Impacts

Last night, Ryan, an ex-student said hi to me. It's nice of him to remember me. I was his form teacher for about a month or so last year. He's a nice boy. When I went to bed, I started to think about the impacts that I've left on the kids that I've taught. I remember the first year that I was teaching, there was this kid that left an impact on me. And the funny bit, he wasn't even in my class.

He lives in Bukit Panjang and at that time, WK living in Bukit Panjang and sometimes we would catch the same bus. Kenneth would tell me about his life and that's was when I learnt a lot from a kid and the impacts that he had on me. Years, later, he still remembers me. He made me realise the sanctity of marriage and how important is it to really plan for a kid. And as much as I tried to, hopefully, I left positive impacts on his life.

As a teacher, it is inevitable for us that we leave impacts on lives of the students that we teach. It can be positive or negative. I'm pretty sure that I must have left some negative impacts on some kids' lives. Not that I'm very proud to say that. At the end of every year, I do reflect and wonder have I done my best, have I short changed some kid in my class or have I been the teacher that the kids wanted. And at the beginning of every year, I tell myself to do better this time round. Before I left for Sydney, I was teaching 3E. That was one of the best classes that I've taught. I loved those kids totally and till now, I still miss them. Zach and Vaenu were the both that taught me lessons. I learnt to treat them with respect despite the disability that they had. They were dyslexic. It was when I gave them respect that they returned it and love coming to school.

The class that I probably short changed the most is 1 Loyalty. The class that I left behind when I came to HK. When I started teaching this class, I knew that I was already going to HK. I tried to get out of teaching this class as I know that with primary one class, the kids need stability. But guess, the management wasn't listening enough to the hints that I was dropping when I told them that I didn't want to teach primary 1. I miss my kids. I feel that I wasn't doing justice to them when I left. These little primary 1 kids taught me valuable and humbling lessons. How apt is it that I start my career in teaching with primary 1 kids and then end my teaching career in Spore with primary 1 kids again. Well, maybe some day, some day, I might return back to teaching in Spore.

To all my kids that I've taught before. I do miss you kids heaps! And if you do read my blog, pardon your teacher's language at times......And to those who are taking your exams...All the best! Try your best....

9.25 pm

Hong Kong