{"id":5027,"date":"2017-04-14T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T10:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachformalaysia.org\/anders-cheng-this-is-what-teaching-is-all-about\/"},"modified":"2017-04-14T10:00:13","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T10:00:13","slug":"anders-cheng-this-is-what-teaching-is-all-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teachformalaysia.org\/my\/anders-cheng-this-is-what-teaching-is-all-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Anders Cheng: This is what teaching is all about"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI believe that there is a need for Sarawakians to contribute to education, more so in Sarawak because we have a unique perspective on life. Harmony and unity is our song, and no one\u00a0in Malaysia would hear it if we choose to be silent.\u201d \u2013 Anders Cheng, 2014 Alumnus<\/em><\/p>\n

\"anders_cheng_full<\/p>\n

People often ask me why I considered a career in education;\u00a0I stand firmly on these two reasons:<\/p>\n

First, because of my faith, I believe that education is a way to impact society and give them tools to achieve success in their own way.<\/p>\n

Second, on a more personal note, I\u2019m reminded of my mother who was like a\u00a0jaguh kampung<\/em>\u00a0in her own right. Never properly learning English till she was 16, she would translate each word in\u00a0a book to English, practise grammar and burn the midnight oil in order to succeed in her studies \u2013 finally being the first in the family to obtain\u00a0a diploma.<\/p>\n

Because of her grit and tenacity, my siblings and I are able to stand on her shoulders and have\u00a0good education ourselves. As a teacher, she would always say, \u201cI have no riches, but education will be your inheritance.\u201d My access to English, tuition and the privileges of being in a middle-income family has propelled me to be where I am\u00a0today which I\u2019m forever grateful for. All it took was a tenacious kid like my mum who was inspired to go further in\u00a0her\u00a0education. Now imagine the possibilities\u00a0if all the\u00a0jaguh kampung<\/em>\u00a0in Malaysia got the help they needed. This is why I\u2019m staying on as a teacher in my homeland of Sarawak where sadly, many students don\u2019t get the same opportunities as those in other parts of Malaysia do.<\/p>\n

I believe that there is a need for Sarawakians to contribute to education, more so in Sarawak because we have a unique perspective on life. Harmony and unity is our song, and no one\u00a0in Malaysia would hear it if we choose to be silent. Prior to teaching in Miri, I was teaching in West Malaysia and I found that many are still unaware\u00a0of the issues in\u00a0Sabah and Sarawak. I believe that this is because that there are not enough of us sharing stories that represent the Bornean perspective. Instead of creating further dissent and segregation, it is important for us to educate and raise a generation of individuals that embrace\u00a0each other\u2019s culture and values.<\/p>\n

Moreover, there is a lack of teachers in Sarawak. Many have left in pursuit of the wealth\u00a0and comforts of other countries. Whether we are Chinese, Malay, Indian, Bidayuh, Iban, Kelabit, Kenyah, Melanau or Murut, Sarawak needs you to give back to the community.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20170410_203110<\/p>\n

I have an interesting student in my school who asked me to guess his ambition. The only clue he gave was that it is a career that can change\u00a0minds. I quickly listed all the careers that came\u00a0to mind:<\/p>\n

Doctor?
\nPsychologist?
\nTeacher?
\nCounselor?
\nPolitician?<\/p>\n

I\u00a0was met with a resounding NO! I gave up, and to my surprise, he wanted to be a DJ. He began to rap fluently in English and showed me songs that inspired him. He went on talking about how he wanted to be a DJ\u00a0who would produce clean music, wholesome lyrics and be an example for others. I told him stories about my friends who made it\u00a0as\u00a0DJs, and that motivated and inspired him further. Little did he know, he inspired me as well, and I left school reflecting that music can\u00a0change minds\u00a0of people!<\/p>\n

Looking back, I realised that it is not all about being the perfect teacher with an excellent track record, results aren\u2019t the only things that matter. As teachers we have the power to guide students in shaping their future. I could have doused his dream\u00a0with realistic \u2018Asian\u00a0expectations\u2019, or I could propel him further to achieve something for his community.<\/p>\n

He actually\u00a0said to me, \u201cTeacher, if you are willing to teach in school, I am willing\u00a0to come back and be an inspiration to my community.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is what teaching is all about.<\/p>\n

Anders Cheng\u00a0is a 2014 Alumnus and a fourth-year teacher at a school in Miri, Sarawak. Anders\u00a0graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Geology from Curtin University.\u00a0<\/em>Teach For Malaysia recruits, trains and supports Fellows to teach in high-need schools across the nation. Beyond the Fellowship, our Alumni continue to champion education in different ways. To date, we\u2019ve impacted over 44,000 students, working with the Ministry of Education and other partners.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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