Teachers: The Dream Keeper

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/12/04/your-letters-teachers-are-dream-keepers.html

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. (William Arthur Ward).

Commemorating Teachers’ Day on November 25th, 2013, I took a moment of silence to honor all the teachers in my life for their special contributions. Everyone without doubt had a great teacher in their childhood. In my case, aside from my Mum and Dad, it was my kindergarten teacher and junior high school English teacher who I remembered the most.

My kindergarten teacher was the most affectionate, caring and loving person who taught all those qualities to her pupils. No matter how slow I was in class, she would keep supporting me to go on, smiling encouragingly. Crying when I was left behind in assembling my puzzle, she would dry my tears, and sat patiently until I finished without saying any scornful words.

She would say, “Never give up, dear. If you keep up doing things you find difficult to do, you would eventually nail it. Find your strengths, and make them shine.”, and patted my wet cheeks.

Meanwhile, my junior high school English teacher was constantly upset with my grammar and pronunciation. Nothing he did seemed to work. I was frustrated with the foreign language, and felt it a waste of time. That was until one day, after the class was over, he ordered me to stay. Out of his worn-out suitcase, he pulled out a worn-out children’s storybook. Carefully, he read page after page with powerful and compelling words. Then he had me to read it in turn.

I was drawn with his flawless storytelling, stories that my Dad used to make me read in Bahasa when I was a child, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the Ugly Ducking. I would have never thought before that learning English would be that fun.

“They key to learn English is having fun. Don’t look at it as a burden. Watch cartoon in English, read stories you love. I promise you’ll have it mastered before long.” Closing the book, he smiled tenderly.

Many years afterwards, I found the language easier to learn. With the internet age, I was able to have the maximal benefits of understanding the international language to learn many new things and facts. I found my strengths in my writing skills. I found the new world to explore and discover imagination I would have not dared to dream in the real world.

These teachers have shown me that teaching is not a matter of expanding intelligence the students only, ensuring them to graduate with perfect scores. What matters most is a teacher’s efforts to work with the unique strengths a child bring to the classroom. What is important the most is to teach by heart, exhibiting good role model.

These teachers are the first brick in the structure of social development and perfection and the cause of guiding and developing behaviors and mentalities of individuals and communities. Math, science, history and social studies are important. But children need love, someone to listen, standards to live by. Teachers provide upright examples, the faith and assurance of responsible people.

For me personally, these teachers are real live heroes in my life, the ones that change my life for the better. They inspire their students to dream big. Teaching is about life-long learning, having fun and inspiring students to learn and do their best. They taught me that it would not matter what kind of job I have, what kind of car I drive, what kind of house I lived in, how much I have in the bank, nor what my clothes looks like as long as I am useful for others and inspire them to be better.

Too many people are looking for heroes in all wrong places; movie stars, musicians, athletes, and models. They are celebrities. Heroes abound in public schools; teachers who dedicate their everyday to inspire their students to be better each day.