Jarod Yong

When he found out about my students' needs, he sent me a simple message asking "how can I help?" When he came to my school, he said, "we'll comply with all the conditions set by the school." Social distancing, no protocol, no fanfare, no students involved in the exchange, no problems. We requested that the foodstuff be dropped off at the school & we would arrange the distribution ourselves. No, problem. There was just the Chief Warden & myself involved in the handover. We exchanged a few kind words & then they left to help other people. There was no political logos or large portraits on the sumbangan. No jamuan. No tarian. No majlis besar-besaran. Dear politicians, this is how you EARN respect.

I'm always on the lookout for easy opportunities for my students to earn certificates. If you come across one please let me know! A curated collection of certificates will help them in their future university applications. My students have plenty of sports-related certificates but very few academic ones. English-related ones are even rarer. This time around, I'm getting them to participate in the Energy Efficient Challenge by Suruhanjaya Tenaga Malaysia. There is an article writing competition for my students with better English & a poster competition for those struggling with the language. Best part is every participant gets a certificate. Thank you, ST!

A big thank you to every Malaysian who contributed to this care package for my quarantined students! Each of them will receive RM50 worth of food! 😍 Hailing from all across Sarawak, my students are some of the best athletes in the country. Being isolated at quarantine centers meant that many of them are detached from the support of far away family members. I am thankful that, when I asked for help, Malaysians of various racial & geographical backgrounds showed their love & support, as my students were going to sleep hungry at the quarantine centers. This care package demonstrated to them that they are not forgotten & that there are many people rooting for their recovery & academic success from all over the country. Stay safe, everyone!

For Anugerah Guru Inspirasi McD 2021, I want to nominate a former colleague of mine at the Sarawak State Sports School who has inspired me to become a better teacher. Cikgu Matthew Apok is the kind of teacher who would accept all responsibilities assigned to him & work hard to deliver on all of them. ahem… unlike me You will not find him taking pictures of his work & sharing it on social media ahem… unlike me   or even in the school WhatsApp group. Once he has completed a mission, he would quietly fade away onto the next task, rarely receiving recognition or praise for his numerous contributions throughout the years. This is the kind of teacher I want to see nominated for this award: The unseen ones who work hard behind the scenes while others benefit from their work. As a football coach, he had the arduous task of building the basics in the junior players who might have plenty of technical skills, but very little in terms of teamwork, tactics, & strategy. His work wit...

  It’s that time of year again! McD is once again giving recognition to Malaysia’s teachers! Now that schools are reopening nationwide, both my students & I have a lot of readjusting to do. To be honest, I feel physically exhausted teaching face-to-face, as I am sure many students are too. However, as I was scrolling through this year’s nominations & reading their stories, I felt encouraged & motivated to do more for my students too! Be inspired too here: https://www.mcdonalds.com.my/bm/anugerahguruinspirasi/nominees Besides motivating & teaching effectively, I read of many teachers who are nominated for going the extra mile with providing food aid, study materials, and extra classes. Many have not given up on challenging students or situations, and I was also deeply moved by a school counselor who prevented a suicide attempt. Teachers do so much & without such a platform, many unsung heroes who shy away from the limelight would not have their inspiring stories ...