A tribute to my own teachers

As Teachers' Day approaches, it is perhaps an apt time for me to pay tribute to mine as well and to talk about the journey that lead me to this profession after more than a year of teaching (since according to J, I have yet to update on this aspect of my life).

I made the decision to join this profession after my secondary school. Although I had also left my options open to more glam possibility like chemical engineer as a backup, the original choice has never waivered.

I must admit that I am very lucky to have good teachers in my academic life. I loves my primary school teachers who told such great stories, especially the older Chinese teachers! And there is the superman-lookalike Mr Chan who really challenged me to greater heights in P6 with seemingly impossible English vocabulary at that time (and he is also the one for whom I have to write extra big for due to his eye operation) and a Ms Heng who is ever so caring and introduced wonderful authors like roald dahl, magaret mahy etc to us. All of my p5 classmates still remembered her fondly and two years ago, we managed to track her down and invited her to our primary5 class outing. And the list goes on. I had a good time in primary school although I am not sure if that could be said for generations beyond mine. I was never troubled or stressed by PSLE because at that time, it was just a state-level examination lor. Ignorance could be a bliss. And I guess I have always been driven by an intellectual curiosity of things which is why I am never fazed by questions or become defensive but find them intriguing instead.

Then there was my secondary school which is very important to me and this entry would not exist if not for two teachers who have made a difference in my life.

Teacher 1
As a kid, I was rather quiet and would always try to wiggle my way into the shadows. But this teacher recognize potential in me that I would never have realize or even try to deny when she entrusted me with a leadership role after she had convinced others to give me a second look (secondary information). And that move changed my life because I had the chance to learn from the best around, natural leaders who you can really admire. I do not think I was a great leader then but you pick up a few things over the years and there were also my own insecurities to deal with - It was only later in life when I realised that my leadership style is very different from most in a test done by about 40 and only 1 (me) exhibit a particular style. These days, I am able to reconcile that and come into my own being.
But the important thing is she believed in me even when I don't and she offer me the chance to shine in my own rights.


(I must also state here that people of my era are products of a different generation and educational landscape. In the past, there was little positive affirmation (that was later imported from the States). Unlike kids these days who came across as vocal and with a stronger sense of identity (positive and negative because +ve affirmation that gets too carried away lead to inflated perception of oneself - we have seen too much of those these days), pple are more humble, more accommodating and more real but also less assured of their abilities. Of cos, there is pros and cons to the paradigm shift and perhaps this generation do need that kind of personality.)

Teacher 2
She encouraged me to write the way I choose to write.
My Chinese essays used to run into 6 or more sheets (not pages) easily when I am inspired and I tend to write on rather funny theme for a secondary school kid of my time - I wrote about rape(sec 1 final yr exam), child abuse(sec 2 mid yr), latch-key kid etc. She finds my writing style and choice of words refreshing when she came in and took my class in sec 4. But the thing is, writing for leisure and exams is in two different contexts. She would remind me that I cannot write like that during exams while continuing to encourage me to develop my style. Not all teachers would do that. Many would try and stop you to get you to write in the prescribed way (I got a little of that in JC) especially when I was scheduled for O's. And it was her belief and encouragement that gave me the confidence to continue writing after my Jc life. I went on to publish two stories/essays done in my free time during NS, one for the local Chinese papers and one for a little local title, both of which I gave her a copy. I was encouraged by that achievement (because those were the only two which I sent out) and I knew she was proud of me. When I went back to my secondary school for my teaching practice, she told me that after more than 10 years of teaching students and teachers, (she is a master-teacher), I am one of her two most creative students.

As for the rest of my works, I had wanted to do a compilation when I hit 20 works or something to give to my friends (who were always there for me and being part of my works) and her but the dearth of inspiration since my final year of Uni had kept that dream at bay and I also need to get in touch with my deteriorating language ability these days. I guess I am having a hell of a time living another immediate dream.

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Kudos to my two teachers for they have inspired and shaped me to be the teacher I am today.

This blog entry contains some words of appreciation but the impact goes a long way and they have definitely done more than that.

I returned to school to leave gifts in their pigeon holes on every teachers' day for the past 6-7 years, except for the year when I was in US.