161 160 Chapter Eight: Faculty and Staff Testimonials Chapter Eight: Faculty and Staff Testimonials To Be, Or Not To Be – A Self-Reflection on the Role of a Teacher “ Have you ever had a teacher like this? – A question raised by Mitch Albom in his book Tuesdays with Morrie, one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. I always feel that it is an honor and a privilege to be a teacher. Apart from conveying academic knowledge to the students and helping them develop their intellectual capacity, I have a rare opportunity to share with them my insights, understand their life stories, and be there for them through their rough times. In the University, students with special issues are generally considered as ‘problematic cases’ to be handled by counselors. However, people may not reach out for professional counseling until they are unable to function properly at school, work, or home. As teachers usually have more chances to interact with students, our observations could be of utmost importance in spotting students in need for special concern and assistance. If we are willing to spend some time to talk with them, it is not uncommon to find that students with unsatisfactory academic performance also suffer from a negative state of well-being and need professional help from counselors. Indeed, it would be most effective if teachers and counselors work in partnership with each other to help the students through the healing process. Over the years, I have re-assessed the nature of my professional commitments and redefine my role of a teacher at various times. Considering our busy schedule and the ever-increasing amount of workload, caring about students’ well-being and walking with them through their hard times seem like overwhelming tasks. Where can we start and how far can we go? A quote from Mother Teresa may give us some insight: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ” Dr Ice Ko Lecturer, Department of Ocean Science & Division of Life Science “ At the beginning of the semester, I noticed something strange about the student. From an external point of view, he looked and dressed just like every other student in the class. What was different about him was he seemed disconnected from the rest of his classmates. He would sit by himself and not engage with other classmates. As the semester went on, he displayed behaviors such as being late for class, submitting very messy work and not being able to work with group members on collaborative projects. I always prefer to sit down with these students to see if I can help them succeed. I asked him to stay after class one time and he avoided this meeting by running out of the classroom. I decided to talk to him in class and to try and find out what was the problem. I noticed immediately that he had a smell that suggested he did not bathe or that he was not washing his clothes. He also was unable to maintain eye contact during a conversation. It was during this time that he mentioned he may have problems and I had to find a way to refer him to counselling services. ” Mr Miguel Ladao Lecturer, Center for Language Education
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