I Love My Job!

I’m currently undergoing training for my new job and I love every minute of it.

I am going to be a teacher at this place (I don’t want to name the place for fear of parents being wrongly directed here). The main characteristic of this teaching method is the concentration of its right brain education. Not neglecting the left-brain, which is developed in traditional academic settings, this teaching method promotes whole-brain education by developing the right brain and connecting it to the left, thus allowing both sides of the brain to work together in balance. It also trains young children to develop their brain potential including photographic memory, speed-reading, lightning math ability, multiple language mastery, perfect pitch etc.

Since the optimal time for development of right brain faculties is between the ages zero to six, all the kids enrolled here are young kids: babies, toddlers, preschoolers. And I absolutely adore kids!!

I faced objections from my mother initially, after the first interview, after the second interview and before signing the contract. Even after I’ve signed, she still constantly harps on the lower salary as compare to MOE teaching. However, at this very moment, the person most supportive of my job is actually my mum and I am really thankful for that.

I’ve also received many puzzled looks from the older generation, asking me why don’t I sign up with MOE and be a “proper” teacher instead. “Since you are going to be a teacher, why not be an MOE one? “The prospects are better. The salary is better.” “It is a government job.” “It is more prestigious.” “This one you are teaching, don’t know whether it’s proper education or not.” “How many years proven track record?” “Must be some shady business”.

I get very tired of explaining when these people don’t understand and I don’t even have the chance to explain to some of them and did not bother to, as it was a conversation between my parents and them.

I did not even tell my friends (unless they asked) that I’ve gotten a job too, as it is quite difficult to explain what my job is about and to let them understand why I chose this job. Most have not heard if it before and were skeptical when they heard that I’m going to teach kids from 0-6 years old. “What? So young also want to enroll the child for classes?” Want to pressure the child huh? Xiao!” “1 year old can learn what???” “Aren’t they babies?!”

Fortunately, Evan heard of this teaching method before and even thought that the prospect of being a teacher here is good. “Go for your training and let me know if they need more teachers ya? Then I’ll go send my resume too.” she joked. It was such a relief to hear such kind words from a friend when all along before that I was greeted with skepticism. I was glad I told her about it. Haha… but I had no choice coz I had to ask her a favour to finish up my unethical assignment since I would be too busy to complete it.

Some people dislike teaching. These people wouldn’t value the joys of being in this line. Some people have no affinity with young children. These people all the more wouldn’t understand anything.

Since one of the concentrations of this teaching method is also the education of the heart, we believe in parent-child bonding in order for the child to open his/her heart before unlocking the right brain. Thus, for every class, every child has to be accompanied by one parent.

On my first day of training, I attended a lecture by the principal herself. The days after that, I was to sit in some classes to do observation and was assigned to a buddy who will show me the ropes. I observed all the classes ranging from 1-6 years old. Every child has a certain kind of cuteness and intelligence in him or her. And I was so drawn to the love and bond between most of the Mummies and their children... hugging and kissing them, praising them even when their answers are wrong. The Daddies were quite loving to their kids too. I always find it a cute to see Daddies attending classes with their children. All these sweet sights simply melt my heart.

Some of the children are so cute and pretty and handsome. Even those who are not cute and pretty and handsome physically, they are cute from their actions and behaviours. And I really enjoy spotting the similarities between parent and child. Some children look just like photocopies of their parents and that is a good thing if the mummy is a pretty lady!

There are also the intelligent ones. This 3 or 4-year-old boy handed in his lion with only few patches of colours here and there.

His mummy asked, “Boy, why you never finish colouring your lion?”

Boy said, “My lion is white.”

Mum said, “But even if it is white, you still got to use white colour pencil to colour it you know?”

“Haiya, no need la. The paper is white mah.”

“So if your lion is white, why are there small patches of colours all over him?”

“Because my lion got stain.”

That mummy told us that she couldn’t argue with him because there really is such a thing as a white lion.

On another occasion, I was helping my colleague to mark some of her students’ worksheets. There was this question that requires them to list down ten edible things. Paper after paper I marked, the answers were all correct. And then I came to this paper which has answers like sweets, chocolates, hamburger… … and the last two answers were flies and beetles! I asked my colleague if I should mark it wrong. She flipped the paper to see who it was and asked me to mark the answers as correct. Marking this boy’s answers as wrong would only elicit questions from him that leave you stumped and wished you had never argued with him. “Teacher, you never watch documentary is it? People eat flies you know? People eat beetles you know?” And every teacher knows who he is although they do not teach him, as he would ask every teacher if Tweety bird is a male or a female.

I do not really know how should the intellect of a 1 year old be but I thought there was this baby who was quite smart too. He found a white teddy bear from the toys room and was hugging and kissing it, refusing to let it go even when Daddy wanted to carry him home. We tried very hard to coax him in returning the toy to no avail. Each time we tried to take the toy away, he would have the want-to-cry-look. So at last my colleague showed him a sticker full of teddy bears, She asked which he liked and he pointed to the white teddy on the sticker. So she pasted on him and attempted to remove the teddy bear from his grasp. He immediately peeled off the sticker from his shirt and returned to my colleague. It seems like he understood this concept of exchanging and refused to have the sticker if we are going to take the bear away from him. As I said, I thought that was really smart.

There are so many instances of cute and intelligent kids. There are simply too many to write them all down.

From my few days of training, I feel that this job is really meaningful and rewarding. It is not merely formal education you are imparting to the children but drawing out the potentials and capabilities in them in them as well. And when you see the happy faces on both parent and child and the bond between them, you will feel a sense of fulfillment.

I am happy everyday and didn’t mind staying back longer to help out with my buddy for some event the last weekend although there wasn’t any OT pay. In fact, I’m enjoying myself so much that I wouldn’t even mind if I’m not paid. But of course I’m paid la. It seems too good to be true that I could hardly believe I’ve gotten myself a great job. Probably because I’m only undergoing training and have not experienced the real essence of the job yet. I hope I’ll continue to feel this way, as I’ve never had so much passion for any job before.