Guru Berkualiti, Aspirasi Negara

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1 IN STEP Volume Teachers Christian Fellowship Malaysia Keeping Christian Educators Informed 14 Issue 2 (PP6303/9/2002) Guru Berkualiti, Aspirasi Negara Onward Christian Teachers P3 Teaching to Touch Lives P5 Teachers Celebrate P6 Excellence Unto God P9-1 - In Partnership P12 IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2, 2002

2 EDITORIAL COORDINATORS ORS Miss Liew Nyuk Lan Mr Yap Kok Keong EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Mrs Peggy Chong Mr Daniel Gan Miss Indyrany Kannaiya Dr Tan Juat Ngoh LAYOUT / DESIGN Mrs Tan Nguk Lim ILLUS USTRA TRATOR Miss Davina Chan TCF OFFICE C Subang Perdana Goodyear Court Subang Jaya Selangor, Malaysia Tel/Fax : tcfmy@pd.jaring.my PRINTER Printmate Sdn Bhd AS 38 Jalan Hang Tuah Tiga Salak South Garden Kuala Lumpur IN STEP is a non-profit Christian newsletter which is published four times a year by the Teachers Christian Fellowship Malaysia (TCF). It is dedicated to Christian educators and issued FREE to TCF members. For more information, please contact the address above. VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE THE WRITERS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF TCF. How does an organisation survive when income from the annual membership subscription is RM18,000 while expenditure is RM70,000 to RM80,000? To date, TCF has about 900 members paying an annual subscription of RM20 each. The organisation has tried very hard to keep the membership fee low so that as many teachers as possible, especially the new ones, benefit from the ministry. The organisation has depended very much on contributions and pledges from a core group of faithful supporters comprising a few churches and about twenty individuals to meet the shortfall in the annual budget. Many other members and friends have also remembered the organisation and the staff through their generous and oft-times sacrificial giving. Since 1991, 925 members have allowed their subscriptions to lapse. The exco is concerned about the high failure rate in renewal of subscriptions. One way to overcome this is for members to sign up as life members. This will do away with the hassle of members having to send a cheque or postal order every year. To date, the ratio of life members to ordinary members is almost one to one. We are thankful for this development as it helps reduce the number of lapsed memberships and generates interest for operating expenses. In 1996, many heeded the chairman s call to sign up as life members for two main reasons. One was to raise funds for the purchase of a TCF property. Secondly, the life membership fund in fixed deposits would generate more interest. Three years later, the vision was realised when TCF moved into its own premises. In the process, members and friends had raised enough money for the building fund and no withdrawal needed to be made from the life membership fund for the purchase of the property. This has resulted in a healthier bank balance for the organisation but the funds received need to be prudently managed. ASSEMBLY with our Honorary Treasurer Pun Sow Fong For example, Johnson signs up as a life member at the age of 40 and lives for three score and ten years. This means that TCF will serve Johnson for thirty years. The RM300 is equivalent to annual subscriptions paid for 15 years (assuming the membership fee remains at RM20) and there will be no more money coming in for the next 15 years. The RM300 should not be used up in fewer than 15 years as it is actually fees paid in advance. Parents who are saving up for their children s education understand very well that the family has to live within a certain budget although they have a seemingly large sum of money in the bank. The exco is thankful for the many members and friends who have stayed with the organisation over the years. You saw the worth of the ministry to teachers and you invested your time and your money. It is our prayer that you have been ministered to in some way through the activities and the people in TCF. The needs are still many. There is an urgent need for staff to serve in the Chinese TCF ministry. The Mandarin-speaking group of teachers is the fastest growing group and the organisation would like to be able to set up a fund for the day when Chinese TCF becomes a fully independent organisation. There is also the need for a staffworker to minister to teacher trainees in the colleges. Our present staff of two are hard-pressed to meet the increasing needs of the ministry. More staff would definitely mean a bigger operating budget. We value your partnership and support. The dwindling number of Christians entering the profession may mean that the organisation will have to fall back on the financial support of the existing group of members. It is therefore of utmost importance that you renew your subscription or sign up to be a life member. If the Lord leads you to give to TCF, pledge to give regularly. Your support of the ministry is a legacy for future generations of teachers. IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2,

