My Calling/ My Resume

I am really keen to be a teacher. I believe almost entirely that i'm born to be a teacher. Stumbled upon many obstacles in life to tell me being a teacher does not mean that i'm any less ambitious because it means a lot to me to be able to uplift learners/ students to the best they can be. I must say i'm fortunate i had good education all the way through without much difficulties but it was not exactly a good thing because in a typical traditional family especially of chinese, when you score well academically you are expected automatically to undertake a professional life. Be it a doctor, a pharmacist, a lawyer, an architect or accountant as you name it. Teacher was never an option, you tend to get the awe look and little to no support. I just resigned from my awesome job as a management trainee with Sunway Group which pays me RM3k monthly as a fresh graduate which offers to accelerate me to middle management in 2 years. I am not here to brag about anything but to show my genuine interest/ passion to be a teacher and be a part of the change agent to prove to the community that teacher is really a noble profession and we really want to bring out the best of all students (individuals). But i don't understand why i was told off that there's no room for courses to be a teacher at the moment and given no further information to facilitate my ambition to be a teacher. I was really disappointed and almost wanted to give up on the noble profession and just go after money and material life.

But perhaps it was creator's desire to take me aback when it struck me moments earlier when an expat bang into me and chatted. He came to Malaysia to settle down because he married a Malaysian. And his eldest son is now about to start primary school and he is having a real headache thinking of where to send him for studies. International school is not a viable option because the price was set sky high, they even demanded for a nonrefundable RM25k just for admission! I did not understand the logic behind that. But the issue is the expat was very concerned about the quality of education with local government school and because of that he actually opted to immigrate to Australia soon just because his son is about to enroll into junior/ primary school. Can you believe the confidence that our Malaysian government education is giving to parents? I'm not here to complain or to try to be too smart. I just wish someone can show me a way to become a teacher. I don't mind starting small as a primary school english teacher or even going through teaching courses before i am allowed to teach and mentor students. But i am pressured by my parents and family to take up a job now and earn my fair share of income. And further studies that only consumes more expenses is in no way an option.

I came across UPU website and it seems like years it might take before i can materialize this teaching calling. I hope somebody can help me by referrals or any comparable ways to help me enroll into any teaching institutions as soon as possible because i fear reality is burning my passion slowly when i start to have to worry about paying up my share of the bills.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I might came across as desperate or unprepared and apologies if i appear so. Everybody around me was upset that i gave up my good job before i even secured myself an opportunity with any organizations and they don't seem to understand. I believe only a genuine educationist will understand this burning desire of mine to be an educator.

How can i prove that i am meant to be a good teacher?

I couldn't convince anybody at the moment not without any referrals or recommendations or practical experiences. And yet government schools require at least a education's cert to even consider offering me a job!

Occasions over occasions in life told me that i can be a great teacher because i am deeply concerned about students' welfare. When i was 8 years old my younger brother who is 1 year younger than me was having difficulties fitting into class and his teachers were not keen to teach him and found him too hard to handle. I was asked to his class and informed by his class teacher to inform my parents. But I did not. I took up the challenge naturally to teach my younger brother. And to my surprise despite being just a year older and having my loads of homework to settle I managed to get my brother interested in studying and he loved me as his teacher. He listened and he loved doing homeworks! I felt so good about that. Nothing meant more than that until I was constantly “injected” with the notion that teachers are of bad quality and couldn’t teach and that better qualified teachers are all out for money hunt giving tuitions outside while teaching nothing in school! I lost faith in the noble profession and did not want to be associated with that.

Then came the many occasions whereby all my little cousins would like to call teacher which i don't understand if it is a joke or what? What am i good as a teacher in what ways?

But one thing i know for sure is that i like observing kids or young learners in their most natural behaviors and analyze how i can best bring out the talent in them. And sad to say i have noticed over many times they changed slowly in the course of growing up. They became more timid and less courageous to attempt things they like. I wonder what is wrong with our education system. I remembered i came across an advertisement in newspaper one day in campus about this commercial agency looking for young stars to cast in advertisements and immediately it sparked me that a cousin of mine should be a good fit. Without a single doubt i text my aunt and guess what? It worked out! He was paid not awesome but it showed something, i was right about what he could be good at.

And my young cousins who grew up living in America when came back to Malaysia in like once in a few years liked me so much. Somehow they can connect with me. As if only i understand them. Most kids i can develop this instant friendship thingy when i'm into making it happen. As if i just have it as a gift of dream, and i could visualize it in a short span of hours! I had a distant cousin little sister who i just met once in one occasion and kept her company in a short afternoon and she cried and frowned so badly when i was about to leave her house.. She was in such innocent look frowning to her grandmother asking why big brother must leave? I felt so sad for her because i know how it feels like.. The rest of my day was quite depressing.. I didn't dare to be too close to kids anymore.. Because i have the tendency to take them as if they are my kids or little brothers or sisters..

And guess what? I once felt like a lost parent when a best friend who was so close to me told me he couldn't rely on me anymore because it doesn't solve problems, that he has to face his own problems and settle them rather than relying on me. Was it a teacher/ parent dilemma? When your favorite student finally has to spread his/ her wings and go far far away from you. And even when i really wanted to thank certain teachers who once groomed me up and cared about me so much i did not manage to meet them again in person to tell them how fortunate i was to be coached by them those days. Somehow i believed they would have forgotten about me and must be busy with so many things it's not advisable to disturb them. Or maybe i'm just too preoccupied with my "busy" life i couldn't even walk in to sent a thank you note.. What a shame..

Then on because i was not good with my course and job, I couldn't spare time to read kids and students anymore.. I felt like a useless piece of crab..

The only other 2 occasions that i managed to teach was when during SPM and preUniversity. A peer asked me to coach him in his maths and well i did able to help in little ways. and during preuniversity when given a chance to tutor some students who had difficulties learning some subjects i was able to help a star performing student to burst out his problems in life and really appreciated so much in my help tutoring him in his weak maths subject and it meant so much to me because he was actually such a brilliant student but if following our education system that stresses on merits academically he might not be able to follow his dreams to be a lawyer..