Thank God for opportunity to take up so many things. It is really tiring, I admit I crash and collapse on the bed every single day, but I really want to give thanks to God for letting me learn so much each and every day.
I haven't had much time to practice for my piano mock exam with all my commitments and all but with God's grace, I was able to pass it! I really expected myself to fail actually, so I was really taken by surprise that I managed to pass.
I recently embarked on a teaching internship and it has really been a humbling experience for me. It was an eye-opener for me and allowed me to gain much insight into the education sector. I never knew so much went into the workings of the school. The school is like one huge machinery with so many parts working and functioning together, not just the students and teachers, but so many other support officers who make it possible. I was posted to a neighborhood school and frankly I didn't really have a good impression of the school. However, I was proved to be wrong after spending a few days there. I got to bake muffins with some at-risk kids and interacted with them. Often, we tend to judge people based on their behavior but we never think about why exactly do they behave that way? There are many underlying issues that cause people to act and behave like the way they are. It could be family issues, medical conditions or hardship. The kids go through things that we cannot imagine. Once you go beneath that and understand them more through conversation, you discover that they are actually really wonderful and innocent kids. My heart goes out to them. They're really one of the strongest people I know.
Often, people ask me, why do I go into teaching? There were many people who discouraged me, citing long hours and tough work. I have also heard of stories of teachers who get burnt out. But at the end of the day, I guess every single job has its own difficulties. For me, I have always loved working with young people and enjoyed the satisfaction that came with teaching when people finally understands a certain concept, so teaching was a natural calling. Most of all, as cliche as it may sounds, I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the students that cross my path. I truly believe that it was God's will for me to be a teacher. He wanted me to mold students into characters of substance, to touch their lives in ways unimaginable. Teaching is an exciting profession, not a single day is the same which makes it really challenging and stimulating at the same time. I have had many inspiring and dedicated teachers in the past, which also influenced my decision in becoming a teacher. Teaching is indeed a noble profession and I sincerely salute all the teachers.
I guess those who enter the teaching service with high hopes might be disillusioned when they do not achieve what they set out to do. For me, I might not be able to help all my students, but I do hope I can at least help one. At least it did make a difference in his/her life. I do not know if I will be able to be a good teacher in the future, but I hope that at some point of my career one or another I would have been able to inspire one student to be a teacher too. I think it is always heartwarming to see your own students becoming teachers so that they can pass the beacon of knowledge on. :)
I will leave this post with some food for thought. Presenting to you the starfish story :)
You're really inspiring!
ReplyDelete