A Compelling Vision

“What is your compelling vision?”

That question was posed to us by my Literature tutor at NIE. I used to think that passion is attractive but under the influence of my tutor, I am convinced that passion alone is not enough. In order to sustain that passion, it is crucial to have a compelling vision to tug you along.

I have, in my Literature tutor, an inspiring figure. Stories that she tells us based on her personal teaching experiences often leave me feeling all fired-up and motivated to be the best teacher that I can be. Ok, don’t puke. I am fully aware that in that aspect, there is still a lot of room for me to grow and everyday, I am still learning.

I was very touched when she told us about how she went through great lengths to raise funds for an overseas mission trip/community service she wanted to bring her students for. I also liked how she painted a very visual picture (“Imagine that you are going to this one-room flat and the lightings of the room are flickering. You bring a packet of rice for this toothless old man and try to make him laugh. At that moment, he suddenly feels that he exists. You make him feel significant. One day, when you go to heaven, you can tell God that you made a toothless, old man laugh. Wow! How about that? ) for her students when she told them that their CCA (Interact Club) was rich—not rich in terms of funding but rich in terms of their contributions and experiences. Most of all, I liked what she said about how we teachers have the power to speak into the life of a child. Indeed, I have no doubts that words can either build lives or tear them down. For a child who has been getting demerit points all his life, what does it mean to him if you rail at him saying “One more demerit point and you’ll be out of this school!”

How does vision fit into all of these? Well, in this profession, it is easy to get caught up with the many administrative matters, departmental and committee duties, etc that pull us from all directions. In a sense, Jack Neo’s latest movie ‘Just Follow Law’ strikes an outsider as highly comical but to an insider, it is very real. Having a vision and staying true to it helps you transcend the red tape and tight structures that are in place. A vision, and a compelling one, keeps you going.

I have a passion for teaching. But what is my vision? I aspire to be that teacher who has a heart for the least (I love kids from neighbourhood schools). I do not want to be a teacher who simply delivers content knowledge, sauntering in and out of the classroom everyday. Rather, I want to connect with youths by being as real and approachable as I can be. I want to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of my students. And of course, the bottomline is this: I want to make a difference in the lives of the neighbourhood kids

How about you? What are you passionate about? What is your compelling vision?