 |
| Teacher Lashmi
gave us her valuable time during our visit to R.E.A.L Kids Bukit
Jelutong on 23rd March 2015. It was her birthday. We hope her message to
fellow Early Years Teachers would make a difference and create a
positive impact. |
Not everybody is dealt the same deck of cards in
life. When given something less ideal, would you still give your best or
cheat to stay comfortable? Teacher Lashmi does not believe in
taking the easy way out. She recalled her initial 3 ambitions when she
was young. It was either a doctor, a nurse or a teacher. Due to her
family background, she couldn't go further and she settled with being a
preschool teacher.
However Teacher Lashmi did not stop short at just SPM. She started her career in preschool in 1981, finished
KEMAS training, a 9-week intensive kindergarten course sponsored by the government, and went through further
KSPK government trainings to equip herself with the necessary knowledge in the industry.
She took up a job as a Bookshop Assistant immediately after SPM but
she
was very clear she wanted to be a teacher. It was innate in her since
young because her neighbor's children always came to her. However they
cried, she would carry them and took good care of them. She told
everybody she knew to inform her if they come across any kindergarten
teacher vacancies. That's how she got herself into her first preschool
teaching job, a center with 100% chinese kids. She carried her lessons
bilingually in BM and English but none of the kids could understand her.
It was frustrating for her early passion, parents were complaining
that she was not a good teacher because she could not understand what
the children need. She was lucky under the guidance and support of her
then principal, she gained confidence slowly and was eventually promoted
to be Class Teacher.
From 1985 to 2000, she
partnered with friends to run her own school but it did not work out
well. She saw an ad on the newspaper and that's how she came across CEC
(R.E.A.L Kids). Esther Yong was the first person who greeted her in CEC.
Then on Teacher Lashmi was flexible enough to be transferred to
different R.E.A.L Kids centers when the needs arise. From USJ 2 for a
year, to Gasing Indah with Principal Ms Mala from 2003 to 2004, to Bukit
Jelutong from 2006 onwards. "
I did not choose to love children. I
was slowly doing my best. Being single, I trust that god gave me this
talent to bring up some young and better ones."
"Some
time in between my job as a preschool teacher, I was frustrated with my
stagnant salary because my former boss made us work for an NGO
kindergarten for extra hours but did not pay us.
I left to work in
office line but did not last for more than one day. I felt lonely there
because I was used to all the children's noise. I knew I did not belong
there."
"It's different from working with principal
Ms Mala because she gave us all the support and encouragement we
needed. Without her, I'm still an unknown person.
I like the way she
motivates all the teachers. She's always with new vision, something new
and renewed motivation for us. It is the way she say it that made us
feel worthwhile. She's not stern, not authoritative and she always
speaks in a friendly manner."
"I rarely feel
exhausted teaching eventhough it's day to night. I had to take extra
tuition at night to make ends meet. When I'm tired, I'll listen to some
music. There are times I had problems with the parents. I gave my best
but they still complaint. Felt that they don't need me and wanted to
quit. But after speaking to my principal and colleagues, it was
comforting to know we are in this together. It's not just a job."
"
Outside
people took preschool teacher job very lightly. They assumed we just
teach the children to play. They are not aware that there are many areas
we had to concentrate the child on. Some teachers thought it is too
easy to teach young preschoolers, some thought it is too tedious and
they couldn't take the crying etc. Teenagers usually don't like all
these. When they were young they relied on pampers; but when they grow
up, they don't want to work on raising children. Awareness programs
should be done to encourage more new ones to come up to this career. It
needs dedication, a lot of patience. You have to be truthful to
yourself, don't cheat because every little work counts when it comes to
raising children. We are not here to just play. Be truthful, whether I
did my job, we can see it when the children manage to follow up. Some
children need 100% support from us because their parents do not support
the learning at home, that's when your job comes in more important. You
know your reading lessons worked when the children start picking up
books from the shelf and read."
"It's vital we work
as a team in Bukit Jelutong, both the stronger and weaker teacher, in
order to bring better results to our children.
We might be focusing
on different areas but we take pride in making this center a very good
center. The word of mouth is there and it felt great when we have
parents who come all the way from further parts of Shah Alam just to
enroll their kids in Bukit Jelutong."
