‘ A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.’
– American historian, Henry Brooks Adam
My friends, a belated Happy Teachers’ Day to all of you.
Malaysia celebrated Teachers’ Day three days ago —on May 16. It was a special day for the appreciation of teachers and an opportunity to recognise their dedication and hard work in guiding us through our learning journeys.
If you are a teacher or a student, did you have a fun and memorable day in school? Teachers, did you receive many meaningful cards or gifts from your students? Students, was there a Teachers’ Day celebration in your schools?
I asked my younger sister how her school celebrated Teachers’ Day long ago.
“In secondary school, my classmates and I brought food from home and shared it with our teachers. Some came with fried beehoon, mee or cakes while I made sandwiches,” she replied.
I asked a colleague what she did for Teachers’ Day this year. She shared pictures of beautiful gifts she made for her children’s class teachers.
I saw cute furry bears made from towels and Happy Teachers’ Day cards and messages for the teachers. She has three children —two boys and a girl — and all are in primary school.
“ I cannot afford to buy gifts from the shops,” she told me.
“But the gifts you made are so lovely,” I told her. Indeed, if I were one of the teachers, I would be very pleased with the gifts. The best gifts in life, I think, are those that come from the heart and are made with love.
My colleague also shared a picture of her son, a Primary Six boy, and his classmates in Malay costumes. They were performing a traditional Malay dance in front of the entire school. Such performances certainly added to the festive environment in the school.
When I was studying at St Elizabeth’s Convent School, now renamed SMK St Elizabeth, in Sibu, Teachers’ Day was celebrated on a grand scale.
There would be concerts with presentations by the senior classes and speeches. I have forgotten the speeches but memories of the fancy dress shows and creative comedy sketches remain with me.
Among those who wished all teachers in the country “Happy Teachers’ Day on May 16 were His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, the King and Queen of Malaysia.
In a post on Sultan Ibrahim’s Facebook page, Their Majesties said the sacrifices and contributions of educators should always be remembered because their role was crucial in the development of the nation and society.
Their Majesties said, “ Thank you to the teachers who have taught us; your knowledge and service will always be remembered.”
Although I was taught by male and female teachers, I have fond as well as bad memories mostly of the female teachers. First, let me share with you the memories that were not so good.
In the first few weeks of Primary One, a female teacher hit my fingers with a ruler because I was holding the pencil the wrong way.
I cannot remember that teacher’s name but I wished she had been gentler with me. I had not been to school before and in those days, at least in my old-fashioned, poor family, only the boys went to kindergartens.
I remember a fierce female teacher, Ms Tiong, who taught us Mandarin in Primary Six. She would use a hard round stick to hit the hands of those who failed the subject. I was among the unfortunate students.
She made me hate Mandarin so much that I chose to continue my education at St Elizabeth’s Convent School which did not offer the subject at all. It was a decision that I regretted decades later.
For years, I refused to speak Mandarin. Now, I am slowly relearning the language which is not only the official language in China but is spoken in various other countries like Singapore as well.
When I was in primary school, my command of the English language was not good. I did not fail the subject but I also did not excel in it.
I only excelled in English in Form Two and thereafter, thanks to the guidance of a few inspiring and hardworking female teachers like Madam Teo, Miss Philomena Wong and Cik Maria Dris.
Madam Teo was a small-sized teacher with a loud voice and every day, she gave us pages and pages of English grammar exercises to do. I remember staying up late and cracking my head to fill in the blanks with my own sentences and words almost every day.
Miss Philomena Wong, who graduated from an overseas university, was pretty to look at. She encouraged us to write essays on any subject we liked and would mark the essays out of 10 points. There were a few times when I got 8 out of 10 points.
I did not know it at that time but Miss Wong was already laying the foundation in journalism for me.
Last but not least, when I was in Form 4 and Form 5, Cik Maria Dris, who taught us English, stressed the importance of having a good vocabulary and comprehension skills. She would give my classmates and I a chapter to read in advance and then grill us on the meaning of the story, the phases and the words the next day.
Those who could not answer her questions had to stand up until someone came up with the right answer.
To all the female teachers who taught me good English, thank you, madam, from the bottom of my heart. I am where I am today because of you.
To all the female teachers who were not so patient with me in primary school, I forgive you. I think you wanted me to excel and were trying your best to do your job.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
