Funny, Mature, Weird, Cute, Wise, Silly, Caring, Manly, Childish.. all at once.

wow.. they're gonna graduate soon. it's hard for me to put it in words, but they're special. heh.. when i hear complaints about them, i'm always surprised. perhaps it's just like how a mother always feels her kids are the cutest and bestest, and can never believe anything bad about them. to me they're lovable. Why?

• sometimes they sing. like... in the middle of class/ along the corridor/ anywhere. something triggers them off and they start a chorus together... ALL HAIL MK... ALL HAIL MK.. ALL HAIL MK... Weird rite?!
• they're more sensible now. sometimes (SOMETIMES) during poa lessons, when i see all of them so engaged in the questions, all trying so hard, and the only conversations they have are about the questions, i feel so proud of them. so grown-up rite? i wasn't so sensible when i was in sec school. it's hard to believe some of them used to break-dance in class/ refuse to sit down/ bully teachers...
• they're MEN. gosh, dun get the wrong idea, i have no weird interest in them. I once told them, babies do whatever they feel like doing, eat whenever they feel eating, but real men have learned to discipline themselves. i think most (some?) of them are men now! at least they stand smartly during assembly. and in spite of personal setbacks, problems etc, they still do their best to be responsible, strong. it must be tough sometimes, but still they try to cope and that's admirable.
• Caring.. i appreciate the way some of them carry heavy newspapers up to the 4th floor, run up and down without grumbling, offer to help me with my heavy bags, make friends with difficult ppl, ha, and even clean up puke. It's one thing to do it when asked, but these boys, they do it on their own accord, and it's wonderful, to see them grow and care for others.

Some are from my very first form class, and that's 3 years together! some of them are from the very first class i taught when i first started teaching. which means we've known each other for almost 4 years! In the words of one of them, they've "watched me grow up". Ha, it's true. I still remember sitting on the floor to teach a group of 6 students becoz the rest weren't interested in the lessons. =)

we've had conversations about aliens, God, shared about my love life (?!), their love lives, friends, sorrows, happiness, family, stress, girlfriends, church... i think that makes them more than just POA students to me.

Yeah, so for all the pay raise MOE can give us, or the additional manpower, or promotions, i think at the end of the day, what i really want is to see generations of youths living their lives well, becoming people of godly characters, people who will be a blessing to others, making a stand for truth and righteousness even where their previous generations have failed.
Though i wouldn't mind getting a pay raise or a promotion along with it... =)