LONG SERVICE AWARD

With the President and First Lady in 2004

With the then Min of Education Adm Teo


Another photo with Adm Teo

Photo taken in 2005

Photo taken in 2007

At a Drama Course

Another shot at a Drama Course

With friends at a workshop

Winning a staff bowling competition

During an EL Day with Siti

Mentor for new beginning teachers

Cooperating teacher for NIE student teacher

Our Action Research paper got published

Research paper got published in this book

Long Service award presented to me by my VP

With a humanities dept colleague, Siti Z

HOW TIME FLIES

I was recently awarded with a long service award for thirty years of teaching service. I didn't realise that I have been teaching for more than half of my life. My love affair with teaching began in 1976 when I applied for a trainee teacher. My father had been retrenched and being the eldest child, I had to help the family. I was selected to attend a three year full time course, earning $220 per month. I had to report for lecture in the morning at Paterson Road and reach Tiong Bahru Primary School by 1.30pm. The school had since closed. It was truly hectic and sometimes had to catch my lunch in the bus. In 1979, I joined Bendemeer Secondary School as an English and Geography teacher. I also taught Art for a few years because of teacher constraint while there.

When I got married in 1985, I applied for a transfer for a school since my hubby and I had applied for a flat at Yishun. I was then staying at Bendemmer Road. Within less than a month, we received a letter from HDB asking us to choose our flat. I received a new posting to teach at Yishun Secondary and have been there since the school began in 1986.

Teaching is a calling. Not everyone can fit the bill to be a teacher. It takes a lot to be a teacher. Only a teacher would understand what I meant.

THE CREATION OF THE TEACHER

The Good Lord was creating teachers. It was His sixth day of 'overtime' and He knew that this was a tremendous responsibility for teachers would touch the lives of so many impressionable young children. An angel appeared to Him and said, "You are taking a long time to figure this one out."
"Yes," said the Lord, " but have you read the specs on this order?"

TEACHER:
…must stand above all students, yet be on their level
... must be able to do 180 things not connected with the subject being taught
... must run on coffee and leftovers,
... must communicate vital knowledge to all students daily and be right most of the time
... must have more time for others than for herself/himself
... must have a smile that can endure through pay cuts, problematic children, and worried parents
... must go on teaching when parents question every move and others are not supportive
... must have 6 pair of hands.

"Six pair of hands, " said the angel, "that's impossible"

"Well, " said the Lord, " it is not the hands that are the problem. It is the three pairs of eyes that are presenting the most difficulty!"

The angel looked incredulous, " Three pairs of eyes...on a standard model?"

The Lord nodded His head, " One pair can see a student for what he is and not what others have labeled him as. Another pair of eyes is in the back of the teacher's head to see what should not be seen, but what must be known. The eyes in the front are only to look at the child as he/she 'acts out' in order to reflect, " I understand and I still believe in you", without so much as saying a word to the child."

"Lord, " said the angel, " this is a very large project and I think you should work on it tomorrow".

"I can't," said the Lord, " for I have come very close to creating something much like Myself. I have one that comes to work when he/she is sick.....teaches a class of children that do not want to learn....has a special place in his/her heart for children who are not his/her own.....understands the struggles of those who have difficulty....never takes the students for granted..."

The angel looked closely at the model the Lord was creating.
"It is too soft-hearted, " said the angel.

"Yes," said the Lord, " but also tough, You can not imagine what this teacher can endure or do, if necessary".

"Can this teacher think?" asked the angel.

"Not only think," said the Lord,. "but reason and compromise."

The angel came closer to have a better look at the model and ran his finger over the teacher's cheek.

"Well, Lord, " said the angel, your job looks fine but there is a leak. I told you that you were putting too much into this model. You can not imagine the stress that will be placed upon the teacher."

The Lord moved in closer and lifted the drop of moisture from the teacher's cheek. It shone and glistened in the light.

"It is not a leak," He said, "It is a tear."

"A tear? What is that?" asked the angel, "What is a tear for?"

The Lord replied with great thought, " It is for the joy and pride of seeing a child accomplish even the smallest task. It is for the loneliness of children who have a hard time to fit in and it is for compassion for the feelings of their parents. It comes from the pain of not being able to reach some children and the disappointment those children feel in themselves. It comes often when a teacher has been with a class for a year and must say good-bye to those students and get ready to welcome a new class."

"My, " said the angel, " The tear thing is a great idea...You are a genius!!"

The Lord looked somber, "I didn't put it there."