So far I'm happy with my teaching life. I have learnt a lot for the last three months, from learning how to be able to public speak effectively to disciplining students, etc. Ultimately, I learnt that being a teacher is no easy job. Many might think that working for just 6 hours is relaxing, but I would have to prove you dead wrong. There are days when you are lucky to have maybe 3 periods, but there are also days when you have up to 8 periods out of 11 in a day. With very little break time in between periods, you can practically faint from exhaustion. What's more, unlike office jobs where you can just leave your office and go home thinking nothing about work, teachers have TONS of homework to do. Books are constantly piling up on your desk because you cannot afford to slow down your lessons. Talking about lessons, teachers have to prepare for every lesson the following day, which also means more homework.
Apart from all that, the part I find most overwhelming was controling classes. Maybe because I had that smiley passive face (lol, reason why Vincy call me comel). There is a gauge in every class, where you can't make them laugh too much or even make them too bored. Joke too much in class and you will see students make noise like nobody else's business. That time if the headmistress walks by, GAME OVER. Conversely, being too serious, you start seeing students doze off. When they didn't pass up their homework and the headmistress asks why, GAME OVER. That is why every teacher need to gauge the limits of every class, and keep the class in the suitable equilibrium. However, some teachers decided to use the cane and their extreme temper to control the class. When they do that, the gauge and limit theory I have explained earlier no longer applies. Cause the students can neither make noise nor doze in class.
Next, reward of being a teacher: I've learnt how to speak well. This was one of my resolutions before I go to university. I used to get nervous when I have to speak in front of people. It was definitely a good experience for me to grow up. Another rewarding factor was: I have made lots of friends! From classrooms to the staff room, I have met lots of nice people. The teachers are extremely nice to me! I felt rather LUCKY to be sent to Sg Buloh instead of Subang, because I have heard bad stories from my friends teaching there. Initially I applied to teach there, but thankfully they did not want to hire me for being unable to continue my job for at least a year. They recommended me to SJKC Sg Buloh, where I was introduced as a RELIEF TEACHER.
During January, I was assigned to take over the classes of a science teacher on a maternity leave, which were 6K, 6P, 5B and 5J. I had so much stress then, as I was assigned to standard 6 classes when I haven't even taught before all my life. Looking back now, I really miss the days with my ex-classes. I was glad that I had survived the torturous days of preparing materials to teach. Sometimes I worried that I would come upon chinese words I could not read (obviously because I threw my chinese to longkang after my SPM). Many a time I met that awkward moment of lost of speech, all because I just could not put explainations into chinese words nicely. Sigh!
I am now solely a relief teacher. I might not have the responsibility of making sure students follow the curriculum, but I have to improvise and be prepared to teach everything for every standard. Hence, it may be a good thing or a bad thing, depends on how you look at it. Honestly, I'm enjoying it because I've entered almost every class in the school!
After teaching for 3 months, I started to think of all the what-could-have-beens. I could have played a little more, study a little harder, and live a little more life. I could have trained a little harder and get at least a gold medal in the state games. I could have visited my ex-teachers more often like how much I would want my students to keep in touch with me in the future. But it's all too late to realize them now. I am too old to have the privilege to go to school again.
My contract ends in June, therefore I'm now in the middle of my teaching stint, recollecting all my thoughts about my life in the last three months. Being a teacher temporarily is rewarding, but I really could not picture myself being one for the rest of my life. It was never my destiny. Hence for the remaining 3 more months, I will be appreciating the moments as I know I will cherish the memories of this 6 months for the rest of my life.
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