Thank You, for Being My Students

I find it very touching that some students, including those that I don't really teach, actually make an effort to prepare gifts and give them to me for Teacher's Day. Here are some that I managed to take photos of:

Homemade non-alcoholic tiramisu in a glass, by Sarah Nathan of 1 Dickens

Sarah is not officially my student. I first got to know her from the time when I was relieving a Math period in her class. Since then, she made it a point to come and visit me in the staffroom almost every day. Most of the time she was actually seeing another teacher, but since my cubicle is closest to the staffroom entrance, she would stop by to say hi and maybe have some small talk, or complain about her brother.

Thank you, Sarah, for the wonderful tiramisu. It was quite delicious and very nicely prepared.

Acar buah by Maria Adibah Zaini

Maria is another students whom I don't officially teach. I know of her because she's a talented long jumper, and she also accompanies Sarah to visit me sometimes.

Thank you, Maria, for giving me a Malay-wedding-door-gift-like present to remind me that I am still an unmarried twenty-something man.

Chocolate chip cookies by Yau Yen Hui of 4 Columbus

Yen Hui is a student from one of my Additional Mathematics classes. She occasionally misses some of my classes, and sometimes comes in late because of her prefect duties. Despite that, she is a very hardworking student. She is also a talented singer and writer, and sings in a choir at the international level. She also regularly visits me at the staffroom during breaks or after school.

Thank you, Yen Hui, for your cookies, and for the pleasant and open conversations we often have.

Ferrero Rocher from Nicole Joy Sim of 4 Columbus

Nicole Joy is also one of my Add Maths students. She is quite quiet in class, and seldom asks me any questions, probably preferring to consult her friends instead whenever she needs assistance in completing a math assignment. For this reason, I do not know much of her. I kind of wish I do, because I find it very thoughtful (and not to mention pleasantly surprising) that she gave me this Ferrero Rocher fashioned in the shape of a flower, even though I seldom talk to her. She did not manage to give the gift to me personally --- I found it on my table after I came back to the staffroom from a game of football.

Thank you, Nicole, for the sweet gift, and even though we almost never talk, I want you to know that I am grateful that you are my student, and that I will always be there for my students whenever they need me.

Fairy cupcake from Nicholas Teh of 5 Dickens

Nicholas Teh is a student I will forever remember as the noisy hyperactive boy in a songkok that disrupted my class during my first day of work. Nevertheless he is quite smart and almost never hesitant to speak his mind. Because of this he can easily make conversation with any teacher in the school. Too bad I no longer teach him because he is Form 5 this year, and I only teach Form 4 students.

Thank you, Nicholas, for the wonderful cupcake, for making classes much less of a deathly boring routine, and for your incessant unrelated enquiries during my lessons.

...

To all my students --- regardless of whether I formally teach you or not --- I feel very honored to have you guys as my students. Always remember that whatever I do, I always have my students in mind, and all the work and assignments I give you are for your own good and never mine.


I always try to encourage self-learning and self-discovery by just providing some guidance and not spoonfeeding you with what you may already find in your books. I know this may result in some of you not performing well in the exams, but know this --- when you are climbing the uphill road to greatness, sometimes it takes a few tumbles and falls before you can realize what you need to do in order to reach the top. I took quite a number of these falls myself, learnt from them and took necessary steps to avoid falling again.


I hope your climbs and falls teach you better than I may ever be able to, and that you reach a peak higher than I have ever reached. As a teacher, my hopes would always be for the best for all my students, and that you become a better person than I am in every possible way.


Thank you for being such wonderful students. I hope you are having a wonderful break, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.


-ihsankhairir-


Dedicated to students of classes 4 Mozart, 4 Dickens, 4 Edison, and 4 Columbus; to my former students of 2010 classes of 4 Aristotle, 4 Mozart, 4 Dickens, 4 Wordsworth and 4 Galileo; and to all Sri KDU students who make my hours in school something to look forward to every day. I LOVE YOU ALL :)