Thursday, August 17, 2006
Respect thy Teacher
When I first started schooling, teachers were very queer beings. Sometimes, they laugh along with you, sometimes, they make you laugh. At other times, they even buy candies for you. But if you behave badly, they will scold you until you cry.
In primary school, i was told that in order to show respect the teachers, we must bow our head whenever we sees one. Being a teacher is a good career choice in Singapore. You get students to worship you whereever you go, and get paid even after retirement. Anyway, as a primary school student, the concept of respecting a teacher is a curious one. Teachers were people who are wiser, more matured and older than I am, therefore I must bow to them to show "respect". No question asked.
When i went into the glorious The Chinese High School, i was practically treated to having the best teachers in Singapore. By then I am matured enough to understand that even teachers have their fault, and teachers are just human like us. To make us respect them, there must be a logical and proper reason. Being a teacher as an occupation no longers warrant respect from students. The teacher has to earn it. Teachers in TCHS are loving, caring human who truly and seriously care for each and very student. They even went out of the way to ensure that students develope properly and healthy, not just in terms of academic results and physical performance, but also mental health. Simple, workable stress and time management were taught by teachers using their own personal experiences. Teachers tell jokes to relieve students' stress. Teachers have a very clear goal about what they want to do and how to achieve it. Every single teacher has their own distinct style that works. Every single teachers in TCHS commanded my respect and i bowed to every single one of them willingly. I respect them from the bottom of my heart, the dept of my soul. So did 2000 other students.
When I first came to AJC, I bow to teachers, more out of habit than of respect. Then, I slowly dropped the habit. For me to respect teachers, they must exhibit distinct qualities that geniuely shows that they care for the students and actively seek to understand them. Teachers must also be commited to teach and educate the students under their care. I came here and missed the teachers in AJC immediately. I did not mean that AJC teachers are bad or lousy. It is just that they do not go all the way out to reach out to the students. AJC's push on SDL where some teachers refused to teach students because any student with questions can always ask their classmate as there is bound to be someone in class who knows how to solve any particular question further lower the respect I had for some teachers. As a student, it certainly does not make sense to come to school for so many hours each day just to ask my classmates questions. What are teachers for?
Although this seems to be paint a negative picture on teachers in AJC, I must stress that there are many teachers who are good as well. The sad thing is that they are a minority, not a majority.
Mr Patrick Lim, my physics teacher who was recently appointed the physics head of subject, is one teacher i fully respect. He is able to bring across physics concept easily, and cares for everyone in class. However, I am unsure how to let my respect for him show. On many occasions I share the same MRT with him on the way to school. I tried greeting him politely once but he gave me a very stunted look and didn't say anything. Perhaps he wishes to keep a low profile. Prehaps he did not think that he managed to command respect from students from the bottom of their heart. Great people are like that sometimes.
Last year, when it seems that the school was going to change our physics teacher, Mr Lim appeared very sad during our last tutorial lesson, although he tried his best not to show it. He mentioned a few times to treasure classmates in our physics group because that was the last time we will be together in such an arrangement. It was lucky he was not posted to teach other classes. Prehaps an act of god. I don't know.
Unlike teachers who senselessly extend lessons into student's break, Mr Lim teachers quickly, efficently, and straight to the point, allowing us to understand difficult concepts in very short time and release us early for breaks because he know that the queue during breaks in AJC canteen is hellish.
Even when short on time, Mr Lim picks up his teaching pace, but ensures that everyone understand the concepts before continuing. This is unlike other teachers who on the constrain of time will just try to rush through everything without bothering to care if the students understand anything. As long as the teacher taught what he was there to teach, he had done his job. This is the mentality of many teachers here.
I hereby salute to Mr Lim, and wishes him good health and smooth career.
Thank you Mr Lim.
In primary school, i was told that in order to show respect the teachers, we must bow our head whenever we sees one. Being a teacher is a good career choice in Singapore. You get students to worship you whereever you go, and get paid even after retirement. Anyway, as a primary school student, the concept of respecting a teacher is a curious one. Teachers were people who are wiser, more matured and older than I am, therefore I must bow to them to show "respect". No question asked.
When i went into the glorious The Chinese High School, i was practically treated to having the best teachers in Singapore. By then I am matured enough to understand that even teachers have their fault, and teachers are just human like us. To make us respect them, there must be a logical and proper reason. Being a teacher as an occupation no longers warrant respect from students. The teacher has to earn it. Teachers in TCHS are loving, caring human who truly and seriously care for each and very student. They even went out of the way to ensure that students develope properly and healthy, not just in terms of academic results and physical performance, but also mental health. Simple, workable stress and time management were taught by teachers using their own personal experiences. Teachers tell jokes to relieve students' stress. Teachers have a very clear goal about what they want to do and how to achieve it. Every single teacher has their own distinct style that works. Every single teachers in TCHS commanded my respect and i bowed to every single one of them willingly. I respect them from the bottom of my heart, the dept of my soul. So did 2000 other students.
When I first came to AJC, I bow to teachers, more out of habit than of respect. Then, I slowly dropped the habit. For me to respect teachers, they must exhibit distinct qualities that geniuely shows that they care for the students and actively seek to understand them. Teachers must also be commited to teach and educate the students under their care. I came here and missed the teachers in AJC immediately. I did not mean that AJC teachers are bad or lousy. It is just that they do not go all the way out to reach out to the students. AJC's push on SDL where some teachers refused to teach students because any student with questions can always ask their classmate as there is bound to be someone in class who knows how to solve any particular question further lower the respect I had for some teachers. As a student, it certainly does not make sense to come to school for so many hours each day just to ask my classmates questions. What are teachers for?
Although this seems to be paint a negative picture on teachers in AJC, I must stress that there are many teachers who are good as well. The sad thing is that they are a minority, not a majority.
Mr Patrick Lim, my physics teacher who was recently appointed the physics head of subject, is one teacher i fully respect. He is able to bring across physics concept easily, and cares for everyone in class. However, I am unsure how to let my respect for him show. On many occasions I share the same MRT with him on the way to school. I tried greeting him politely once but he gave me a very stunted look and didn't say anything. Perhaps he wishes to keep a low profile. Prehaps he did not think that he managed to command respect from students from the bottom of their heart. Great people are like that sometimes.
Last year, when it seems that the school was going to change our physics teacher, Mr Lim appeared very sad during our last tutorial lesson, although he tried his best not to show it. He mentioned a few times to treasure classmates in our physics group because that was the last time we will be together in such an arrangement. It was lucky he was not posted to teach other classes. Prehaps an act of god. I don't know.
Unlike teachers who senselessly extend lessons into student's break, Mr Lim teachers quickly, efficently, and straight to the point, allowing us to understand difficult concepts in very short time and release us early for breaks because he know that the queue during breaks in AJC canteen is hellish.
Even when short on time, Mr Lim picks up his teaching pace, but ensures that everyone understand the concepts before continuing. This is unlike other teachers who on the constrain of time will just try to rush through everything without bothering to care if the students understand anything. As long as the teacher taught what he was there to teach, he had done his job. This is the mentality of many teachers here.
I hereby salute to Mr Lim, and wishes him good health and smooth career.
Thank you Mr Lim.
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