Tribute to all teachers

As the nation celebrates Teachers' Day, let's spare some thoughts for all our teachers who had taught us directly or indirectly as well as teachers who are serving at present.

I can remember vividly my teachers in Sultan Yahya Petra Primary School and Sultan Yahya Petra Secondary School who had contributed immensely to my well-being and made me to be what I am today. One particular Standard One teacher of mine was Miss Sia with her special big sunglasses who would play the piano while we sang. Another was Jimmy Ong, my Standard Three teacher with his calm and composed personality who very rarely lost his temper. Of course there were some who were very fierce whom many would never forget, particularly one whom we called Mr Lion.

Secondary school was just as interesting as well. One Industrial Art teacher was always teased by the students in Form One but his caring attitude will not go forgotten. Students always had good laugh during his lesson. Once he messed up the word 'milli' with 'mini' and the whole burst into laughter and of course he blushed!. Another time a student was hammered with a mallet for joking around the petrol engine while he was away just for a split moment.

Those days there were no computers but only the old, rusty typewriter where teachers would click, cluck away. There were no calculators and students were trained in mental arithmetics and to use their God-given brains to find solution to many of the sums. For Geography, there was one Mr Jerome who loved his students to draw maps and identify the places (of course, we trace not draw). Then there was one impatient Miss Ng who taught me Chemistry who would get all cooked up if she had to keep on repeating the same thing. Finally there was this motherly Mrs Verghuese who taught Biology to a class of 40+ students who had to keep blaring in the midst of the lost sheep.

To all my teachers, you will always be remembered. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. There might be pain and sorrow, some anger perhaps but never treasured in the heart. You meant good when you disciplined your students. God bless you.