It's a rainy Saturday afternoon

I’ve spent two days attending the course organized by IALKM, Kursus Kemahiran Asas Kaunseling untuk Pendidik Mara. There are actually several interesting quotes that I would love to share here.

A smile is a powerful weapon. You can even break ice with it.

Talking comes naturally but getting people to listen is an art.

If we want people to listen to us, we should start listening to others first.

We should accept our students the way they are.

There is a bunch of issues brewing at school. Most of them related to students; about their attitude, academic performance and other common teenage issues. As a teacher, I must handle them (the issues) with care.

Teenagers are young, immature, insecure, afraid, and definitely overwhelmed. It is in their nature to battle all adults and authority. They are still going through the learning process and have difficulty in determining what is right and what is wrong.  Because of that, I try to be supportive of their concerns. Sometimes, what they need most is someone to just listen; and I’m really good at that.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn life around.

– Leo F. Buscaglia

My dear students, teachers are human beings too. It’s quite stressful already dealing with lots of tasks at once (personal or family matters, financial, health, work, etc). And then there is this expectation of the society we live in that makes teachers entirely responsible for a student's academic progress.

All of these might affect the way we handle things. But we never intended to make your life miserable.


It is every teacher's wish to see his or her students succeed in school and in life. You should know that we always have your best interests at heart. ♥