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).
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.
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