my body is still aching, so I applied some more deep-heat-rub-cream.  The pain is killing me, failed to sleep, therefore, I woke up, made myself a cuppa hot chocolate and start writing this entry.  Why did I choose 'writing'?  Don't go away yet, this is very important...please continue reading...I'm going to share with you some tiny-winy knowledge on 'Writing' as one form of WRITTEN COMMUNICATION.  This entry will share some info on the advantages of 'Written Communication' such as records, references and legal defenses in the context of language teaching.

Firstly, writing enables us to keep RECORDS of what we do (probably on daily / weekly basis).  Writing on blogs and Facebook are among the few popular ways of records.  Some treat blogging and facebook-ing (there isn't such word - just a jargon) as a way of keeping a diary.  I know!  I know!  'Diary' is SO yesterday!  But keeping a diary can do wonders!  I had breakfast with some very important colleagues this morning (or yesterday morning...Gosh!  I'm so confused with the time) ...As usual, language teachers are normally enthusiastic -- so many things to do in SO LITTLE TIME!  We talked  a little on teaching plans and I went "Yeah!  You got so many ideas there but you can't even write a proposal" and their respond is common  -- "We have so many things in mind but we have no time to write, but it's recorded in a voice recorder"...and I thought to myself, that's quite good but THAT has to be transcribed (from voice to written work)...Written communication has to take place so that everything can be recorded on paper...otherwise, things will just be gone with the wind.

Secondly, what ever that is written can work as 'REFERENCES'.  Don't belittle your own effort of delivering knowledge.  There's always something for people to learn from no matter how small your effort is.  Just get it written on papers properly.  Just write!  And some day, some where, there'll be people coming to you for references and voila!  A good deed is done!  Remember, Allah sees everything...  Good references will change other people's life...How?  Through many ways...expansion of ideas, contribution of ideas for a research or something, teaching ideas, or even setting up a good example to others...Inspire other people to replicate your research...etc.  You have to start small first.  You'll be surprised at how big your small notes will help you produce mega researches... (at least, that's what my lecturers used to tell me and it's proven).

Thirdly - DEFENSES.  This does not only apply to language teachers.  It applies to everybody in every field. Written communication provides defenses in so many ways like the 'purchase receipt', 'invoice', 'bookkeeping', 'attendance record', 'medical certificate', etc.  As for us, language teachers - our teaching record or the least we can do is our 'self reflection journal' can help us defend the method of teaching we choose to adopt.

To conclude, I'm not trying to be smart here...I'm not seriously writing either...This is just a reminder for myself...I don't know if this entry makes any sense to you or not but the point is - Educators must write! It's a 'record', a form of 'reference' and can be used as a 'defense' when need be.  How do you think people gets professorship? BECAUSE they profess!  AND they write!  Look at Rasulullah p.b.u.h.  He professed the Islamic religion values through two main ways ~ the hadiths and all his sunnah which were recorded by his wife, his friends and other imams after him.  Think about that!  We have to start somewhere...and TO GO UP, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FIRST GO DOWN...Start small, read a lot, make small notes, and end up with major research...Write them down, because...

TALK IS CHEAP, JUST GET UP, TAKE ACTION, WRITE & RECORD EVERYTHING!