MRS IRVING LONG Class 4B1( 1988)
IMPACTING THE LIVES OF OTHERS, AS OTHERS HAVE IMPACTED HER
Those who can, do... those who can do more, teach.
I was bullied by my caregivers, their children and even my relatives since I was three. Not knowing what to do then, I decided to keep everything to myself and I had never uttered a word of my troubles to anyone. As time passed, I grew to believe that I was cursed and I had closed myself up further from people around me. They all thought I was a quiet girl.
It was of no surprise then, that I had no role model to look up to. I had just been living each day as it came.
I passed my Primary School Leaving Examinations with merely satisfactory results, enough for me to be enrolled into the school of my choice- Clementi Town Secondary School( CTSS). My Classparent then is still teaching in CTSS today. He had noticed my silence and was the first person in my entire life to attempt to reach out to me. He was patient and sensitive, and he sat with me for hours just to get me talking. He wanted to make sure that I did not feel alone. He cared. He was fresh out of National Institute of Education and he was like a big brother to me. His patience moved me and for the first time in my young life, I found myself truly smiling from within. From then onwards, I found great determination to do well for my studies and my results improved. I wanted to achieve … and I wanted to do my school proud.
Clementi Town Secondary School is a special school where‘ Form Teachers’ are referred to as‘ Classparents’. This term bears warmth, and warmth was what I had received when I was a student here. It changed my life.
I did not know for sure which path I should take when I was studying in the university. This teacher then told me,“ Do your best, be yourself. Watch the company you keep and watch the time when you go out.” I had continued of course, to hold him in high regard, so I took his advice and followed my heart. We had unfortunately, lost touch after that.
Several years later, we met during a Teachers’ Conference! I just graduated from National Institute of Education. What he said to me then made me realise that every student that passes a teacher’ s hands does not simply get forgotten and that every child matters.“ I thought I would never see you again!” my ex-Classparent exclaimed.
Today I am back in my alma mater, Clementi Town Secondary School, working alongside the teacher who has made a difference in my life.
I am paying it forward, hoping to pass on the amazing torch of teaching, because I have felt the warmth of the flame when my Classparent reached out to me back then.
Irving is back teaching in her alma mater. She has been the recipient of both the school’ s Outstanding Contribution Award as well as the Caring Teacher Award.
040 Our Future: Be the Change You want Others to See!