This comes a little late since it's past teachers' day. But I thought I'd pen down this entry since I have been inspired and influenced by teachers throughout my life. They are not necessarily those that you find in schools, but they have shared their knowledge in some way, making them teachers in their own special way.
My Primary 1 form teacher and also art teacher, Mrs Goh sparked my interest in art. With her immaculate complexion and long fingers, she showed me what it was like to embrace art - be it drawing in crayons, painting in water colours or dabbling with clay. She encouraged my creativity and made me believe I had an artistic flair when I doubted my own talents. "Deborah's drawings are bold and creative. A+." I couldn't ask for anything better in my report book. :)
Mrs Yeoh, my Maths teacher in Primary 5 made me believe scoring in Maths is all about practice. She had no qualms about giving us a page of 10 or more problem sums every day. "It's easy", she'd tell us. And I believed her. So I persevered every night, celebrating in my little achievements in every small problem I solved. It's the same with life today. I learn to celebrate every achievement, however small they may be. It's good for the soul. :)
Miss Menon, my form teacher and also my history teacher in Sec 1 made me realise that you've got to work hard for your goals. She'd refuse to give us half a mark to pass. "You want the half mark? You work for it." And it motivated me to move my grades in history from a 49.5 to a 89 by the end of the year. I worked hard for it. Today, I still believe in the same philosophy. I don't believe in free rides. If I want something, I work for it. And I teach using the same philosophy. It makes us stronger people at the end of it all when we learn to overcome our obstacles and learn from our mistakes.
Mr Tan, my Literature teacher in JC encouraged me to look at things from different points of view. He did this through literature, encouraging us to "think - what is the writer trying to say here?" He made literature alive in the classroom with his fatherly tales and having no qualms about showing us how writers in the earlier years filled their writings with sexual innuendos - Shakespeare especially! How can you not love your two years in Literature class when it's always filled with laughter and cracking your head trying to figure out what the writer is trying to say? Not to mention ice-cream parties at his home. :)
My philosophy lecturer in NUS, Wayne Patterson was the best ever lecturer I had while studying there. He was so logical and systematic in his teaching, he stood for what he was teaching - sentence logic! He made philosophy so interesting, I went on taking 5 other elective modules in the subject, scoring distinctions. Till this day, I keep the book he wrote. "It's the best book", he says. "I know cos I wrote it." He's right! Learning the subject shaped my thinking, bearing in mind logical arguments and how to systematically frame them so it is free from fallacies. It is no secret why I love having debates and teaching argumentative writing when I was teaching in school!
My social psychology lecturer, and later my boss, Ong Jin Hui made a difference in my life just by caring. He noted that I was nodding off in his class and pulled me out to understand why. I told him I was maxing out my time to work so I could pay for my fees and expenses. "Life may be unfair sometimes, but whatever you do, don't ever sink in self-pity." It gave me strength to stand up tall despite the challenges I was facing back then. I learnt to live my life with dignity, and to work hard for what I want to achieve.
Later at work, his leadership made me learn what it's like to be a good leader. He was visionary and daring. But most of all, he cared for his staff. How many bosses do you know cooks a 10-course Chinese meal for his staff every year? And he even serves us in his own home. We worked hard, but he always stood up for us to ensure we were treated well. I learnt that being a good leader isn't just about being at the top. It's about being kind and taking care of your people. It's about believing in your team while believing in yourself. Till today, I still call him up for advice. And we still call him "Boss".:)
Whilst working at NUS, I came across pretty cool lecturers that hailed from the States. Their teaching styles inspired me to be a teacher and reinvent learning. They used videos (and even allowed the students to bring in popped corn to the conference room while they were shown!) and even invited an ice-cream vendor in to illustrate difficult concepts. They taught me that learning takes place everywhere. We just have to be more sensitive to how to harness the environment for our learning. Jay Walder, John Thomas, David Newman, Tom Schaub - thanks for inspiring me! :)
My NIE tutor, Dr Rebecca Ang had a way of teaching that made me want to attend every class and listen to every word. There was something about her that made me tell myself at the end of the module, "I want to teach like her." She has boundless energy. She seemed to be having her hands on everything and yet she still remains inspired.
My ex-boss Dr Teng Su Ching never fails to amaze me with her limitless energy, resilience and perseverance. She showed my by example that it's never too late to get your PhD, that you can do as many things as you want to at any one time, that you can juggle work, public service, community work and a family, and still have time for a manicure. She is the epitome of work-life balance. She's a firm woman with a heart of gold. She's been a guiding light and a source of encouragement since I decided to quit teaching. "Just take the leap, Deb," she told me. "You'd be so excited about the things that come after that." And she's been right so far!
Uncle Joel has taught me to learn to take care of myself. "Sometimes, you have to take a step back to make the leap forward." It reminds me that in the midst of all the busy-ness, I need to take care of myself. And he's right.
Looking back, I am blessed to be surrounded by the many "teachers". I'm sure God planted them in my life for a reason, and I can't thank Him enough.
Most of all, I thank God for giving me the two best teachers - my mum, who taught me how to live my life looking at the glass half full instead of half empty, and my brother, who taught me selflessness through his generosity. He is also my "walking google" who seems to know all the answers to my queries.
Every day is a day of learning, and I'm glad I'm surrounded by a whole host of wonderful teachers who are impacting my life each and every day.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
:)