An Experience to Remember.........

Christina

Suhafna

Christina, Puteri & Jessica

Mages

Sibyl

4SB

4KB

Last Friday, 2 October 2009, was my last day in SMK (P) Sri Aman. Gosh, it was such a bad day…. Not a bad day as in a negative bad day, but a bad day as in I had to leave my students. Well, I would dare say that I am very attached to my students. This just reminds me of how quick time passes. 12 weeks ago, I was just starting to get my grip being a teacher and now, I am missing my students by the days! I truly wish that I can be in that school permanently and serve my school and my students. Throughout the whole 12 weeks, both classes were gems! They have been such tremendous blessings to me. In fact when I was given Form 4KB, everyone, even the UM trainees, told me, ‘Good luck with that class’, ‘Have fun’ and ‘That class is a problem’; that was what I was told before I even set my feet into the class. MY first impression was like ‘OMG’. Things began to play in my mind and I even wondered about my capability of controlling a naughty class….

On my first day in 4KB, the girls were superbly well-mannered! I thought to myself ‘Aiks, this ain’t so bad’…. True enough, I did not have much problems with 4KB. They have been so good and obedient. Even till the last day of my practicum, they were like hi Mr. J and all…. I heart just dropped thinking about them… I really had a whale of time teaching that class… There were so many moments of laughter. One which I could not forget was ‘Confidence is sexy’. When one of my students mentioned that, everyone in the class burst out laughing, including me! In that class, laughter was not the only thing we had. There were also moments where things got serious. Through it all, we managed to go through the entire think and thin together as teacher and students. As for 4SB, I could still remember the first lesson in which I made a blunder and fool out of myself. I was like… erm… sorry… this is my first time teaching you all… so… a little bit nervous…. When I said that, my students were so sweet… they said, ‘it’s ok teacher’. I was like, gosh, these girls….. I expected them to burst out laughing at me for the blunder that I made but it turned out that they were very supportive in what was doing. Thanks girls!

One of the valuable things which I learned throughout my entire practicum stint was that in order for one to be effective and respected, one has to be humble. I did it, and I enjoyed it! I always believed that even though teachers have all the power in the classroom, there isn’t a need for teachers to show that they are high and mighty to the students. My principle was to put myself down to the students’ level, work with them and understand them. These students are at the age where they are neither here nor there and as such, they need proper guidance and support from the people around them. What I learned from my own doing was that being on the same level as the students, I can see the way they look at thing, the way they work and also feel the way they feel. Once this is done, they will begin to appreciate us, teachers, more and even respect and remember us for life. (Well, I hope they do). Sometimes all we need is just to show some love, affection and respect towards the students. We need to show that we care for them. That’s just about it, love, care, respect and attention. Simple.

Working with the staff in Sri Aman has also taught me a lot of things! To be able to work with the English panel of that school was just an awesome experience! The teachers were very supportive, fun and sporting. They made my life in Sri Aman an memorable one! Personally, I felt that these teachers are truly passionate about their job! They were ever willing to share their experiences and time with us, trainees, which were priceless. All the teasing, joke and laughter will definitely be something that I remember the most. These people were just awesome! Sibyl, Suhafna, Puteri, Christina, and Mages (sorry for naming all of you without salutation), thank you for everything that you have done! I truly cherish all the time that we spent together. It has been a pleasure working with all of you. You taught me not only about career life but also about life in general. Not sure about you all, but for me, I see all of you not only as my teachers and mentors but also friends in which I can rely on. To sum it all, you all ROCK!!!!

In conclusion, my time in Sri Aman has definitely been a fruitful one. There were so many things which I have learned and that will carry me through my lifetime. I have not only found passion for my career but also friendship that I will never forget. As for my students, I will always remember all of you! I couldn't have done it without all of you! Remember, whenever anyone of you need any help, just feel free to buzz me on Facebook, MSN or drop me a text! I will be glad to be of help whenever and wherever I can. From me : ‘Once a teacher, always a teacher’. I LOVE YOU ALL!!! TAKE CARE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU ABUNDANTLY!!! HUGS AND KISSES!!! (can't do that in school)... haha! :-)