Some of my 1969 classmates of Lok Yuk KK had a lunch at a local restaurant with our former English Teacher before she left for Australia. When she taught us in the late sixties, she was 26 and a fresh graduate. Sushila Chari is a petite Indian lady who married a man whom she called "my China Man". After her marriage, students called her Mrs. Sushila Chung. Now, both teacher and students are all senior citizens.
Lunch on 05.07.2018 at New
WK Restaurant, Luyang. From left: Johnny Loo, Eddie Chow, Kong Yee Vun, Me, Mrs. Sushila Chung, Grace Chin, Lee Nyuk Jin.
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| Colourized Form 5 Class of 1969. |
Talking about teachers, there is a quote that says, "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires".
I could recall mediocre teachers, indifferent teachers, uncommitted teachers, dispassionate teachers, some good teachers, extremely rare superior teachers and great teacher who inspired - none I could think of.
I remember a teacher, a known majong enthusiast who came to class with occasional yawns for lack of sleep. His favourite teaching method was to ask the students to turn to the pages on worked examples and he would start copying the examples on the board. Once, he failed to realize that he had copied wrongly until the students pointed out to him.
Then, we had another teacher who came to the class, pulled the chair and sat down. Without looking at the class, she asked the students to turn to specific pages of the textbook and started teaching. There was hardly a moment that she would raise her head to look at the class and had eyes contact - a dispassionate teacher! Surprisingly, she rose to become a school principal.
It turned out that he was a trainee teacher from a teacher training college, yet I regarded him as an outstanding teacher when I was in lower secondary school. He went the extra mile to make models and teaching aids to supplement his lessons, showing a level of dedication that left a strong impression on me.
During one of our class outings, he made the effort to join us, and we had such great fun and laughter together. For that day, there was no distinction between teacher and students - he was simply one of us. His warmth, humility, and willingness to connect with his students left a lasting impression on me, one that I still remember today.
Teachers should not be rated just based on the teaching skill alone. Sometimes, it is the little things that they do for the students, their compassion, their understanding that earn them the credentials to be regarded as good teachers. This is the case of my English Teacher.
When the lunch with my English Teacher was over on 5 July 2018 and photos shared, this is what she shared in WhatsApp:
"I will never forget this particular day, good food, excellent company and beautiful memorable photos. What could one ask for. Thanks Jesus for the young men and women I had taught 42 years ago!".
To be exact, it is 49 years ago!
