Bohemian

I am trying this new word to explain the metamorphosis of my teaching career from 1985 till today .Teaching was not my choice at all when I started my degree in University Malaya. The four years were filled with disco crazy days to cramping for exams.Looking back now, I would never never trade in those wild days to anything now.
In my first year, stayed in First College. Mingled with many new friends from all over Malaysia. Having crushes on guys were nothing new. Eating maggie mee in the middle of the nite after studies were awesome.Sitting in the quiet night with girlfriends chit chatting away was fun and cheap since mamak shops have not existed then. Picking up bad habits were cool from nescafe , bad words and smoking were  trying. New friends were made in those years moving a gang. The whole gang of us majored in maths. Good days were spend on lunch time laughing away . There were days that shoulders were required when hearts were broken into pieces. We needed each other so far away from home.

Boys... boys... some started dating guys that you like but he does not like you. Admiring good looking ones from a distance too shy to even say hello.Fell in love and out of love too many times.

My first  teaching school was in my hometown. After being alone for more than 4 years, I stayed with my family. It was tough since I was so free doing what I like and NOW cooped in my small hometown. It actually made the decision worse.My inner happiness were compromised. I wanted to move on. The first school was relaxing and had fun with kampung students. I enjoyed mine one year there in Pasir Mas.

Next was teaching in Klang and having a family.The school was a Chinese medium.My students were hard working and good. Since I am totally English educated and teaching Maths and English were nightmares. My students assumed that since I am yellow.. therefore I am able to speak Mandarin. Oh boy.. they were shocked that I could only managed TWO languages: English and Malay. One day, my form 5 boy walked right up to me and asked~ Are you a Chinese? Right in my face. 'Why can't you speak Mandarin?'. I was too shocked yet the truth hurt like being hit by a BIG brick. I don't recall if I apologised but I took it as a challenge to learn from anyone to speak. It took quite a long time to get the hang of it . 


Today, I am proud to say that I can speak a bit here and there with a bit of twist.


After 6 years in Chinese environment, I moved to a culture shock background of a kampung school in Meru. Where is that? A small cowboy town 11 km away with many traffic lights.I spent 14 yrs teaching English then later moved to Maths.Back then, Meru was a small town moving on with lovely trees along the stretch leading to the small traffic light. My school was after a shabby bridge waiting to collapse at a blow.Teaching English to Javese students were like speaking moon language to aliens. Slowly, I learnt their culture and religion. Mostly, I picked  up my Malay and Javese. Now, I know how to use the word GOBLOK. According my student who uttered this in my English class.' Sorry teacher... Goblok mean CLEVER'. OMG! I still smile whenever I use this word.Things that we learnt from them.

In 2005, still in Meru, I was giving 4F to teach Maths. A class of 38 boys and girls which did badly in Maths in PMR. Oh boy, i had to prepare them for SPM where Maths is even tougher and boring.Some of the boys came to school with rage, anger growing up in a hostile situation. Giving me more stress to handle them yet at the same time, I started to grow internally understanding students and learn to listen to them.

Crossed Path in Meru
In the hey days of a troubled marriage, my students drifted in and out of my class since I was trying to come to term of a failed marriage . Then one particular soul walked into my class and CHANGED me till today.


This student failed so badly in my test leaving me so many questions to gun him down.On my way home after the gunning down, i was caught in a jam in Meru. While driving I saw a boy trying to cross the road. I said to myself where have I seen this FACE?
After a few days, while in 4F, I saw the face again. I exclaimed to him.. I saw you in Meru. In my heart, I was angry with myself that I don't recognise my own student. I am TERUK>. All these time , he was actually sitting in 4F right under my nose.

 I took him under my wing. Making him stay back after school, trying basic maths. I struggled to help him to improve his maths with a goal in mind that he will make in university. Yet, he lacked the basic skills of maths. Homework is given but the next day, it is untouched. He struggled to follow my rhythm, so I had to slow down and followed him. There were good days that he could do but on bad days, I felt like chopping up the brain to pieces to see what was in it.

To him it was a battle having his feeling in a BIG cocoon which I had to peel by sitting next to him afternoons after afternoons guiding him from easy calculus to SPM questions. Day in and out, he ate more maths questions compared to anyone on this planet. Bravo.. He scored A2 for his SPM. Continued his studies in UPNM. Just last Monday , he graduated with a Second Upper.As his Maths teacher, I am still very proud of him.Keep it Adi!

 Currently, I am teaching a girls school in Klang. Most of the girls are nice. Along the way, you will get one or two odd ones but I have accepted them.Since, I myself too evolved from a terrible teacher to be a better listening to my kids. I learnt to laugh with them in happy moments and cried in my darkest times in class. In 2009, I broke down in my class, crying my heart away. My girls gave a packet of tissue paper and closed the doors. they sat in their places with no noise sensing that the poor teacher needed time.


In the same year, a girl accidentally threw a shotput into a my face leaving 2 stitches in the Stadium. A girl in random gave a small handkerchief to stop the blood. I did not have the chance to thank the random stranger. The handkerchief is still kept in my room. Reminding me that it is tough to be a teacher but there are good days leaving foot prints in my heart.