Yong is RPS's Tokoh Guru 2010!

what makes a teacher, a tokoh guru?

• she's a graduate with honors?
• an extremely strict disciplinarian?
• handsome or gorgeous, or possess an admirable sense of fashion?
• spends hours after school for non-teaching activities and paperwork?
• able to relate to students in a friendly yet firm manner?
• warm personality and approachable?
• has a proven track record of excellence reflected in his/her students' exam results?
• been teaching for more than 10-20 years?

remember your favorite teacher? why is he/she a tokoh guru in YOUR heart?

cikgu syimee, in her final trimester, receiving the tokoh guru 2010 award from JPN director, perak

recently, during the 'hari anugerah cemerlang 2010' or 'excellence award day' for the raja perempuan school, ipoh, the school awarded the 'anugerah permata kencana' to 5 teachers for their exceptional service and dedication.

one of the 5 educationists is a young teacher in her first posting - my eldest sister, cikgu syimee!

being an educationist myself, i am so proud of her, as i know what is expected of a teacher, and what she is capable of. although she's a teacher in a school and i was lecturing before joining the early childhood education, but imparting knowledge is never that far off - be it to young adults, or little kiddos.

yong went on stage to receive the award while 7 months pregnant! someone quipped in her facebook, 'bulan ni syimee dapat anugerah permata kencana, bulan depan dapat anugerah cahaya mata pulak!'

yong (yang paling comel kat tepi tu) with the 4 other teachers receiving the same award

we were once students - and i'm sure we've a set of criteria to determine our favorite teacher.

someone who smiles. someone who is just and fair. someone who praises when it's deserving, and punishes when it's due. someone who shares stories that entertain as well as inspire. someone that sets good example. someone who believes that his/her students can improve. someone who believes that his/her students CAN do something extraordinary.

not someone who kutuk the headmaster/headmistress in front of the students. not someone who groups together with other teachers to gossip. not someone who smirks at a student's failure, and doubts when a student improves.

and certainly NOT someone who 'colors' his/her blogs or facebook status with nothing but constant complains about his/her 'burdening' teaching works. bad form!

yong with fellow RPS teachers

i've nothing but praises for cikgu syimee - not just because she's my sister, but i KNOW her - i know how hard she works, how dedicated she is in any tasks put before her and how much passion she has in educating her students.

this award is testimony of her efforts. like i wrote in her wall; 'though she is green in experience, but golden in her dedication and commitment in educating young minds'.

she is the kind of teacher i would wish for my boys! CONGRATS again, yong - tokoh guru 2010!