A Challenge Letter to the Teacher teaching the Unteachables

To the teacher teaching us... the Unteachables,

Here is a warning.

We will test your patience,
You will have to repeat your instructions a dozen times,
Most of the time you will need to write the instructions clearly,
one by one on the board because it is hard for us to concentrate
on lengthy verbal language.
And our attention priority is anything but you.
If you shout at us, it will fall on our deaf ear,
because we are used to adults screaming and talking in loud voices to us.

Beware.
We will push you to the limits,
With our ignorance about our future and education because
no matter where we go, we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Why bother caring then?
We will leave our books at home as we don't see the need to burden our body with the extra weight consisting of alien words and pointless terms.
Your blood will boil with our refusal to do your task and homework
as we don't have the ability to do it well.
The empty pages of our books are the evidence of our scream of failure.
It is easy to make it seem like we refuse to do it.
Between being labeled as stupid and incompetent we are rather labeled as rebellious.

Teacher,
we will challenge your authority, your decision, your reputation and your belief,
because we want to see what you will sacrifice to defend yourself.
You see, we have been failed before.
People who we thought we can trust failed us.
People who we thought we can depend on choosing something else over us.

Teacher,
Before you can teach us the ABCs,
you need to teach us how to be teachable.
You need to teach us to not give up even when we can make sense only two words in a whole text.
You need to teach us what is right and wrong because now the line is very blurry.

So, Teacher,
We will push, test and challenge you to the breaking point.
However, Teacher,

Please hold on.
Don't ever break.
Don't ever crumble.

No matter how many mistakes we made,
Do not give up on us.

Because in our confusing world called life we need someone who is strong enough to hold on.
We need someone calm enough to face the storm,
So we know we can trust our lives in your hand.
So we know we are safe to be whoever we want to be.


                                                                                 Sincerely,
                                                                                The Unteachable students from your class.


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Note from the author:
Since becoming a teacher I am much interested to know what goes on inside my student's mind. Hence, I tried to see things from their perspective to understand them.
This imaginary challenge letter is my effort to understand my student's world.

Igniting the Fire Within

A normal conversation in school.

Teacher M: Do you know student X? He is hopeless. He just comes to school to play and make fun of the teachers.

Student B: Teacher, do you know student X? He is very rude and naughty. No teacher likes him.

Student X: Teacher, I am stupid why should I bring books to the class? I only come to school to play.

*******************************************************

Every human has their reason and motivation to live. The power that pushes them to wake up every morning and face the world and all the thing it offers; good and bad. This motivation is our fire. It is our responsibility to keep our fire burning bright and strong.

However, as we keep this fire burning, there will be someone or something that is trying to splash water on our fire to put it out.

This is very true especially now when I am working as a teacher. As a new teacher I go into school with a fire burning bright blue. Motivated to meet new challenges everyday, a bit scared of the unknown but mostly excited to hone my skill as a teacher.

And every now and then, I am reminded again and again that there are students with their flame for learning extinguished. Everyday I meet people or circumstances who spray water on my burning flame. If I keep myself near this demotivating water, there is a risk that my own fire of motivation will be extingush. 

It is heartbreaking and sad to see students with no or weak fire to learn inside them. It is impossible for me to keep fanning and adding fuel to each of their fire so I will just focus on being their fire starter. Each day I walk into the classroom, I will try my best to keep sending sparks to ignite their fire, their passion for learning, their flame of motivation to be a better individual everyday.

At the end of the day, I want my student to have an eternal flame for learning and progress. This flame will help to carry them forward into a bright future.

Are you tough enough to be in a challenging environment that test you to the limit?

Are you motivated enough to keep your flame of passion burning bright and strong despite people throwing water at you?

If the answer is YES, then JOIN us.

Join us in the front line as the fire starter. 

Become a teacher and be the guardian of the fire of learning and progress.

What the world needs? A second chance.

The wait was long and sometimes I wonder where hope is. And yet here I am. In school.

I received the message to be prepared for posting on an average Tuesday morning. As I get settled in the school I realized that I need a battle plan.

New information was pouring in like water and some time I fear I will drown. Every day I met new 'aliens'. Weird and sometimes illogical things do exist. In the form of documentation, procedures, format, tradition, irrational expectation and poor planning.

Students came to school regardless of their life outside of school. As the school is situated in a village, the society is quick to label the student as unmotivated especially the male students.

The way I see it is they are shy students with limited knowledge of how big their world can be. Their priority in life currently is to make friends and play and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe that with the correct platform, opportunity, and encouragement I don't think they are lesser than any other students in any part of the country.

I want to believe that these students have so much untapped potential and have the ability to chance to be better once they put their mind to it.
They should have a second chance.

Feelings through placement period

These days,
I walk around with my head hanging low,
Heart sinking deeper and deeper by day,
oh, where should I get the courage to go on?

searching in my bag of feelings,
scared one day I reach the bottom,
oh hope, where are you?
come, sit by my side
I need a light because my path gets dark.
darker and darker by day,

oh, where did it go wrong?
Did I take a wrong turn?
Am I on the wrong road after all?
oh, where is the rainbow after the rain?

it is funny when I can't think of good things,
all I can think is despair.
Maybe today is a blue day,
A day to reflect on sadness.

Still, I wish I wish a rainbow will come tomorrow.
Stil I wish for the impossible to come true.

POW Week: I hope the wait will be short and the meeting come faster

Is it a pau?..no it is POW week or known as Placement Orientation Week.

Basically, what it means is that for the whole week we are just waiting for the 'golden' letter from the PPD/MOE. This letter is our ticket to enter the school we will be placed for 2 years.

                                                 The anticipation of receiving the letter at any day.

                                                  Imagining myself receiving the letter.


It is a ticket for the land of dreams (education/endless lesson plans/late-night/paperwork/exam).
It is a ticket to a realm of infinite possibility (student's result, observation, replacement class).
It is also a ticket for selfless people aiming to end the education inequity.

However, the letter didn't arrive as soon as we expect it to be. Instead of going to school on the 2nd January 2018 we were told the letter will arrive at the earliest on 22nd. Imagine the magnitude of this latest news. There were many reactions to this news. Some are depicted as below.

                                                 The I-am-just-gonna-stare-at-the-screen.

                                              The I-need-liquid-to-wash-down-this-news.

                                                 The I-need-to-take-this-news-with-drama

                                        As I am cool-headed this is how I took on the news.

This fact only starts to sink in for me the next day, as it means I have to travel back home while waiting for the letter. This also means increase money spent with no salary.

What am I feeling amid all these?
I am feeling NERVOUSCITED.
I am nervous due to the changes and uncertainty but also excited about the possibility of the future.

 So, let's just deal with it.




Thankfully, with the help of my friends and previous employer, I was able to secure an accommodation and work.

I believe there will be a rainbow after the rain. (If there isn't...I am gonna make one!)