Anugerah Guru Inspirasi McDonald's 2019: Remember A Forgotten Teacher
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| Nominate a teacher: www.mcdonalds.com.my/anugerahguruinspirasi |
Officiated by Dr Maszlee Malik, Anugerah Guru Inspirasi is a collaboration between the Ministry of Education & McDonald’s Malaysia. Usually when it comes to awards like these, people think of the “famous” teachers like Cikgu Yasmin, Sirhajwan Idek, Cikgu Hailmi, & Cikgu Fadli. I’m not saying that famous teachers don’t deserve the award nor am I belittling their contributions to the nation. I’m just appealing to everyone reading this (including myself) to dig deeper & look beyond the spotlight.
Think of a teacher you know who quietly goes above & beyond the call of duty without even a word of praise on the school’s WhatsApp group. Ladies & gentlemen, these are the majority of teachers in Malaysia & they deserve to be included too. We want teachers to include all of their students across the introvert-extrovert scale. Shouldn’t we do the same for them too?
I want to share the story of Royston Sihas, a teacher I used to work with, who consistently embodied this selfless service to a T. We worked together at a secondary school deep in the jungles of Sarawak that required boats (Yes, boatS) to get to. That didn’t deter Royston from producing an elaborate English drama production every year, sponsored out of his own pocket. He would also stay up late to develop copious colour-coded notes for each class (yes, even for the kelas belakang), printed on his own colour printer. He would go above & beyond in everything that he did. Once he even typed & printed out a document for me, when all I expected was a scribbled note.
Royston is someone who works too hard & sets extremely high standards for himself. However, he’s not assertive & he doesn’t seek attention. His generosity would sometimes be abused by the students & many didn’t appreciate his efforts. Students would often harshly talk back at him. Also, his beautiful notes could be found in the gutter a few hours after his lessons. He is the quintessential candle burnt at both ends, as after a few years of service, he was diagnosed with diabetes from all of the stress put on him. He was soon transferred away without having been truly appreciated. No APC. Not even a majlis perpisahan. Truth be told, if McDonald’s had this award back then, I’d get the whole freaking school to nominate him.
Is there a Royston at your school? Let’s forget them no longer. These unsung heroes will be remembered this day. Nominating them for the Anugerah Guru Inspirasi McDonald’s will only take LESS THAN 10 minutes of your time.
(1) Touch www.mcdonalds.com.my/anugerahguruinspirasi
(2) Fill the short & simple nomination form BEFORE 31 March.
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| Don’t you have 10 minutes for a teacher who deserves it? Here’s the nomination form: www.mcdonalds.com.my/bm/anugerahguruinspirasi/nominate |
Finally, SHARE!!!
Get your students to do it, there won’t be a more meaningful BM/BI writing lesson. Get your friends to do it. Get your family. I’m sure they want them McFlurrys & fries too!
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| And… Let’s not forget to involve the neighbourhood aunty who knows everyone & their business! |
More info from McDonalds.com.my,
“The selection criteria in identifying the chosen teachers include improving the academic performance of the students, employing innovative and out-of-the-box methods of teaching, going beyond the call of duty to assist students, and last but not least, the positive impact the teacher has had on students.
Selected recipients of the award will be identified meticulously by a panel of judges consisting of representatives from McDonald’s, the Ministry of Education, and the media...
Teachers’ Day celebrations will also be carried out at McDonald’s restaurants across Malaysia throughout April, where Teachers’ Day parties will be held. These gatherings will include games, photo sessions, and refreshments to celebrate the dedication of teachers in nurturing the future generation of the nation.”
