NOT everyone is cut out to be a teacher. But then again, chances are not all teachers would readily agree to being based in the interior of Sarawak for seven long years.
Kuching-born Jarod Yong is among that rare breed of educators who is willing to forgo modern day comforts in order to impart knowledge to his charges, wherever they may be.
He admits that teaching in a remote area like Song, a two-hour boat ride from Sibu, has completely changed his life.
While his friends were furiously scouring the Internet for the best or nearest schools during their final year of their programme at Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa (IPG-KBA) in Kuala Lumpur, Yong adopted a different approach.
On his placement form, he wrote “di mana saya diperlukan dan kebolehan saya boleh dimanfaatkan”, (wherever I’m needed and where my abilities would be best utilised), said a prayer, and handed in his form in without a second thought.
“Ultimately, I let the Education Ministry send me wherever they needed me. I figured, if they sent me to an island, I’d go. If they sent me to a mountain, I’d go. If they sent me into a jungle, I’d go too," he said.
Much to his parents’ dismay, Yong was determined to go wherever they sent him, commit himself to the school for at least four years and see if he could become a good teacher by the end of his stint.
“I promised myself that if I wasn’t a good teacher by the end, I’d quit and do something else rather than do damage to entire generations. I wanted to see if I was worthy of being a teacher. Somehow I knew back then that where I was posted didn’t matter; who I am as a person mattered more," he said.
"A lump of gold will have the same value no matter where it is placed, whether it is on a pedestal, hidden in a box, or buried in dung," he quipped.
Becoming the ‘Jungle Teacher’
Yong was posted to SMK Katibas, a school only people in the Song district area are familiar with. Yong said the experience completely changed his life and made him a better person.
“As a fresh graduate, I wanted what every eager young person wanted, lots and lots of money.
“My training ground was Malaysia. If I was talented and good enough, I had a plan to teach in richer countries, like Singapore, and like a mercenary, sell myself to the highest bidder. However, this school taught me many lessons that a million dollars can never buy," he said.
In Song, he experienced the humbling power of being able to truly shape the minds of children who were innocent and malleable.
“I felt what it was like to be wholly respected by the community because teachers held the key to knowledge. I worked with some of the best educators in the nation, who sacrificed and laboured wholeheartedly for their students, regardless of race and religion," he said.
Coping with challenges
Living and teaching in such a remote area such as Song was no of challenges, but Yong took his time to slowly adapt.
“Imagine living for weeks without running water or uninterrupted electricity supply. Having to walk to the river every morning and evening to bathe, and do the laundry and dishes," he said.
He recalled waking up in the middle of the night when it was raining, just so he could run outside with every possible container he had to collect rain water. Yong said he also took a chance by writing a blog post to pressure the authorities into replace Song’s broken-down generators.
He said his challenges weren’t unique, as many teachers in the country face similar conditions.
“There are thousands of us all over the country. I’ve walked a mile in their shoes and they have my greatest respect," he said.
Midnight Internet connections
The entire school population where Yong taught relies on a single satellite connection.
“Imagine a single Internet connection with hundreds of users. Loading Google sometimes takes an entire day, which is why data-entry is a problem for schools in our situation. The connection is best in the middle of the night when most users are offline. But, Internet was the least of our worries. We have to worry about fundamentals like electricity," he said.
Connecting the students
Yong knew that students in remote areas need to be exposed to the outside world, hence the importance of projects such as The Pen Pal Project, Graphic Novel From Students For Students, Leadership Camp by Generasi Gemilang, and Career Talk.
"Many of my students lack exposure to the world beyond the jungles and the immediate cities and towns. This severely limits the aspirations and reach of my students because, if they have no idea of the possibilities out there, how can they empower themselves to be pillars of change within their communities?," he said.
Neither him nor his school can afford to bring them into the world. "Therefore, my projects have always been about bringing the world to the interior. My projects are about connecting like-minded people in meaningful interactions, whether it is through pen-pal exchanges between students of different parts of the country, or bringing in amazing people who are willing to pay their own way into the jungle to give talks or run camps for my students," he said.
"Many say that they care, but very few people actually commit their time and money to this cause. So, all of the people who have worked with me have a very special place in my heart," added Yong.
On technology
For Yong, technology can be a double-edged sword. He believes one should not use it as a gimmick to attract students to learn; it’s not a miracle pill.
"I’ve seen a teacher do more with a piece of chalk than a whole roomful of technology. If you are not attracting students to learn in spite of technology, you will not attract them to learn period," he said.
Yong said it's best if teachers understand the fundamentals and realise what makes their students tick.
However, as for sharing ideas with other teachers, he encouraged every teacher out there to share their ideas online.
"Too few are doing so. Every teacher is unique and has something special to contribute to the pool of knowledge. If you don’t start exploring it, you’ll never find your unique voice or gift for the world," he says.
Future plans
Yong is currently in New York City working on his MA in TESOL as a Fulbright scholar at Teachers College, Columbia University. However, he still has plans for his school, SMK Katibas.
He plans to start a free annual childhood program for the longhouses so that the children there can learn basic numerical and literacy skills very quickly in their mother tongue.
These basic skills, he said, will help them do better and cope with the demands of public schooling.
"If this program is fruitful, I'd like to expand it to other rural areas nationally and perhaps even internationally," he said.
Yong keeps a blog in which he shares his experiences and projects. Follow his exploits via his website at www.jarodyong.com .