ON BECOMING A TEACHER

ON BECOMING A TEACHER

One day I believe, one of my students will take this torch from my hand and run for her lap. She will, in turn, go all the extra miles to bring this little sparkle of hope – warm as the fire and bright as the sun to share with her students who are still in the darkness of ignorance and the coldness of indifference. One day, I believe, the story of how I became a teacher will be passed forward to another generation of students. They will learn about the teachers who stopped at nothing to ensure the future of her student as well as the student, who was saved and inspired to be the teacher she is today. When that day comes, I will join my teachers, Ms. Julie Wee and Ms. Josephine Lin to welcome them in this profession of life-long learners, educator who never ever give up on any of our students.

Believe it or not, what we teach isn’t just content. What we give isn’t just knowledge. Like the parents who hold the child’s hand at first to teach him walk, who watch over his safety yet allow him to grow by falling hard onto the ground, who eventually, learn to let go and see him run away from their protection, teachers are the same. Certainly, it is our responsibility to equip the students with skills and knowledge and prepare them for the real world outside of school. However, I could not help but wonder: how many people actually use chemistry or physic theory in their daily lives, how many people talk literature, examine rocks or watch the turning of the stars – yet at the same time, what actually motivates an ordinary student to study Biology and becomes a doctor, who saves thousand lives. No matter what subject we teach, it has never been solely the subject content that matters but rather the thirst for knowledge that we want to cultivate in our students. In my opinion, an effective teacher is an educator who evokes students’ doubts, inspires them to challenge their understanding and explore the alternatives to find the answer that uniquely belongs to them. This teacher, who gradually makes himself redundant in his students’ learning experience, is actually the most effective educator, academically. Miss Josephine Lin, my high school Literature teacher, was such an inspiration like this to me. She pulled me away from my comfort zone of “it is hot” and “I was sad” to the extreme end of “the sky is burning” and “I am drowning in despair”. Literature, the intimidating subject in which I failed again and again became my source of power and my passion. Before I even noticed, I started writing my own poems – the stories I did not know how to tell, the tale I once failed to express. Before I knew it, she no longer walked with me but watched me from afar as I ventured further to deepen my knowledge in the arts. She was indeed, one of the best teachers I ever had.

Furthermore, the students’ development does not just evolve around his math and science, literature and humanities; neither is his success defined by the mere A, B or C in his report card. It would be regretful if teachers forsaken the students’ emotional growth for academic achievement. More than often, we blame our students for what they cannot do rather than praise them for what they can and the effort they put. From the very beginning of literacy, poor readers are accused of “not trying hard enough” – little did we know, it was the brain pattern, an inborn feature just like our crooked teeth and rough skin, which prevented them from reciting poems as much as they want to. A true teacher is someone who has the heart for the student, who knows the student’s emotional growth like the palm of her hands and help them overcome their self-doubts. When I was at the last year of secondary school, before the final examination, my best friend committed suicide. Dumbfounded, shocked, struck by the overwhelming despair, I lost my focus in class. My scholarship was in danger of being taken away. My form teacher gave up on my uncontrollable and frequent outbursts. Had it not been for Ms. Julie Wee, I would not know what my life could be right now. Ever patient, ever kind, she would stay late after school to help me catching up with my lessons. She would lend her shoulders and allow me to cry without telling me to “toughen up” and “stop the commotion”. Step by step she brought my feet back to the ground. This “under achiever”- a name branded by the school, went into top 5% scorers nation wise. I was able to keep my scholarship and moved on to college with the precious lesson to love, and to let go.  

The story of how I became a teacher was simple. It was almost similar to the one of Ms. Lin and many other teachers before us. When I found out that the teacher who once saved Ms. Lin from a hyperactive student to the amazing teacher she is today was Ms. Julie Wee, I know it must be fate that I am indebted to pass this gift forward.

There will come a time, when I will not be able to recall all the literal devices taught in class, when I can no longer recite Shakespeare’s The Tempest or Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid Tale. Even when that time comes, when everything changes, certainly there is something that forever remains. In my heart, I will always remember my ardent love for learning everything that is new; my greed for acquiring knowledge - the treasures of the world beyond my own. I will remember how simple lesson holds magic - the elation at "owning" a foreign word, tucking it safe and sound into my brain, copying song lyrics over and over, yet barely understanding its meaning. Above all, I will always remember the thunderous shatter of my fear for the unfamiliar – the wall my teachers taught me to conquer. I will forever remember my teachers, who inspired me to be better than who I ever thought I could be - the teacher I dream to be.