Happy Teacher's Day

Yesterday, 16 May 2009 marks a Teacher's Day in Malaysia.

So, what is a Teacher's Day? It is a day where the students celebrate, commemorate and thanked their teachers for their hard-day work!

First, allow me to define a teacher: a teacher is someone who teaches, guides and supports their students. Now, who can be a teacher? Well, almost anyone is a teacher: whether formally or informally.

A "formal" teacher is someone who is professionally and legally qualified to teach, spread, guide and disseminate knowledge to the public. Usually, the society would refer a "teacher" to someone who works, teaches and guides the teenagers (or students or pupils) in schools.

However, in my opinion, a teacher need not be in school: he or she is mobile across the continents. I would look at this way: anyone who teaches someone something, whether small or trivial things, is a teacher. So, a lecturer, a boss, a manager, a mother, a father, older siblings etc, they are all teachers. So, all of us should thanked them for their guidance and knowledge transferred to us.

Now, in my case, i am lecturer. What is a lecturer? Hurm, let's see. I would attempt to define a lecturer as someone who talks in students' sleep! Haha, i guess no one would even bother to listen to a long and wind-up lectures - be it on weekdays and on weekends. However it may be, a lecturer is a teacher, but in the present context, a lecturer is usually found in higher educational (or tertiary) institutions.

So, my point is, a lecturer is a teacher! So, let's celebrate anyone who teaches in this world: be it a kindergarden teacher, school teacher, tuition teacher, boss, manager etc - after all, they are all teachers!

Owh, by the way, yesterday, five persons sent me a text message (SMS) wishing me a teachers day. Let's recall on who sent those SMSes.

1. Hafiz - this is my former students when i taught at a nursing college somewhere in Cheras. he sent me an SMS at 7.22am. The SMS reads:

"slmt hr guru...from hfz comel"

which i translates it as

"happy teacher's day...from cute Hafiz"

Anyway, thanks hafiz for your SMS...indeed, you are cute!

2. My dead research partner and my former yet beloved and highly knowledgeable teacher, Madam Siti Mistima sent me an SMS at 7.43am saying this:

"Hi, happy teachers cum lecturers day. Bila nk mkn2 ni..just ignore people with negative aura"

which i loosely translates as:

"Hi, happy teacher's cum lecturer's day. When do you want to go out and having lunch/dinner together? Just ignore people with negative aura"

My response: thank you Madam Siti for the wish. Indeed, i will set a date with you later and then we can go out and have some gossips together! =)

3. this SMS arrives in my phone's inbox at 9:25am from Fizza, my former colleague and a dear friend while i was teaching at the nursing college. The SMS reads:

"Educators of e world, Thank u 4 pouring ur heart n soul in educating e future generations. Happy Teacher's Day! enjoy ur special day :-D - HAFIZAH"

well, the message, in full, reads as:

"Educators of the world, Thank you for pouring your heart and soul in educating the future generations. Happy Teacher's Day! enjoy your special day :-D - HAFIZAH"

My comment: thanks fizza for this wonderful, meaningful and strike-down-deep-to-the-heart SMS!

4. The fourth message was sent by Edward, my students, but i have deleted the message. Anyway, Edward, thank you for your lovely message.

5. The last message was sent by my students at 11.05pm. The message reads:

"Slamat ari Tt0.." which in English reads "Happy TTO's day".

Note: TTO refers to Technical Training Officer, otherwise fondly known as lecturer. The thing is, in the college where i am working now, the position that was offered to me was a TTO. It has the same function and job-scope as a lecturer. Somehow, i don't really like this new designation (or the position name), but i have to accept it. To me, the word "lecturer" sounds more intellectual and signifies a very smart, honourable and knowledgeable men. So, i would prefer to be called a lecturer instead of TTO.

Anyway, thanks for all the wishes from my students.

And i wonder where my other students went. perhaps, they see me more of a friend than a lecturer. Well, i don't mind.

As long as i have the opportunity to teach, that pleases me enough and means more than anything else in this world!