Tribute To Teachers
By Zasika Musdi

Bandar Seri Begawan - Teacher's Day was officially celebrated last Sunday as a token of appreciation for the 'parents at school' and their never-ending efforts of providing knowledge.

"The idea of influencing the lives of children and guiding them with lessons for life is one that really appeals to me. I fancy a shot at being Sidney Poitier. Yet the responsibilities that come with being an educator outweighs that of any other job," said a 25-year old IT manager.

Patience is a virtue, and it is also the most valuable quality that a teacher should possess. Those who were interviewed by The Bulletin unanimously stated this.

Dealing with sometimes at least four classrooms a day could be too tedious for some, but with patience, it could be overcome.

"I don't think I would have the patience to become a teacher," said Reeda Malik, 37, a civil servant.

He recalled his experience with one of his favourite teachers, Mr Gokul, who taught him English, Commerce and PE at St Margaret's in Seria.

"He was young, hip, and on the same wavelength as us kids at the time. He was always joking with us, and the way he taught was really great. He never spoke down to us, but rather, he taught us like he was telling us stories around the camp fire."

"Inter-school debating and oratory competitions were great memories with Mr Gokul. He always took the time to discuss current affairs with us and he would get us to think about the issues. The intense training and preparation for the competitions, and of course, winning some of them were great memories."

When asked what the impacts his teachers had on him were, Reeda answered, "Creative thinking and critical thinking were the two significant impacts which I've been fortunate enough to gain from some of the really good teachers in my past."

"I don't think I could work with the knowledge that I have the responsibility of educating the youths of our nation. I was a kindergarten assistant for a while at JIS, but after that, I knew I couldn't do it," said Suzanna Rasani, 24, a Kristal FM DJ, while sharing her views on teaching.

However, she truly believed that her teachers were the ones who have moulded her into who she is now. "Of course, there are other people who have contributed, but teachers play a bigger part, as they were there from the start."

Teachers also encourage you to never give up. Nadiah Ishak, 27, said, "They taught me how to never give up when I got bad grades; they kept pushing me to do well in a non-threatening way.

"They always listened to me when I voiced out a concern about the subject or whenever I had other problems - they became counsellors as well." She shared a lot of experiences with her teachers, but the most fun, according to her, was when her teachers taught her how to play the guitar.

Hamizah, 22, a biology student from Universiti Brunei Darussalam, is considering the prospect of becoming a teacher, like her mother. "I can imagine myself teaching biology to high schoolers, and then promoting conservation among the kids."

She owed her continuous passion for Biology to Mrs Nor Chua from Maktab Sains, who encouraged her to study Biology up to 'A' Levels and then continue onto university.

Maurina H A Hamid, 21, is an aspiring teacher who is undertaking BA Education (Teaching English as a Second Language) at UBD. What inspired her to become a teacher was that it is part and parcel of her idealistic "wanting to change the world" plan.

Maurina, who will be teaching Secondary Level English after she graduates, also shared her teaching observation experience with the Bulletin: "It was a nice school really, with great students brimming with potential.

"But the school was severely (with emphasis on severely) understaffed and that is possibly the biggest impediment to the student's success. Teachers were pressured under too much workload and couldn't perform their best.

"Students (especially the smart ones) were mostly bored as a result and this further lead to disciplinary problems, which were dealt with, but the root of the problem was not resolved, thus it didn't stop."

When asked what qualities she thinks a good teacher should have, she said, "They have to be made like a hard and tough drill sergeant, loud, relentless and straight to the point, but possessing a warm and forgiving heart, while being patient and tolerant towards the most difficult of students.

"They should have a sense of humour so they could laugh even during the most bitter of days, and compassion to share with the most unfortunate of those under their wings.

"They should be extremely organised because chaos isn't attractive and they must love to seek knowledge so students could get inspired!"

She also thinks that the students now are luckier due to the improvement of education as compared to some 30 years ago.

"There are more facilities, more resources, more fun, and more games in learning and definitely better teachers. Teachers are luckier as well, the pay is better and though teaching arenas are getting more challenging, it just makes the job even nobler. Teachers can change the world!"  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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