Happy Teachers' Day!

I love Teachers' Day. Yes, I know that technically I am a Curriculum Specialist now, but after 5 years at MOE I know with a sense of certainty that nothing I have done in the past 5 years has given me the soul satisfaction I had in the 25 years before that. I will be the first to admit there were days when I hated getting up in the morning, days when I dreamed of jobs that seemed more glamorous, more rewarding, more exciting. But having now tried my hand at something else, I am praying for an opportunity to start teaching again.

And I think there must be something special about this job if it is the only one of two with a holiday declared to recognise it, right? We don't hear of a Lawyers' Day or a Doctors' Day or a Bankers' Day. Of all the professions, there we have it - Teachers' Day and Nurses' Day. That's it. Yay!!

So today I celebrated it as I have for many of the past years - with a time of reflection and a nice massage :) I'm also happy to have done some teaching - in the form of a mini-workshop I ran for the young teachers in my church on Saturday afternoon. The turnout was small - there were 6 people, but I have learnt over these years that all things happen to fulfil God's purposes. So though I would have liked 20, I know God met the needs of the 6 who came. It was nice that we had space to talk and though I had to rush a bit towards the end (as always, because I always over-prepare!), I think we talked about what mattered.

I also had a lovely surprise this morning. Dot (& Chit & Lily) sms-ed me to say I had a tribute in the Straits Times today!!! And Haslinda of 94A if you ever read this blog, know that you made my day today! The best Teachers' Day present you could have given me - is to bother to remember me 14 years after I taught you and to go the extra mile of writing to the papers. Thanks dearie! Wow! In this age of sms-es, your tribute touched me because it required an effort and I appreciate it. I wish I knew how to contact you so I could say thanks. And I am also humbled by the thought that so many children come to us day after day trusting us to teach them. It is an awesome responsibility and the impact we make on them lasts so long! I can only pray that I did more good than harm. I used to tell my kids that I was born to be their nightmare :) I think to some I was. But I do hope that to some I was a blessing.