Students' compliments

Assalam,
When you become a lecturer, you will always have a second thought when receiving compliments from the students. At the beginning, you will be over the moon but 5 minutes later, you will doubt their sensibility. I was also a student few years ago. All of us used to walk in this so called students-life. Even though you do not like the lecturers/teachers, but you will always smile and saying something nice especially when you are in a conversation with them. True enough?

This year remarks the seventh year my contribution towards teaching line. I graduated from BTESL, UiTM Shah Alam in 2007. I started teaching when I have not even gotten my scroll, in UiTM Seri Iskandar, Perak ( I consider this place as the best place that I've ever worked for) as a part time/full time lecturer, for one meaningful year. I have never stopped teaching since. And the irony part is, teaching was never came into my mind and was never listed onto my list of dream job when I was in schools. I couldn't remember that I did opt TESL as one of the selections in UPU form 13 years ago but my mom could. She said she was the one who asked me to choose TESL and it was my last choice. All I can remember is that, I opted IT courses because I love IT so much, I love the technology, I spent most of my times at home surfing the internet ( I still remember some of my neighbours called me yana-the anti social girl when I was in Form 4 & 5). I just love it. I wanted to take IT courses because I imagined myself in front of the pc / laptop for 24 hours, browsing websites for 24 hours, every single day! See.. that's the way how we used to think. Too selfish. Immature. However, Allah SWT always knows what is the best for us, along with my mom's doas, I have been offered to do TESL.

Along this 7 years, I have learned so many things. I fell. I cried. I smiled. I worked harder. I dreamt. I did not give up. I believe this is the right career for me. In UiTM Seri Iskandar, I used to receive complains from the senior lecturers on my language, my broken-English... It was really embarrassing. But, I took it positively. I kept learning and improving myself. I moved to KL to further my masters while working with a private college in PJ. Then, I couldn't stand my new boss, I quitted. I looked for another teaching job. I accepted the offer from MSU and was serving there for almost 5 years. I disagreed with lots of issues there, I resigned for the second time. I was not happy. Inside and out. And now, Alhamdulillah, I am loving the new place.

I used to receive positive feedbacks from my students about what they love about me. I appreciate that. And it is impossible to please and satisfy each of every students in class. Some of them will love your lesson and some will complain. It is normal. As a lecturer, I take all the compliments as my biggest motivation to deliever well in class and I don't feel upset with negative feedback but it challenges my very self to improve lesson/teaching ( sbnrnye dalam hati mmg terbakoorrrrr je kan hikhik).

Few days ago, one of my students sent a private message through my uni portal jus to say hye and told me how he and his classmates appreciate my lesson and it was very informative. I was so happy (sampai upload kat Instagram kau..kau ade? ;p ). But then, I was thinking maybe it is just him and maybe he just wanted to have a good relationship with me. But today, this morning, after the quiz, I asked them 'how was the quiz? It's really easy cheezy..just like ABC right'...Some of them were smiling with my sarcastic question because the quiz questions were not that easy. Then one of them said something that makes me feel so appreciated "Mam, the questions are not easy. They are difficult. But you had made them easier for us. It is totally not an ABC question. You delivered your lesson well. And that's why we could answer it." Oh.. I was so touched. Now I guess the first student was being really sincere sending me the message. I said to them 'Thank you very much. I am really happy if the lesson's objective is achieved." Then, I ended the class with endless smile =)