When I stepped into\u00a0the hall at\u00a0the Young Innovate Competition, I realised that I actually knew quite a number of students there. Those whom\u00a0I mentored (directly or indirectly) called me \u201cMr Tan\u201d! I guess it means something because I\u2019m no longer some nameless stranger who sits at the back of the class \u201cgrading\u201d teachers on my laptop. Yay!<\/p>\n One thing I don\u2019t like about competitions is that the stories\/efforts of those who didn\u2019t win are often not reported and acknowledged. There is a great need for them to acknowledge and celebrate their own efforts, because if they don\u2019t, no one else would.<\/p>\n Easier said than done.<\/p>\n But based on my brief journey with the 2016 Teach For Malaysia Fellows as a mentor\/LDO\/advisor for this competition, I see big growth in the teachers and their students.<\/p>\n On the teachers\u2019 end, I see them going the extra mile to spend time with their students, during one of the most difficult periods of their Fellowship. (Context: on top of regular teachers\u2019 duties, Fellows pursue\u00a0their Diploma Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah [DPLI] at the same time.\u00a0As I write this, they have 5 assignments due this week, and 9 assignments due next week.) They have spent entire days (and nights) coaching their students on their projects. Some had to go through extensive\u00a0bureaucratic procedures to be able to go for this competition. One even went on\u00a0an\u00a0\u00a0epic 12-hour journey to obtain a GPS module for his student!<\/p>\n Yesterday, when I thought about their individual stories and adventures, it suddenly dawned on me that these are all teachers who truly have conviction and love for their students. It definitely challenged me to think about how much I\u2019m willing go the extra mile for people around me.<\/p>\n On the students\u2019 end, it\u2019s really amazing to see how much they\u2019ve grown from day one until today. I don\u2019t think stories are sufficient to capture this growth, because it is so much more than that.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s why competitions are tough to digest emotionally. There are so many life lessons, but we often let victory and loss cloud over this because they\u00a0are more obvious and measurable. However, we need to know that it\u2019s the journey that matters most, not just the results.<\/p>\n (Cue music: The Climb by Miley Cyrus\u00a0\u2013\u00a0my coaching inspiration)<\/p>\n![\"Young](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teachformalaysia.org\/blog\/home\/teachfor\/public_html\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Young-Innovate-2016-Journey-1.jpg?resize=1000%2C750\")
Teach For Malaysia Fellows & Alumni at Young Innovate 2016<\/em><\/p>\n