3 Onward Christian Teac eacher hers Talk given by Mr Yap Kok Keong at the Teachers Day Celebration in Sibu on 18 th May Teaching these days is to be endured rather than to be enjoyed. This is the sentiment shared by many in the profession including Christians. To move forward we must be confident in our calling. The fact that we are teachers is not a result of circumstances or a reckless decision on our part. An incident in Matthew chapter nine describes how Jesus felt great compassion as He looked at the crowd of needy people for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He turned to His disciples and asked them to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send more workers into the harvest field. This was why TCF was formed and this has always been its constant prayer. Do you strongly believe that your being in the teaching profession is the result of God s response to Jesus desire and prayer? If we do, we need not feel small or insignificant. We can hold our heads high in the midst of people in other professions for we know that our appointment is not just from the Ministry of Education but from God Himself. To capture for us the spirit of the theme Onward Christian Teachers I would like to draw our attention to the 2 nd letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian Christians. In this letter, the Apostle repeatedly exhorted the early Christians who were undergoing various trials not to lose heart. The Apostle gave several reasons which we could well appropriate to encourage our own hearts in our hour of darkness. First of all, it is God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him (chapter 2 vs 14). The God who always leads us is the Lord of History, the Sovereign Lord. He is incapable of making a mistake. The events and circumstances of our lives, no matter how stressful and hopeless they may seem at times, are not accidental. We ought to trust Him and allow Him to work out His goodwill and purposes in us. We may be lonely but we are never alone for we are part of a triumphal victorious procession following in our Saviour s footsteps. Although we are like weak and vulnerable jars of clay, we possess a treasure of immeasurable value within us. The light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ forever shines in our hearts empowering us to be a resilient people: We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. When we are weak then are we strong for the joy of the Lord is our strength. Try singing Christian songs as you walk along the corridors of the school, especially as you head towards the classes that are difficult to manage and teach. As we practise the presence of Jesus, His Spirit will give us creative ideas to overcome our difficulties. We move forward by looking upward. The clarion call Onward Christian Teachers is a call to go forward to make a difference in the schools God has placed us in. We are the aroma of Christ and we must never under-estimate the power and impact of our influence in the lives of our students. My wife and I worship in a small church in Subang Jaya far away from the schools that we once served in. To our surprise there are six former students, now married with their IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2, 2002

4 young families, worshipping there too. I would like to think that by God s grace, in a small way, we have left a little of the fragrance of Christ in each one of them when they were our students. Let s pray that because of our presence, the school or classroom will be cleaner; people will be a little kinder, more patient and caring; and there will be more love and laughter all around. The Apostle goes on to describe us as a letter sent from Christ to the school to be read by all our students and colleagues. It is a letter of recommendation written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. May our attitudes and actions in school commend rather than condemn Jesus Christ. For our lives to commend Christ, we need to grow in Christ-likeness day by day. Spiritual maturity is a journey, not a destination; and because it is a journey, we need not despair that we are still so far away from Christ-likeness and that the fruit of the Spirit still remains so immature. The most powerful of the fruit of the Spirit is love agape love. Love speaks a language everyone understands. Our students need our love more than our knowledge. We live in a broken world and our children often carry the pain and consequences of this brokenness. Do you ever wonder how many of our students standing in the morning assembly every week are actually on the point of making decisions that will forever change their lives: to join a gang or not, to drop out and work as an apprentice