It's been a really hectic two weeks for me..with all the assignments, revisions and many more things that can ebb away my sanity. I guess this is life..and to survive..I have to maintain positive. Alhamdulillah..am able to do so till this very day.
Before I decided to enrol in this education course, I've heard a few voices who downgrade the teaching profession. Although it was said subtly, the meanings inferred are indeed a sore to the ears. People seem to think that becoming a teacher is not a favourable thing..most feel that the job is not well-paid and it's hard to make a living by just becoming a teacher. Some even label this profession as a last-resort option that one would take up if nothing else works. What's more hurtful is that people seem to think that those who enrolled in teacher training colleges or in any educational courses are those who are not as intelligent. I just don't get it!
I have some friends who compare my educational course with the so-called high-level and intelligence-enhancing courses that they are enrolled in. Some tend to complain how hard their courses are..having to do this and that..having to use a lot of cognitive resources and stuffs. i don't mind them expressing their stress or complaining about how they don't have enough time to do all those stuffs..but the part that i hate most is when they start to say : 'U takpelah..u amek TESL..senang je..belajar language je". You are so WRONG!
To me, teaching is a profession. There are many jobs that deal with machines but I believe that teaching is one of the professions that deals with humans the most..with complex living things that come in various shapes and sizes..equipped with different brains, mentality and thoughts.. can people actually imagine how difficult is it to handle this responsibility? we learn about theories and approaches..but in the real classrooms, it is more complicated that teachers have to use their intellegence and exploit their creative resources to deal with students. Still, many thought that teachers only go to school, teach and that's it..and teachers enjoy a lot of holidays..soo NOT! do people know that apart from teaching subject matter, teachers are responsible to mould positive values and characters? Do people realize that when the children are at school, teachers have to ensure their security? Are people aware that teachers have to come to school during holidays and give extra classes to students so that parents who want their children to achieve good grades can be rest assured? yet many of us do not complain.
and relating this to TESL in particular..do people know how difficult it is to learn language that is dynamic? Do people know how complex is linguistic? Do people really KNOW that learning linguistics is as complex as learning the anatomy of the human body? I am sure many people don't. So why downgrade? why classify TESL and educational courses as unimportant? Do people know that we are the ones who educate doctors, engineers, surgeons, and even prime ministers? Well, I might sound a bit boastful..but that's not my intention. I am just trying to say that people seem to judge from the outlook.. and many fail to see the unheard and uncommercialized contributions of teachers and educators in general. So to all future teachers.. let us do our best. we are responsible to uphold the teaching profession and restore its positive image. There are many challenges that we will face..but no matter what, we have to path our way through. No matter what people say..we must be able to stand back up..and say to ourseleves..WE ARE FABULOUS! (i know this is a bit gedik..but trust me..it helps! hehe.)
Before I decided to enrol in this education course, I've heard a few voices who downgrade the teaching profession. Although it was said subtly, the meanings inferred are indeed a sore to the ears. People seem to think that becoming a teacher is not a favourable thing..most feel that the job is not well-paid and it's hard to make a living by just becoming a teacher. Some even label this profession as a last-resort option that one would take up if nothing else works. What's more hurtful is that people seem to think that those who enrolled in teacher training colleges or in any educational courses are those who are not as intelligent. I just don't get it!
I have some friends who compare my educational course with the so-called high-level and intelligence-enhancing courses that they are enrolled in. Some tend to complain how hard their courses are..having to do this and that..having to use a lot of cognitive resources and stuffs. i don't mind them expressing their stress or complaining about how they don't have enough time to do all those stuffs..but the part that i hate most is when they start to say : 'U takpelah..u amek TESL..senang je..belajar language je". You are so WRONG!
To me, teaching is a profession. There are many jobs that deal with machines but I believe that teaching is one of the professions that deals with humans the most..with complex living things that come in various shapes and sizes..equipped with different brains, mentality and thoughts.. can people actually imagine how difficult is it to handle this responsibility? we learn about theories and approaches..but in the real classrooms, it is more complicated that teachers have to use their intellegence and exploit their creative resources to deal with students. Still, many thought that teachers only go to school, teach and that's it..and teachers enjoy a lot of holidays..soo NOT! do people know that apart from teaching subject matter, teachers are responsible to mould positive values and characters? Do people realize that when the children are at school, teachers have to ensure their security? Are people aware that teachers have to come to school during holidays and give extra classes to students so that parents who want their children to achieve good grades can be rest assured? yet many of us do not complain.
and relating this to TESL in particular..do people know how difficult it is to learn language that is dynamic? Do people know how complex is linguistic? Do people really KNOW that learning linguistics is as complex as learning the anatomy of the human body? I am sure many people don't. So why downgrade? why classify TESL and educational courses as unimportant? Do people know that we are the ones who educate doctors, engineers, surgeons, and even prime ministers? Well, I might sound a bit boastful..but that's not my intention. I am just trying to say that people seem to judge from the outlook.. and many fail to see the unheard and uncommercialized contributions of teachers and educators in general. So to all future teachers.. let us do our best. we are responsible to uphold the teaching profession and restore its positive image. There are many challenges that we will face..but no matter what, we have to path our way through. No matter what people say..we must be able to stand back up..and say to ourseleves..WE ARE FABULOUS! (i know this is a bit gedik..but trust me..it helps! hehe.)
7 comments:
think im a included in one of 'those ppl'.but the thing is,I never thought that being a teacher is an easy job.ppl keep on asking me to study hard n do phd,n become a lecturer later.but i refuse as i know its even harder to shape other ppl.Keep up the good work,also your good heart so that you can change more people in the world!!
orang kampung. :)
Ketuk meh siapa yg cakap tue..hehe
A teacher, like a doctor or a lawyer, is deemed a professional. We have to get our degree, almost the same number of years of education as an attorney. As a doctor cares for his patients, a teacher has the same weighty responsibility of helping our children.
Lain kali dgr sapa ckp mcm tue, meh cakap kat dia: cuba you try, ada you mampoo? ^_^
i can't agree more! like this entry so much~ well done farouk!
Your last few sentences put a smile on my face. It is true that in today's society, teachers seem to have lost faith in their own profession. Heck, some even think of it as just an occupation, not a profession. I mean, come on, if we don't even deem ourselves as professional, who will, right?
If it is difficult to maintain that mentality of 'teaching is a noble profession' in primary or secondary schools, imagine how much more difficult it is for us in the early childhood education sector. Heaps.
But we love it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
u wrote a LOT. LOAD :)
i love reading it :D
just so u know.
I KNOW LINGUISTIC IS DAMN HARD @@
thank you so much to all of you..it means a lot when there are other people out there who feel the same thing..and yeah..i think i wrote a lot..sometimes when i look back..some of my entries were too long..hahaha. but just can't help it. :-P
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