LETTERS: Teachers Day has always been an exceptionally special day for all teachers who are often considered as children's substitute parents and the country's unsung heroes. The celebration has the mood of a merry festival and a birthday bash as grand ceremonies are held annually with students preparing sweet surprises, cards and gifts.
Every child is an inspiration. A group of students are like a piece of art that is painted using a myriad colours, and each colour is useful in making the painting perfect. This masterpiece deserves to be loved, appreciated and deeply thought about.
Likewise, students possess individual abilities that make learning a colourful and fruitful experience as different ideas are churned out and shared during class activities. Their creativity and unity will eventually result in one successful lesson.
Learning is about curiosity and discovery. Some children may ask unique questions from their minds while others may have genuine ones deep from their hearts. Whichever category they belong to, their curiosity motivates them to make efforts to discover the truth about something. This makes them interested learners who feel that learning is interesting.
Every response or feedback from students shows their ways of thinking and helps teachers understand their personality and problems. I used to encounter a Form One boy who volunteered to ask a question to a group of 5 presenters who just finished presenting a topic using a manila card with their full names written on it.
Instead of asking something about the topic, he asked, "Why do two of you share a similar surname? Are you siblings?" This boy may have asked out-of-topic questions but the curiosity helped him think and speak his mind. In this case, it is his willingness to participate and the confidence that matter.
As for teachers, they need to be inquisitive and reflective when studying students' behaviors, as there may be a hidden story or a reason for every behaviour that either makes a teacher's day or breaks a teacher's heart.
Teaching is exhausting yet exhilarating. The journey may be physically, mentally and emotionally challenging, but the rocky road will eventually lead to a destination too beautiful to imagine.
I have been in the teaching profession for 10 years and it was indeed a glorious decade that taught me about dealing with the highs and lows smartly. I may have made a difference in my students' lives but they have made plenty in mine.
MUHAMAD SOLAHUDIN RAMLI
MARANG, TERENGGANU
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times