Page 11 - KCN 2020

A

PEEK
PLANTING MISS INTO
THE MISS

SEEDS VINO THE
OF SHARMILA PAST
KNOWLEDGE WITH

Isabel Goh

Isabel Goh Master’s in Applied Linguistics for English and a TESOL cer-
tificate, Ms Vino was still only able to land temporary jobs
in language centres.

“This was a huge blow to my confidence, and I started
I don’t know Ms Sharmila personally, but my friends doubting my decision of making such a huge leap career-wise,”
tell her that she is professional and dedicated to the art of she shared. Thankfully, after months of pounding the pave-
teaching English. Following the success of her and Ms Vino’s ment, Ms Vino finally received a call from Kuen Cheng High
English Forum team last year alongside her new position as School. That was when her teaching career finally started.
the Head of the English Department, I decided to interview
her regarding her career as a teacher in Kuen Cheng. Soon Ms Vino, along with Ms Sharmila And Ms Hor, is
enough, we nestled into our seats and got started right away. one of the Heads of the English Department. On top of man-
aging her usual workload as a teacher and taking care of her
To my surprise, teaching wasn’t an occupation that daughter, she also works closely with her colleagues in order
Ms Sharmila had intended to pursue originally. She shared that to give the students a better environment for learning English.
she had discovered her knack for connecting with children and Ms Vino is a teacher who has endless With so many different things on her plate at once, she is
young adults when she started giving her younger cousins tui- Ms Sharmila encourages all of her stu- stories to tell. From quirky incidents that took place in still able to pull off all these challenging tasks seamlessly.
tion. During her growth as an aspiring teacher, she conducted dents to enjoy life and to find the things that truly school to touching coming-of-age experiences, she is
extensive research on pedagogy to develop a teaching style make them happy. There is no rush to figure your the kind of person who can light up the room and get Her secret?
unique to her and her only. Eventually, Ms Sharmila became lives out during or after your school life in Kuen everyone else up and about. You probably didn’t know
a full time English teacher and started working in our school. Cheng. Only when we are truly happy can we walk that she used to be a nurse and has an adorable baby A great support system! “I’m really grateful for
daughter until now. Good thing you’re reading this, eh?
the path we are meant to take with valour and grit. the help and support I receive from the English teachers,”
Ms Sharmila found her plate to be rather full after her Ms Vino said. Knowing of each other’s heavy workloads,
new position as the English Head of Department. Besides her day Teachers dedicate their entire lives to One quiet afternoon under the harsh white they will always try their best to assist anyone who needs
to day job in the classroom, she also has to bring the English planting the seeds of knowledge into the minds of the next lighting of the teachers’ office, I had the privilege of inter- help. Besides that, she also assigns a daily work limit for
Department closer together to strengthen their work ethic. To be generation. I do not doubt that a teacher’s big- viewing her about her big career switch and how she herself so she doesn’t feel overworked. This is incredi-
honest, I see her as the bridge between the Academic Department gest payoff is when they see their students excel maintained a work-life balance despite her tiring schedule. bly helpful in the long run as it can prevent burnouts and
and the English teachers! I believe her talent in communicat- after they leave school and I am sure that this is unhealthy stress by taking the tasks down one at a time!
ing with others ties it all together perfectly to make a joyful not an exception for Ms Sharmila. I hope she will Ms Vino had been content with her job as a nurse.
and caring environment for both teachers and students alike. be educating youngsters and instilling the love of However, when she was a year into pursuing her master’s in Aside from the occasional episode of Friends and
nursing, she took on a part-time job as a teacher in a school.
English into the hearts of generations to come. It was then that she realized her true passion— teaching. her attempts at gardening, hobbies have been pretty hard
Interacting with students is part and parcel with her to maintain for Ms Vino while nurturing a child. “However, I
job as a teacher. “Every first lesson, I will tell my students that do try to go on a date with my husband once a fortnight.”
sharing is caring,” she told me. Besides teaching the English “It was as if a light bulb turned on in my head. I
language itself, Ms Sharmila shared that she also tries to “ had finally found what I was meant to do!” Ms Vino said. “I think it’s important that all of my students
instil good values into all of her students. With each student Education is not Just like that, Ms Vino’s newfound dream to mould young, enjoy their lives, expand their hobbies and open them-
coming from different backgrounds, every single person she the filling of a pot angsty teenagers into useful members of society was created. selves to change. Shaping our futures is no doubt a
meets in the classroom is special and unique. As everyone but the lighting of a fire. life-long process. Even if we take a wrong turn in life or
”
is inspired differently, these virtues are the foundation that The evil villainess in Ms Vino’s story came in miss some chances along the way, what’s ours will eventu-
will eventually help bring out each student’s inner potential. –W.B. Yeats the form of job hunting. Although she was armed with a ally return to us through determination and perseverance.”
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