by Jocellyn Tander and illustration by Radhika Sahay
P.C.: Radhika Sahay
School can be something terrifying for students, or at least it was for me. I remember being terrified on my first day of nursery since everything was so new - the uniform, the class, and most importantly, the people. I had never had a class as big as that since the preschool I went to previously consisted of only 10 people, but then there were more than 20 kids in my class. Since I came to school in the middle of the academic year, I was the only one with my grandma sitting beside me in class and it was terrifying to see new faces staring and looking at me. Soon after chatting with my teachers, my grandma left me for my first day and I sat there quietly, unsure of what to do. When the class played games, I sat there alone and stared, unwilling to join, that was until one of my teachers came up beside me and held my hand to invite me to join the others. That first day was also the day we took a class photo and I remember my two teachers running around trying to get everyone to sit still for the picture. They were also the ones who sat and played with me and my friends an hour after we were dismissed because our parents had not picked us up. No one I know can be as patient as the teachers who teach 3-year-olds and I commend them greatly for that. Besides being patient, they also had the biggest hearts who were more than willing to accompany children one by one whenever they were having a hard time or separating themselves from others. They really created a good impression of school for me, especially since it was the very first day of my academic journey.
Fast forward to the first day of primary, I was even more scared than I was on my first day of nursery since I was met with even more new things - a new set of uniform, big classrooms, A LOT of new students, and also a lot of new stationery which I have never brought to school until that day. When I first came to class, I was greeted by my teacher who was very welcoming and cheerful, right there and then, I knew that she was going to be a teacher I could approach very easily. I loved chatting with her every day, telling her what I did on the weekend, sharing what happened in school this week and so much more. She always patiently listened to me and replied with the funniest things. She was also the type of person you could joke around with, although sometimes she would scream at you when she was teaching!
Nevertheless, she also impacted my view of primary school very positively, which made me look forward to going to school every day. Even after I moved campuses as I reached the later years of primary school, I would often visit the campus since my brother was still there. I remember being in secondary and seeing her when I returned to that campus where she smiled and hugged me when she recognised me. After that, she would chat with other teachers about how I used to be way shorter than her when she taught me, but now I was way taller. She was still interested in how I was finding school or whether there were any updates in my life so far. Until now, I’ve never met someone as kind and warm-hearted as her, especially someone who is willing to sit with me and listen to all the nonsense I was spurting at the age of 6.
It is undoubtedly obvious that teachers play a huge role in school, not only because they are the ones teaching, but also because they act as one of the only bridges between students and parents and students and the school. They actively communicate and check on their students tirelessly to make sure that they’re doing okay and whether they need any help. Specifically in lower school years, like kindergarten and primary, teachers are very important in creating a positive impression and environment for students to motivate them to keep going. In fact, they are one of the main reasons I find school as a place for me to be happy and create very memorable experiences. In my opinion, teachers can either make or break a child’s perception of school so it is essential that they meet the right people to assist them and accompany them through their journey at school. Additionally, young children also develop emotionally and socially in school, so it is important that teachers teach them the right skills and mindset needed to equip their lives. They are also the main source of improvement as teachers provide both children and their parents with feedback to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The impact teachers have on shaping a student’s foundation in their early years creates a long-lasting impact that will greatly benefit them for their entire lives.
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