Inspiring Teachers Awards: I miss going to school and Mdm Norlinda teaching me

While some people might want nothing to do with school upon graduation, Eddy misses it.

He especially misses his Henderson Secondary School teacher, Mdm Norlinda, whom he finds irreplaceable and who taught him unforgettable lessons.

Here is 19-year-old Eddy's entry for the Samsung-Stomp Inspiring Teachers Awards:

"Mdm Norlinda is my favourite form teacher and she also taught me Geography before I graduated from Henderson Secondary School back in 2015. I have known her since Secondary 3 when she taught Geography to our class.

"I was so surprised when she become my form teacher when I was in Secondary 4. She may look fierce but she's nice on the inside. I was always the first person to sit in front of the class when she taught.

"I was a Normal Academic student taking my N(A) Levels back then. It was quite challenging and I couldn't cope with it. I had English, Maths, Mother Tongue, Chemistry, Biology, Design and Technology, Social Studies and Geography. That is like eight subjects for my exams!

"I mean, I couldn't cope with Maths. Sometimes I wondered why I needed to learn maths as I don't understand some parts of its logic. Like, what has Algebra got to do with life?

"So I began asking Mdm Linda this weird question. She told me:

'This is the way of life. This is maths and this is the way of doing maths. And you've got to understand it and do as what it were told.'

"She also mentioned that, whatever I've learnt now, I may not find it useful for now but as I go down the road, it will surely be.

'What if one day I have children, and my children ask me about maths? I can't say I don't know! At least whatever I've learnt, I can share it with them.'

"So now I understand everything. Mdm Linda always encouraged me personally and even gave me cards with words of encouragement. She wanted me to pursue my dream and I told her I wanted to be a policeman!

"She is such a caring and lovely teacher and no one can replace her! I miss going to school and I miss her teaching me Geography.

"So I would like to take this opportunity to thank her as my favourite teacher. Thank you, Mdm Linda! Happy Teacher's Day to you!"

'Life will always be full of challenges. It is up to you to make the challenges into a learning experience that will help you in the future. Don’t regret, now you know what you like and what you don’t. You must study hard and always see things positively. The only person who can make you upset or disappointed with yourself is you. You are the maker of your own success and failure.' - Mdm Norlinda Ishnin

The contest is now closed and winners will be contacted shortly.

Read all entries for the contest here.