For those that have left school more than 30, 40 or 50 years, it’s difficult to remember all our teachers that had taught us before. But somehow, maybe like me, there are always a couple or a few teachers that will leave a lifetime memory in our life. Anyway let’s take some time to remember and appreciate our teachers on Teachers’ Day – 1st September.
Before I talked about the 3 teachers that I still remember till now, let’s take a look at the below Teacher’s Day card some 29 years ago;
The above card was given to my mother who was a primary school teacher then in 1981. This card leave a very deep impression in me because the card portrayed the so called “Oriental way” of respecting the teacher with the students kneeling down and bowing to the teacher. I hope the student that gave this card to my mother didn’t hint that my mother wanted her students to ‘greet her like an Empress’. Now it’s even more humourous when you see the inside of the card;
Here is what the student wrote “Dear teacher XXX, I will still forget to bring my books. Thank you.” Instead of writing I will never forget to bring my books, she wrote “I will still forget to bring my books”. Amusing right, I wonder if she is trying to make my mother remember her forever…by the way, my mother still keeps this card till now. Even the drawing of the lion dance performance inside the card for a Teacher’s Day card seem rather amusing.
I have never given any teachers a card or a simple present. Don’t ask me why, I really don’t have the answer to it. Frankly I thought Teachers’ Day is celebrated throughout the world on 1st September until I google on it. Now I knew that different countries celebrate Teachers’ Day on a different date and different ways. The World Teachers’ Day is on 5 October annually.
Now back to my 3 most memorable teachers, first my Pri.4A form teacher Mr. Lee Chee Kong (if I didn’t remember wrongly). I wonder why he was not in the class photo taken in 1972;
He was a young man then and the type of teacher that most will termed as “Mr. Nice Guy”. Coincidentally he was also my gymnastic teacher then, and I remember how he walked with us from Beatty Pri Sch to Farrer Park ECA centre for the gymnastic lesson. He even brought us to see the Inter School Gymnastic event to bring out the interests in us. He himself was a gymnast as he used to show us the finer movements when teaching us. The last time I saw him before he left for overseas study was at a class gathering probably in the 80s. Since then, I have lost touch with my primary school classmates and teachers…
Next was another Mr.Nice Guy – Mr. Boh (sorry I only remember him as Mr.Boh because my class nicknamed him as Mr.Boh Tea). He was my class form teacher as well as Maths teacher. I have progressed well in my results because of his teaching and encouragement. I wonder if he is still teaching. Mr. Boh my Sec.2G form teacher;
Mrs.Lee Kian Soon was my Sec.4T1 form teacher in 1978 as shown below;
She also taught us Chemistry. She was very patience with us and helped us a lot in our Chemistry lesson. After 32 years, she is still in Victoria School now as a Larger HOD. With her as my form teacher, I enjoyed my last year in VS and did well in my ‘O’ level too.
Though I’m not a good student (I must admit honestly), I would like to thank the above 3 teachers and appreciate their hardwork and their love for teaching. Happy Teachers’ Day!
What my father wrote;
“Do not weary Heaven with prayers.”
Great that you still remember those 3 teachers.
Great teachers influence you for life.
Most teachers can never fully know how they have in many unseen,
unknown ways, done their part to transform ordinary kids into the
persons they have become.
I am very glad you did this post!
My former form teachers were as follow:
Pri 1 – Ms Rosie Yeo
Pri 2
I can remember my 3 primary school teachers very well. He was a male teacher and had the habit of washing his hands after class as well as after handling money. Our paths crossed when I got married and I noticed he still maintained that habit. The second teacher, a man who dossed off sitting at his table during noon time. The last one was a female teacher, very dedicated to her profession. I saw her burst into tears when a student failed to understand the lesson over and over again.
Sorry for my earlier posting dated 01-09-10 which is incomplete.
The followings were my former form teachers:
Pri 1 – Ms Rosie Yeo
Pri 2 – Ms Lim
Pri 3 – Ms Chow
Pri 4 and 5 – Mr Lee Wai Kong, and
Pri 6 – Mr Lee Ah Kiat
I still have my Pri 1 class photo and some photos from Pri 1 to Pri 3 or 4. I wish them well and good health.
Very nice blog……nice thoughts
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Every teacher’s day, my wife who is a teacher comes back with lots of tiny gifts. But during my time, I don’t remember celebrating teacher’s day; or giving gifts to our teachers. But of course we do remember our teachers. Just recently, my former classmate from Primary School visited Spore and we pored through my report book; not to check my grades, but to try and decipher the our teachers’ signatures.
Just want to let you know that we just had a Class of 1980 reunion for the girls from Katong Convent… Well done to the organisers…
I too was from VS. Mr Boh was my art teacher in sec 2. He had a self-depreciating type of humour. He told us that once a mosquito landed on his forehead, but because his forehead was so smooth (he was balding), the mosquito fell off and broke its leg. Haha.
You are right, great teachers influence our life.
Thanks for reminding me of his humour, Jack. Now I remember much more about him.
Boh Tuang Teck
Dear laokokok,
I too was from Victoria School and in 1978, Mrs.Lee Kian Soon was my Sec.4T1 form teacher. I remember her as a patient teacher who was kind, caring and showed concern to her students.
When I saw the photograph, I spotted a few former classmates such as Clifford Seow, Jimmy Tan, Chin Shi Katt, etc etc…
Are we classmates? It would be nice to be able to contact a former classmate.
Andrew Goh
They were nice teachers indeed, Mr Boh did not teach me, but I remember him distinctly. Mrs Lee was my chem teacher. Although I don’t know them well, I certainly remember Clfford Seow, Jimmy Tan, and Shi Katt. Ding KS (1978).
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interestingly, mrs lim was my 4T1 form teacher in 1979…