somewhere, to give it all up and commit suicide? We ask God to give us eyes to see the lonely individual amidst the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Jesus was always hard pressed by the unending demands of the multitudes, but He had time to single out and attend to the needs of Matthew, Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman at the well and countless other individuals in need of a touch of love and assurance. May we also do the same in our schools. How do we show we care for the individual? Ask God for the eyes to see the unseen, the ears to hear the unspoken and the heart to empathize. I am thankful to God for the experience of growing up in the midst of poverty in a squatter colony for it made it easier for God to put compassion in my heart. Set aside a little extra time. Pause to listen and laugh and cry with individuals, pause to share and encourage. Set aside some money every month to help needy students. (Consider it part of your tithe if you like, for it is an expression of the social concern of the church). However, do be culturally sensitive and protective of the dignity and self-esteem of those we seek to help. Comment from participant: I understand now why you Christian teachers are often full of zeal and so committed. Your Bible gives clear instructions about your role as teachers. I would like to know more about your God. Comment from participant: I became more aware of the need to fellowship with other Christian teachers. We cannot sustain our enthusiasm unless we are constantly reminded of our calling as teachers. The speaker gave a very interesting analysis of our role as teachers from a Biblical perspective. Do not be afraid to err in love. On one occasion I wanted to emphasize to my 300 odd PMR students the importance of a strong healthy body in preparing for the exams. At first I thought of giving multi-vitamins to every student. Then it occurred to me that it might be unwise as some students might have adverse reactions to them. After considering other options, I settled on giving them nutritious hardboiled eggs. So I asked the canteen operator to boil eggs to be given to all PMR students during recess. I thought it was such a good idea until word got around that the pengetua wanted all his PMR students to get eggs for their exam. I had unwittingly given everybody a good laugh. Come to think of it, giving hardboiled eggs would not have made much difference to the students health and certainly wouldn t have helped them pass their exam. But I think they knew a little bit more of the heart of their principal. To make a difference, we want to bring Christian values to bear on the management and programmes of the school. It would be much easier if we were in the administration but it is not impossible for the committed Christian teacher who is prepared to graciously speak up and walk that extra mile. It is that extra one or two periods, that extra attention that we give to the weaker students, that extra effort to be present when the school team is playing their hearts out, etc. that count the most for the kingdom of God. This calls for sacrifice and there is certainly a price to be paid. The Lord knows and nothing given to Him will ever be wasted, for we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Finally the apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that they should persevere in the face of adversity because they will receive an eternal reward. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal. This is undoubtedly our comfort and will be our greatest reward. However, as Christian teachers we have the added blessing and joy of seeing generation after generation of our students growing in knowledge and wisdom and making their own contributions to society. Some, by the grace of God, are even occupying pews in the body of Christ today. IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2,

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8 from pg 5 things to all students so that he can teach some! Once I taught a lesson on David and Goliath. I prepared the class for a battle. I told the story from David s point of view. They walked with me into the brook to pick five stones. They looked up at Goliath and felt so small. Then David put a stone in the sling and swung it round and round. The stone flew out of the sling. It went up, up and up. As the stone rose, I pointed and followed it towards the ceiling. The class was spellbound; they were out of their chairs looking in the direction of the invisible stone. Then all of a sudden I shouted BANG, and the giant came tumbling down. The class slumped into their chairs. I was amazed at the power of a dramatized story. When was the last time you told an exciting story to your class? Some of my former students have reminded me of the geography lessons I taught them. These students remembered the maps I drew free hand on the blackboard. They