And They Leave the Nest

Words fail me as I look as the images of Language Camp 2008, beautifully planned and executed by my very own students...

Each smiling face a bright splash of colour in the tapestry of my life...

I remember the first time I ever set my eyes on each and every one of them...All so young and full of life...So full of hope... So full of ready smiles...

And watched them grow throughout the semester, gaining strength upon strength, slowly but surely becoming the educators they are destined to be... Dedicated, knowledgeable, serious in their work but at the same time able to have fun, enjoying their work...In fact this element is central in what I teach my students - Know your stuff but never, ever forget to have fun...Remember that, and you will be teachers that your students will remember until end of their days...

My gaze drifts from image to image...Some of my students...Some of their students...

Each one with a such a strong sense of life in their eyes...

My eyes start to moisten... Probably some dust...

My students...

My pride and joy...

Comments

::.. a t i q a h ..:: said…

We are nothing without you guys as the gurus. :)

July 3, 2008 at 4:58 AM

Yana Ismail said…

Thank you so much Sir:)huhuhu

July 3, 2008 at 5:27 AM

izzati fuad said…

its the dust sir. ehe. ;p

July 3, 2008 at 2:03 PM

Abdullah Mohd Nawi said…

Atiqah,
The mark of a good teacher can only be seen in the quality of his students

Princess,
You're most welcome :)

Ijat,
You're probably right...just waaay too much dust in this room ;)

July 3, 2008 at 3:15 PM

izzati fuad said…

but sir,the pleasure you get in seeing your students 'leaving the nest', is nice eh? i may not become a teacher but i'll do it in a different way. :)

July 4, 2008 at 12:22 PM

Abdullah Mohd Nawi said…

To put it in the words of the great Shakespeare:
"Parting is such sweet sorrow"
You can be whoever or whatever you want to be..whether teacher or not..It is for you to choose your own path.. Teaching is a noble profession that can only be taken up by those who hear its call..
Whoever or whatever you decide to be, you will always be my student, and I will always be proud of what you achieve in life :)

July 4, 2008 at 9:46 PM

Premature Mid-Life Crisis?

"Sejak bila lu jadi mat rempit beb?" (Translation: Since when did you become a street racer?) Were the first words that blazed onto the screen of my Dopod PDA Phone when I told my cousin that I had bought a bike. I mean...Is it that strange that I happened to work my butt off, save up, and buy one of the meanest most beautiful bikes I ever set my eyes on? I mean...just look at it... Shiny jet black finish, laced with highlights of blazing red, topped with rugged racing streaks... I think I just wiped a tear off my face... No, no, don't get all worked up... I haven't gone off the wall. It's just that with the increase in fuel price, it seems silly to spend RM600 just going to and from work every day... Think about it, that's a month and a half's pay for my maid! Just to get to and from work! So, I figured this would be a good compromise - maybe 2 or 3 days a week going to work by bike, and going to the local stores, local eateries, and even the local mosq...

TESL my TESL...

Every journey has a beginning, and an ending... And thus, my wonderful journey that I embarked on as a lecturer to my first Drama in Education cohort is almost coming to an end... I remember seeing them all, one by one, their faces eager to learn, but shying away in the beginning, all reserved in the small cocoons of their own little worlds... And when they opened up, one by one, I saw in them different, beautiful personalities, each unique in their own way... each finding a place in my affections...and eventually each finding a place in my heart. Yesterday night was a special night that marked the ending of this journey with them, on the one hand a sense of overwhelming pride that I had directly played a part in their journeys as teachers, building the very foundation of our nation, and even more so, as human beings, being the very essence of who they were and what they became... To commemorate this night, I sang for them... A tune that they all knew and loved... A tune that we shared...

Always & Never

Picture credit here Always . Never . What do these words mean? Simple enough words - Two syllables, direct spelling to pronunciation, timeless in their application in our daily lives. But what do they really mean? For instance, two best friends, before parting ways to go to university, exchange a very teary farewell - they exchange gifts, exchange cards, each pledging to be best friends for always ...forever... and that they always call and never forget to visit each other when they go back to their hometowns. Of course this scenario is a girls only scenario. For guys the scene would be a quick hug, a few pats on the back, and a salute as the bus drives away... Less words, less outward displays of emotion, but nevertheless a quiet ache in the chest and a steely determination to always be friends, and never forget the bond brotherhood that had been forged. Or even former lovers, as they forever part ways... The parting speech before they embrace for the last time, where each vows that ...

Lobo's Lessons

Search This Blog