Teacher Jahat

Come new year there's a sea of unfamiliar faces and tons of names to remember. To us teachers, on the first day of class, names are not our top priority. It's the time when you make your first impression which is so crucial in teacher-student relationship.

For instance, if you want to be perceived as a strict teacher, you must make a marung-marung-kana-tampar-malaikat face. If you want to be a "cool" and "sporting" teacher, you smile ear to ear like a clown.

Me? I think it's pretty dumb if you want to be pigeon-holed as simply as "strict" or "sporting" because once you show a different side of you, students use your first impression against you.

I've heard annoying statements like "Apa ni eh cigu ah inda lagi sporting!", "Jangan strict cher, rilek bah!" So I just stick to my real self- a little bit strict, a pinch of friendliness and a generous helping of a sense of humour.

So on the first day of class

T: Before I start the topic, I will give you a quiz. Everybody stand up!

There's an instant buzz around the classroom.

T: Who knows how to spell market?

S: M-a-r-k-e-t!

T:Good! You may sit down!

Student waves at his friends because he earned the privilege to sit.

T: OK! Who knows how to spell this difficult word, vegetables?

S:V-e-g-e-t-a-b-l-e-s!

T:Excellent!

I noticed that his nostrils were a bit flared as he sat down so I teased him, "Nah, kambang tia lubang idungnya!"

Ss: Aaai.........jahat teacher ah!

Turns out that the student's nostrils were naturally a bit flared.

So much for trying to be a bit of everything!