Making Changes in Every Child

Reflecting on the days i have been through in SK Brickfields (1), i can't help but to confess that school is the place for me now. From the day i walked into the school, i never walked out of the school thinking 'this is the shittest ever job in the world'. All i could ever think and feel is to give up. No kidding. There are so many challenges and obstacles in the classroom which simply drive me crazy and headache!

Yet, after a cold shower yesterday, as i lay back on my bed, i started reflecting every single incident that has happened last few days. As my cousin, Siao Ling Ah-jia onced said, 'every step of one's life journey is a challenge, regardless of his age'. Come to think of the chronological development we've gone through, this is exactly what i mean. Often, when we see juniors or those studying for UPSR, PMR, and SPM, we like to tell them 'Easy lar. no problem one lar.' This is it.

So, what's the big big challenges in school?

For once, i am given a weaker class: 5P class. It's the second better class of the two classes for primary 5. Before entering the class, plenty of comments from different teachers were heard: naughty students, English proficiency very low, no interest to learn, look out fortwo notoriously hyper students and bla bla bla...

Surprisingly and gladly, the class did not go out of control often. In fact, they were quite quiet and did not bother to disturb my class. Maybe it is still in the very early of the teaching stage. Yet, i want to give a big hug to Ron Clark's movie which usefully taught me how to handle behavioural problems. Those of you who have problems overcoming behavioural issues, you are advised to watch this. FYI, this is a movie not made only for behaviour management, it's about finding success in every child! Go watch it!


If behavioural problems are settled, so what's the big deal then? Man, only God knows how low their language proficiency is. Low motivation, low interest, shyness to speak up, and low proficiency in reading, writing and listening. Considering all of these factors, i cannot deny that some of the students do not and did not understand my instructions at all. (Been there, done there. Once, i asked one student what he should do, no reply. Asked if he understood what i was saying, he said 'no'). This probably made them so quiet in class.

After an interview with some of my students yesterday, i found out that most of them come from either low socio-economic family background (parents work at Carrefour, postoffice and as taxi driver) or broken family. Cases like parents divorce, staying with stepfather, or stepmother or grandparents are not rare in Malaysian school now. Undoubtedly, children suffering from one of all these hardships are not guided to learn well, not aware of the importance of education, and of English too.

That's why after each lesson, i felt exhausted thinking of their language level. I was once told by my lecturer in QUT that i am better off teaching gifted kids. But, here i am teaching the worse class in primary 5, where the students fail to write even one simple sentence, to speak one sentence of English, and to listen to a simple instructions. Just feel like giving up!!!

Somehow, there is something is holding me on. First, I was reminded of what my cousin once said before. Secondly, I was reminded of the God's wonderful gift for me. I would be dead by now if it is not for the gift of life He has now given me. Thirdly, i was reminded of a quotation which says, 'if you are going through hell, keep walking.' haha... how true is that statement? and fourthly and lastly, I am put here in 5P to make a change in every child, to make changes in each of them. And if there is one student whose life i have changed, i am a success.

Somehow, i can see a glimpse of hope in some of my students. i said 'some' because i had just talked to some of them yesterday. you see, what i care is not so much of them keeping quiet in class. what i really care about is them having the right attitude to want to learn English, the positivity to know that learning English is FUN, the braveness to speak up in English, and the desire to talk to me about what they don't know or what they want to know more of.

I see this in them. After a talk with some of them yesterday, i was a little happy because they want to learn English. It is them who really want to learn. One boy after i took 30 minutes drilling him to read five sentences correctly, he told me he wanted to read it one last time. And yesterday morning, one girl who is my student showed up in my office and told my colleague that i am an interesting teacher. Man, that is an early compliment.

As was mentioned before, I am put here in 5P to make a change in every child, to make changes in each of them. And if there is one student whose life i have changed, i am a success. I know it will take lots of time, effort, patience, guidance, consistency, courage, commitment, and not to mention the amount of money i am spending on them! But at the end of the prac, i will know all of these are worth it.

Way to go Mr Ling.