Saw this picture by SGAG on Facebook.
No matter how many good teachers I’ve met, I guess I won’t be able to forget two teachers in my life.
When I was 13, few months after entering secondary school, my class tutor find me to have a talk. She asked me about my ambition and so I told her.
Her response?
She started to talk negatively and tried to persuade me to change ambition, listing me few other careers that is similar but easier to attain.
I know, entering a neighbourhood school means I didn’t score that well for PSLE. But isn’t teachers supposed to believe and help their students? Instead of pouring cold water on them?
I wonder how will she feel if her child (who is probably 6 now) were to hear that in future.
And also my maths teacher. My math grades are always A in secondary school, but once in sec 2 I had fever and couldn’t concentrate in class for two weeks because it was pretty bad.
Failed my first algebra test and I was devastated. Instead of getting help or encouragement from this math teacher, her attitude to me changed 180°. She no longer smile when talking to me. She probably looked down on me thinking I’m just another failure in her class.
The worst humilation is when she made me go for after school class for students weak in math.
And the entire classroom was filled with people who don’t understand math concept.
At first I thought “Ahh, she is going to revise algebra and I can catch up with class for End of Year exam”
But nope🙅
She didn’t teach during the ‘after school class’. All she did is to give us other school paper to do while she mark her stuff.
Well, I did fast and finish it without much problem.
But she won’t let me leave so I had to stay back.
Other people, seeing I did fast, all came to ask me how to solve questions.
Sorry but am I the teacher or is she the teacher?
Teaching people is good and all but I only know how to explain if the other person have basic concepts understood beforehand. I’m not a teacher I can’t teach concepts.
And I’ll never forget the faces of some people when I entered the class. Haha. Just my luck to have a fever during test season.
I thought after sec2 I will never meet that teacher again.
Luckily in sec 3 my new math teacher is really good and help me understood algebra. Thus my math became A standard again.
But in Sec 4, they changed math teacher again, and the new one is so-so only. But it’s ok since I got the concept in sec 3.
This teacher got transferred away to another school so I had to change math teacher halfway through the year. -.-
Yup, it’s her, my sec2 math teacher.
That teacher is obviously not happy to accept us because previously we were the so-called ‘best math class’ (they split math class by our mid year score).
During a lesson because she is teaching something we learnt before, so I wasn’t paying much attention.
Suddenly she called me and ask me to give her the answer to the question which I did not calculate.
With annoyed expression she told me with skills like mine I’m going to get F9 in O levels.
Yup, she said that in front of the whole class. I’m going to get F9. Wow.
My sec 3 and sec 4 math grades are always top few and I maintain my A well. As my teacher, cursing me like this…
I got A1 for e and a math in the end. Wanted to slap my results in her face. Didn’t even put in much effort in math all I did was TYS.
Tsk.
No matter how mnay nice teachers (and I met many) I guess I’ll never forget this two forever.
That’s why when people say teachers are people who support you forever… nah… or maybe I have terrible luck.