were amazed at the accuracy of the maps. Those of you who teach geography know that this ability comes through effort and hard work. I had a geography teacher who was my inspiration. The fun is in satisfying the curiosity of the learner and the joy is in discovering information and new ways to communicate a lesson. Sir, I like your geography lessons. Although there are a lot of facts to remember, it is very interesting. It is nice to hear that and to know that my efforts have paid off. Have you seen the disappointment of a child throwing a javelin? Try as he might, the javelin just won t land headfirst. It goes up and descends on its tail end! Patience in teaching the correct technique gets rewarded with the grin of a child when he finally makes it. I had the opportunity to learn how to swim. Then I had the privilege of teaching some boys to swim during the weekend. When I was a schoolboy I was coached by a good teacher and later, I had the opportunity to coach others in school. To succeed in passing on a skill to someone else is sheer pleasure. My first posting took me to Sg. Rengit, Pengerang. Trained as a specialist in teaching English as a second language, I began teaching English using the situational method. My friends and I met resistance. We didn t use translation at all and the children thought we were weird In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 Chinese who could not speak Chinese. The ringleaders were rounded up and given a private talking to. After that we had no problem. I also privately conducted Sunday School, with two objectives: to teach the Bible and to teach English. Later when I was in MU, I received a letter from one of the boys. He wrote to say he had become a Christian. You can never tell when the seeds sown years ago will bear fruit! I still get phone calls from Sg. Rengit from a shopkeeper, a taxi driver, a pharmacist and we communicate in good English. During Chinese New Year they come in a van to see me. O what joy and pleasure! Then I visit them in return to be feted with seafood. Today we are not teacher and pupils, but pals. When my son got his first job in Batu Pahat, the young men he worked with guessed who his father was because we are the only Toks in town. They told him, Your father is one of a kind. He talks first and canes later. They were reminiscing about the days when I was the Penolong Kanan Hal Ehwal Murid (HEM). It was not easy keeping a balance between disciplining and counselling. The HEM had an odd mix of duties, handling matters between the boys and the teachers, as well as between the Pengetua and the staff. He was literally hemmed in. Those boys valued my fairness and reasoning with them. I still run into former students who ask, Sir, Sir, where are you teaching now? and I have the pleasure of saying, Not teaching anymore. I m overaged! Then they suddenly realize that they have grown up. Standing beside them, clutching their hands, are their own little boys and girls. Then there are teachers I run into who say, Cikgu, apa khabar? Cikgu dulu mengajar aku Geografi di Form Six. Cikgu Tok, best! What I have just shared with you is nothing really to rave about. I only recounted some happy moments in my life as a teacher to encourage you. And those great moments were times when I gave of my best in the classroom, or spent time patiently developing some sporting skills in children, not expecting any reward or gain. Life as a teacher is too short to dwell on the dissatisfactions. To be a happy giver, do not expect to get! God knows. It is better to be rewarded by God than by men. For it is more blessed to give than to receive. IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2,

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10 up to him? This is one of my favourite lines in Scripture, Courage, get up, He is calling you. (Mark 10:49) Courage. Simply because we have called out to Him in faith and trust, He will give us courage and hope. Get up. The call comes from Him, it is His initiative, but we must cooperate. We can t just lie there wallowing in the mire of our despair and expect Him to pick us up. We have to find some way of lifting ourselves out of the rut. For what reason? He is calling you. If that isn t a good enough reason, I don t know what is. C - complacency With due respect to all Principals, the standards in our schools are not great. The budaya cukup makan which we started off despising and despairing about has become our own comfort zone because with hardly any effort we can actually look quite good! In a bed of morning glories, the sunflower is King! It s time to look at ourselves in our classrooms, through the eyes of Jesus, as if He were sitting at the back of the class. Time to put the presence of Jesus back into the staffroom, into the canteen, onto the playing field. We ve been entrusted with a mission, Peace be with you. As the Father sent me so I am sending you. (John 20:21) Our