Highlights of 2012: Teachers' Fete

The 16^th of May was a momentous circle on the calendar. Elations persisting, of anticipations subsisting, students on teachers insisting: it’s Teacher’s Day, if you haven’t guess it yet!  On this day, students go beyond that monotonous ‘Thank you, teacher’ they recite in class, and put the touching substance back into the hollow form of that ignominious chant. 

The solar disc rose as students watched the immaculate procession of teachers approach the place of honour. After singing the national and state anthem, a message by the Director General of Education Malaysia was read, revolving around this year’s theme of ‘Innovative Teachers Propel the National Education Transformation’.

Next, performances mark the zenith of the day. From a whimsical musical depicting and satirising school life and curbing bullying, it proceeded with a battle-of-the-bands-esque show by the school’s marching band. Refreshing contemporary dance ensued from Puflation, with the Billyjin showing off their skills for the crowd. However, who could ever forget the threefold rendition of F.U.N.’s ‘We Are Young’ by the school choir club. It proved so popular that it’s etched (actually, painted) on the wall. Topping it off is a beautiful song performed by a duet.

Most would think that the teachers passively sat as spectators, but they are dead wrong! Interspersed between gigs, they put up quite a show. The humanities department took the poem-within-a-poem concept to musical synthesis. Meanwhile, the language department portrayed a conversation on love interests. Next, the mathematics and science department got a crowd-pleasing ‘Rasa Sayang’ that displayed the idiosyncratic side of teachers. Finally, the technical and vocational department presented a dikir barat full of wit and sarcasm that kept everyone laughing!

Then, the tele-matches took place, with coconut bowling and more! Everyone cheered on their favourite teachers as they go through the quirky games, blowing flour and picking marbles with chopsticks, and the enthusiasm ran so high that the sun’s scorching rays proved useless in dispelling the crowds! What fun it was, the indirect empathical link between teacher and student.

As the day drew to a close, the teachers prepare for a sumptuous feast as students gave gifts to their teachers, or just simply say a thank you. Whatever it was, I’m sure it’s the thought that counted most for everyone. As a student, nothing seems better than seeing your teacher smile when expressing your gratitude for all they’ve done except passing with flying colours in an examination (just joking). With that, it seems that the warm substance is starting to overflow and melt that aforementioned form into sincerity, and I would like to end with the succinct ‘Thank you, teacher!’

By Kiwan Richard, 16, SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (3), Selangor

This post is part of the line-up ahead of the blog's second anniversary. All these posts will be taken from articles written by students featuring the school on School Times, the educational pull-out from the New Straits Times.