(Untitled)

[she_ruiqi]

Conversation:

: What do you want to be when you grow up?
- I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. [of course I've thought about it - but not enough. Thinking of doing linguistics, but there's always -] Maybe a teacher?
: Why?! It's such a waste!
- Why waste?
: Waste! Waste!!

And the guy I was talking to wants to be a neurosurgeon, so maybe you

Comments

[nyw]

I used to be like that guy - I used to think smart, intelligent, lively people with leadership potential who want to be teachers are wasting their talent and potential. Now, though, I realise that that's exactly the sort of people we need in the education system to teach the next generation the skills to push Singapore forward. There is no point in applying all the smart people to all the other areas because it's all short-term only, and unsustainable.

My view changed when I met a girl who wanted to be a teacher because she was inspired by how her teacher taught her. She was embarrassed and thought it was a dumb reason, but it made me realise that that should be what teaching is about. Not just the efficient and effective handing over of skills and content (ideally speaking, of course), but also to be inspiring enough to want to teach the next generation.

You're smart, lively, and intelligent, and with great leadership potential. It's therefore great that you've chosen something meaningful and not something which is empty in meaning to you instead, because you will be the most productive in what you do when you find true meaning in it.

And don't worry, you have the rest of your life to figure out what you want. :D

Now what I think would really be a waste would be if you let NIE/MOE shape you into a stock teacher. D: Please never let that happen!