schools today are enough of a war zone! Seriously, when Jesus says I am sending you, He means into classrooms filled with children who know material wellbeing better than they know love and acceptance. It is a generation which has grown up believing there is no absolute truth - truth and justice are determined by who has the money, the power, who wields the baton, and I m afraid there are discipline teachers who reinforce this on a daily basis. Our actions must speak our faith. St. Francis of Assisi frequently reminded his monks, Wherever you go, preach. If necessary, use words. None of us can afford to rest on our laurels. As long as the Kingdom values of love, truth, peace and justice are not the values of this society, you are being sent. When we say the Lord s Prayer and we pray Thy Kingdom come, it s not wishful thinking. It s a renewal of our commitment to actively make His Kingdom come. R - reluctance In government service, as you get older you move into administration. And I truly empathize with administrators. It can be so difficult to get anyone to make constructive suggestions at meetings. So difficult to get people to take on anything more than they are absolutely required to do. So difficult to fill a position of responsibility that falls vacant. No one wants to get out of the boat and walk on water. We are cowed by our own needs, by our self-avowed inadequacies. We begin to sink. Yet, when we get out of the boat, Christ Himself stretches out His hand and says, It is I. Do not be afraid. (John 6:20) So why are we waiting? We may think the sin lies in pushing ourselves forward, looking for that promotion, wanting position and power. But let us not forget that we might just as well be falling into sins of omission. (James 4:17) How does one tell the difference? How does one decide what the right thing to do is? By the practice of what in Christian spirituality is called discernment. A deepening of our prayer life. A personal relationship with Jesus. It cannot fail. As one s prayer life grows richer, paradoxically, one grows in poverty of spirit because the awareness of one s sinfulness grows alongside. It is painful, but necessary. The great mystics called it the scraping of the soul. And the fruits of prayer? None other than the fruits of the Holy Spirit which Paul enumerates in his letter to the Galatians - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self control. Can we afford to pass this by? We all need to spend more time with the Lord. Martin Luther once said words to this effect: I have a busy day ahead with so many things to do, that I think I ought to spend the first three hours in prayer. That was Martin Luther who didn t have traffic jams and kids to send to school and a punch clock that just cannot be reasoned with! We do what we can. We have all put our hand to the plough. Now we are called to be excellent unto God. Ours is a calling which we can imbue with the presence of God. A calling of daily self-discovery, a calling in which we can say of our students: The twig is so easily bent I have banished the rule and the rod I have taught them the goodness of knowledge They have taught me the goodness of God. IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2,

11 ANNOUNCEMENTS Seminar on School Indiscipline by Mr. Phua Seng Tiong Date : 3 Aug 2002 (Sat) Venue : Wesley Methodist Church, Sitiawan Time : 8.00 a.m p.m. For further details, please contact Mr. Tan Ying Kee yingkee@pd.jaring.my Tel: Seminar for Christian Administrators Date : 17 Aug 2002 (Sat) Venue : Impiana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur Time : 8.00 a.m 4.30 p.m. Cost: RM 80 (Details in brochure enclosed) 12th Preschool Conference on Implementation of the New Preschool Curriculum in a Thematic Approach Date : 7-9 Sept 2002 (Sat Mon) Venue : STM, Seremban Cost : RM 160 (Details in brochure enclosed) 27th Sarawak TCF Annual Conference Date : 7-9 Sept 2002 Venue : Kapit, Sarawak Theme : Onward Christian Teachers by Mr. Cheli Tamilselvam For further details, please contact Ms. Cynthia or Pastor Thomas at SU/TCF office in Kuching suswak@tm.net.my Tel : Seminar on Courage to Teach, Courage to Lead by Mrs. Ding Seok Ling PENANG Date : 9 Dec 2002 ( Mon) Time : 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Venue : Reservoir Garden Baptist Church Cost : RM50 JOHOR BAHRU Date : 12 Dec 2002 ( Thu) Venue : Tropical Inn Time : 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Cost : RM50 TCF Membership Update, 1 June 2002 Ordinary Members Life Members Total NB. The Ordinary Membership fee is RM20 per year and Life Membership is RM300. If you would like to sign up as a Life Member or renew your lapsed membership, please make your cheque/mo/po payable to Teachers Christian Fellowship and send it to : Teachers Christian Fellowship C , Goodyear Court Subang Jaya Selangor IN STEP Volume 14 Issue 2, 2002

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