Essay I Wrote for Allen's PD Presentation next week~

Teaching in Sabah is never in my to-do list until December. From a total non-existence in the list, it becomes a have-to-do before it then elevates itself to be my favourite to-do. The students were pure and untouched small souls that will break your heart when they flash the smiles. Imagine this; their shirts are clear of the whiteness thus nearing yellow, with small, pale hands which automatically screen the hard lives they are in. You might think I exaggerate, but seriously I am not. Adding to that, I fall in love with the school rather instantly because the school locates itself beautifully next to the sea and take this, the canteen is actually on the sea and I can clearly see the other ear of Sabah’s; Kudat. And the school totally changes me.

I now hold students‘hands without hesitation which on the first day I couldn’t bring myself to do (the school has no steady water supply- we depend on the rain- so you can guess), I now stock pencils like l run a little stationery shop (only they are given for free) after I give all of mine on the first day leaving only a mechanical pencil in my case, which of course, none of the students own.

I now, do not give homework as I please after I learn that most of my students walk 2-3 hours to school everyday (while I drive 40 minutes in an air-conditioned car) and these little monster drag their mommies to school because they are too young to walk past valleys and hills and yeah, you should guess it right, mommies are heroes, heroes carry heavy bags, and school bags are heavy. I now know that they are two types of students in my classes, 1; students with *stembok, 2; students without *stembok, which mean 1; they are daughters/sons of teachers and 2; daddies are farmers and fishermen (mommies? they carry the students’ bags), which of course indicate that 1; earn RM 2500/month while 2; daddies earn RM200-RM400/month.

I earn RM3500/month, Shouldn’t I be ‘giving’ it back? So, teaching is a must do as far as my heart concerns. And, who wouldn’t want to be paid for doing her favourite thing? Even the MERIT I require during practicum does not promise the equal ecstasy when I hear my Year 1 students recite Monday – Friday in just a breath.

* stembok = pencil box