So today (May 16th) is teachers day in Malaysia, chosen on this date in commemoration of the Razak Report. Usually primary school students have half their school hours off to get a performance extravaganza (using that in the loosest of senses here lol) and secondary school students will just have to contend themselves with a 5 minute generic speech given by the Education Ministry to all schools in Malaysia.
So today, I find it the best time to examine this question: Are Teachers Heroes or Villains?
Before I start, let me warn you that this article is written from a primarily Malaysian point of view. Some may apply to all teachers worldwide but some may not.
It's funny how students share a love-hate relationship with teachers. Some hate teachers up until the point when they graduate, and then they miss them. Of course, teachers as humans are different and unique. Some teachers are interesting, some boring; some are strict and some are more open to opinions. But are they heroes?
Many people paint teachers as the unsung heroes behind every successful person. Everyone who ever went to school experienced the anxiety waiting for their new teacher to enter the class, waiting for the teacher to introduce her/his name (teachers in Malaysia are mostly females) and hoping that this teacher would be memorable.
In my 12 and a half years of formal education (I took form six after form five), I have met a lot of teachers. But let's start with some reminiscing of my educational life, shall we?
Honestly speaking none of the teachers in my Primary 1 class were particularly memorable. I have some hazy memories, and sadly that's all that is left of my Primary 1 days. I only remember my form teacher as being female, and somewhat kind, up until the point where she found out I was cheating in my Chinese spelling test (I'm calling it spelling because the term is interchangeable in English class as well). Hey, I was young and stupid back then. I honestly didn't know it was cheating. Well all I remember of that time is that I was berated for cheating. At the same time, I have hazy memories of teachers asking me to cut my hair all of the time (the school had a very strict buzzcut policy). According to my mother, teachers singled me out for that because my parents were very vocal in their objection of this policy, but perhaps it was because I was very young at that time I can't remember it.
In Primary 2, I have more distinct memories. I entered the My form teacher was very strict, but no one was stricter than my Malay Language (BM) teacher. I forgot their names, but I remember one time where I got caned on the hand because of something I did....which I forgot. It hurt so much, I started asking my left-handed friend for tips on how to write with my Left Hand. One of the worst memories I had of the time goes like this.
So I was a prefect at that time. And I can't say I wasn't proud of myself. But one day, due to forgetfulness or a lack of foresight I forgot to buy a notebook for my Chinese class. Without as much as a by-your-leave I was stripped of my prefect rank with it going away to my classmate, and forced to go to the school bookshop to buy one. It was a walk of shame, and I was crying all the way to the bookshop. Worst thing was, the bookshop was closed at the time! So stupid old me waited in front of the bookshop, crying, until the teacher sent someone to go check on me.
Honestly, my standard 2 Form Teacher was one of the worst teachers I've ever had. It might be due to memory bias, but I always remembered here as being strict and no-nonsense. Her daughter was the one who always got first place in class, and of course, there was a rumor that she cheated. Can't really say if it's true or false, but by God do I resent what she did to me.
In Standard 3 (Primary 3) my parents transferred me to a new school. By some weird twist of fate or whatnot I was sent to the last class in the entire year. Like my standard 1 class, I have no distinct memories of the teachers. Perhaps it was because they were very relaxed in their methods, but honestly speaking all I can remember of this time is me meeting one of my best friends up to this day, Lee Ejay.
It's odd to note that despite English being my best suit and my favorite subject I literally have no memories of English classes and teachers for the first 3 years of Primary School. I don't understand why, but it's just a blank there.
In Standard 4 I entered the second-ranked class in my school. Here the memories become clearer. I can even remember the name of my form teacher! In my memories she was a strict teacher who taught math and Chinese. Her policy....errr I forgot. It was something about studies though (you don't say). My English teacher was also one of the most interesting teachers I've had. Unfortunately, her classes were somewhat...ahem.
Standard 5 and 6 are easy because they shared the same teachers. My late form teacher (she passed away in 2007-ish I think) was a strict teacher. At this time I became the worst kind of student, the kind disinterested in studies. I let homework pile up and generally didn't care about my studies. I became too cocky. Teacher didn't resent me though, she tried to steer me back. I remember her quote very distinctly even now:
"You are 7 A material (referring to the 7 subjects in UPSR, the generalized exam for Primary School), if only you would put in more effort to your studies. Malaysia's future lies with your generation, and it's your future duty to make Malaysia the same with the West."
This moment for some reason stuck with me even more than all of her classes. I can even describe the scene perfectly. It was Physical Education class. Instead of playing I was standing there (probably because I forgot my sports tee). She called me over next to the school hall (SJK(C) Serdang Baru 2 students will now what I'm talking about). And she started telling me that quote.
I think it's because nobody has ever told me about my potential outside of my family. And I'm very sorry to say that I unfortunately let her down. I only got 6 A's in the end.
Another teacher of note in my Standard 5 and 6 days was my English teacher. Haha, if you're reading this, Hi Madam Chong! :D Her classes were never boring and she tried to make it as interesting as possible. She encouraged us to be creative (Not too creative though, because she discouraged me from using Bionicle names in my homework). I remember her thinking up English related games after we finished our UPSR. And I remembered the laughter in class so distinctly.
A third teacher...well a third and a fourth teacher I recall are my science teachers for this period. One taught us for about 3/4 of a year before transferring away to another school. The other replaced her. And god. God almighty was she awful.
Our first science teacher was very interesting. You could see that she legitimately loved science and teaching science. Two classes were of note to me. The first one was a class where she came in bringing doodahs and whatsits. She started demonstrating heat expansion and cold compression. Right in the classroom. And I had front row seats, so I took in the wonder. The second class I remember was astronomy. She told us that the universe, ahem, our solar system is 3-Dimensional. And drawings on books and blackboards can't do it justice.
Unfortunately, an obnoxious teacher came and replaced her. Obnoxious...yes. Most definitely. Unlike our first teacher, she took a textbook approach to science. Her answers were rigid, and when my peers tried to argue, as real scientists would, she would snap at us and tell us not to argue with the answers and go into dead ends. I can honestly say that she took away the fun of science and made it a drab and dry subject.
Another teacher that I can recall with not-so-fond memories was my BM teacher (Malay Language). When Standard 4 started, he was a fun, interesting man who kept telling jokes and keeping the class entertained. But unfortunately, I think it was because I skipped past a few overdue homeworks, he started resenting me. He started ignoring me in his jokes and when I tried to joke with him it was a 180 degree change from happy face to indifferent face. For a 10 year old, it's quite scarring as all I wanted was to have fun.
One last teacher that I can recall is my Moral studies teacher. He was one of the vice-principals of my school, and he took a new approach to teaching. Unlike other teachers, he tried to introduce us to the university method too early. He gave us assignments, which we were supposed to present in class. Honestly speaking, I didn't do even one of his assignments (lazy syndrome strikes again?!), but in hindsight that move was one of the few that I regret.
My Primary School memories show that the acts of teachers shaped my life throughout those years. Teachers played a part in my life as much as my parents. The ones who shamed students made me somewhat resentful of myself, and the ones who encouraged students to pursue their ideals made me reach out higher and further than ever before. I can honestly say that without these teachers and more, I couldn't be sitting here and typing this from NCKU, Taiwan.
Of course, Secondary School teachers played a part too, but that is for another story for another day!
Well, in conclusion, generally teachers are all heroes. But on the other hand, teachers are humans too. And as humans, they aren't perfect. And some accidentally become villains who unwittingly destroy a students life. But they can also gift students with a rare gift: Hope.
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