*~ Commonwealth Essay ~*
Sunday, March 04, 2007 @9:28 PM
Okay lishan has asked me to post my commonwealth essay here. so here goes..An Unforgettable Teacher
Everything suddenly went quiet, or so it seemed to be. The birds which were singing in the early morning just moments ago seemed to stop dead in the middle of their song. The students in the classroom who were chatting not a second ago now were robbed of speech. Everyone in the classroom stared at the door in horror and disbelief.
A woman with a wizened face walked into the classroom brusquely. She had dull and expressionless eyes, and a long sharp nose. From her appearance, we all knew that our mischievous days were over – this was no teacher to mess with. While we were transfixed, a loud and authoritative voice rang around the class. “Good morning class, I am Miss Judy Koh. I will be your class teacher for the year.”
We whimpered, “Good morning, Miss Koh”.
Of course, she needed no introduction. As far as I knew, Miss Koh was one of the strictest teachers in the school. She was accorded the deepest respect, and had a commanding aura surrounding her. She tolerated no nonsense, and there were many occasions when we saw her victims publicly being grilled, which made us simply terrified of her. “Oh man, we’re doomed.” I mumbled to myself, swearing under my breath at my rotten luck.
However, as the year passed by, I began to see the real person behind the mask. Miss Koh might have been stricter with us than I would have liked, but I realised that it was for our benefit, for she did not scold us without reason. Although some of us took more time than others to realise it, she loved us and cared for us. When we were troubled, she would be the person that would always give us the helping hand, the emotional and mental support that we needed to get through the hard times. I remember when I was a plump little boy, struggling to pass my Physical Fitness Test. I had the mentality that I would never make it, but Miss Koh provided me the confidence to persevere, and in the end I succeeded and passed the test.
She gave us credit when it was due, and her praise really lifted our spirits and provided to us the motivation to continue to strive for a brighter future. She gave us occasional treats, rewards for our academic achievements. We especially enjoyed her “ice-cream treats”, which came in handy after a tiring Physical Education lesson or after a tiring day to give us an energy boost to help us to go through the long hours in school.
Contrary to the belief that she was mean and stingy, Miss Koh was in fact a kind and generous woman, who treated us like her own children.
Miss Koh was not self-centered and did not guard her information and facts jealously, instead she shared her vast knowledge with us, her extensive vocabulary to improve our compositions and conversations, her anecdotes which enriched our lives with numerous lessons to be learnt. She also influenced the way we think and speak, which was built on the morals of honesty, integrity and perseverance, and to always do the right thing, irregardless of public opinion.
Her advice was invaluable, and I am absolutely convinced that she was the factor that allowed my class and me to obtain fantastic results for our Primary School Leaving Examination. Despite our good results, we could not help but feel a tinge of sadness because we knew that we would be leaving our primary school, and most importantly, our mentor who has groomed us to the best of her ability.
Although Miss Koh may not have been the angelic and sweet-faced teacher most schoolchildren would hope to have, she has left an imprint of herself onto each of us under her wing. I feel that we have become ladies and gentlemen of high moral stature and of intelligence, and I am grateful to have had such an unforgettable teacher change my life. Miss Koh, I salute you, and am eternally grateful, for all you have done, not only for me, but to everyone who have had the privilege of being under your tutelage.
