Mdm SUZANNA `AIN BINTI ABDUL RAHMAN

From SMK SERI GOMBAK

Nominated by NUR IMAN KHADIJAH BINTI ROSNAN

MY GREATEST TEACHER - My Mother, My Inspiration Inspirational teachers show students how to think, not just to know. It engages the heart, and hence the head. It lights fires of passion that will continue to fuel themselves. Throughout the years, I have learnt from many great teachers but the greatest and the most influential of all is and will always be my English teacher and my mother, Puan Suzanna `Ain Binti Abdul Rahman. I was born the daughter of teachers. Normally, having a parent in the school is a source of embarrassment for some, but not so for me. I am very proud of my mother! My mother is very largely liked by the administrators, her colleagues and especially her students. She always walks down the hall, with a smile on her face and never let it fade away. I can also see students running to her almost every day, hug her and I always hear common comments like ‘Your mother is cool!’. Watching my mother as a teacher, I learn a series of important lessons: Prioritizing Family Taking care of her parents with chronic diseases and me on her own can never be an easy task for any mother especially when she herself is suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) since 2011. She experiences more than her share of pain and heartaches in a lifetime and her strength comes from being tested unpredictability. I can still remember when my father passed away five years ago and the whole family felt like being hit with a sledgehammer. However, my mother remained strong. It was the soldiering on for her family that made her overcame the sadness and grief even when she might rather have given up. I know it has not always comes easily but I know that is her greatest gift - she is STRONG, she never let hard times dictate her life and the whole family. Instead, she always believes that that no matter how tough life is, a rainbow will always appear. Teaching is Dedication Although it has been almost 21 years in the teaching field, my mother’s dedication to her job is unwavering. I grow up watching my mother working hard day and night. She works at nights, preparing lessons and teaching materials for the next day, marking her students’ work, goes to school during the day, conducts extra classes for her weak students after school and on weekends and yet her energy still outshines mine though I am 30 years younger than her. Sometimes, I can see that she is tired and I know she is but the extraordinary amount of time and energy she puts into the school is a clear indication of her dedication. To her, teaching is not only a career, it is her vocation - a calling. It is a responsibility and this responsibility does not end when the class ends. Inspirational Teaching Methods My mother has always been an innovative teacher. She continuously reinventing and refining her practice, seeking knowledge with others, and trying the latest teaching strategies. She uses inspirational teaching methods when teaching. She truly believes all students can learn and takes it upon herself to give them using the best instructional strategies and educational tools of which she is aware. There are two ways to teach: through the head and through the heart. Teaching through the head includes logical explanation and clearly structured lessons and exercises. The goal is just to get good results and when it is done well, that’s it! My mother does things differently. Every lesson is a performance, where she conducts the class like an orchestra, exploring the way forward with a known goal in mind. She is not afraid to look silly and will stand on the chair and declaim Shakespeare, if that is what it takes. She engages the whole class in challenging debates and encourages innovative thinking. Inspirational teaching plays first to the heart. It works on the principle that if learning is fun and interesting, then students will develop a strong and lasting interest in the subject. When this happens, great results will happen as a natural and inevitable progression. It is not surprising that her students love her lessons and that she often gets grateful letters and presents from them. To my mother, and the many teachers around the world, thank you for sacrificing so much of your time – your life – to better our world through the education of others. You have given me not just book of knowledge but you are the one who instills patience, dedication and inspiration. No amount of money in the world can do that. Thank you so much mother. You are my INSPIRATIONAL teacher and will always be my hero.