with the youth, with two of his students
standing in front of a history class noticeboard.
A TEACHER is like a sower, who carefully sows seeds into the lives of the students, but often others do the harvesting. A teacher is also like a shepherd, who “feeds” the students with knowledge, corrects them with love, listens with patience and directs with joy.
So said Mr Noel Ong Tiong Puay, 30, who has been a teacher with Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) for five years after his graduation from the National Institute of Education (NIE). To him, teaching is a ministry, and he chose this path because he desires to “make an impact in people’s lives”.
A former ACS student, Mr Ong shared how Dr Thio Chan Bee, the first Asian principal of ACS, inspired him with his book, “Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Man”. “I had greater insights into his character and life,” he said.
He said the main theme undergirding Dr Thio’s life was that of being a bridge-builder. He was able to do it on a national scale during the first decade of the post-war years in Singapore and Malaya.
“Having researched extensively into his life as part of my honours thesis, I was inspired, in my small way, to be a bridge-builder wherever God put me,” he added.
Mr Ong also recalled how his Secondary 4 form teacher, Miss Cheah Lee Huang, had made an impact on him and encouraged him to “seize every opportunity and not hold back”.
And it was his Anderson Junior College civics tutor, Ms Doreen Tan, who said to him: “You can make the difference with your life.” It was then that he realised that being self-sufficient was not enough; he must reach out to others.
His area of influence is mainly among his Secondary 3 and 4 students, whom he teaches history. He said that his style of interaction inclined more towards counsel and encouragement. He felt that his students were in a stage of transition and at a crossroads where they needed a listening ear, encouragement, suggestions and help, if necessary.
Apart from teaching in ACS, he also assists in the development of Christian education and discipleship programmes for the youth in his church, Charis Methodist Church. He felt that the Christian youth of today “are not sufficiently rooted and anchored in the Word of God”.
He felt a continual need for such education to build up the youth and to see them being rooted in Christ. “I benefited from my church’s Sunday School where I was grounded in the basics of Christ,” he said, adding: “Because of the many and competing demands of time on the young today, young students either lack the appropriate skills to dwell on the Word of God or choose not to spend time studying and meditating on the Word of God.”
Although he has been sowing seeds, he is far from satisfied. “I will keep striving for perfection. I hope to be more productive if I set the goals right. Given the constraint of time in school, it is difficult to reach out to students and tell them about the Gospel, but I will try my best,” he said.
He wants to make a greater significant difference to the lives of his students this year. He does not want merely to talk with them, but desires to set aside more time to meet their emotional or spiritual needs.
He regards the teaching ministry as one that can produce many spiritual children, but a vocation which does not offer much monetary benefit. He once experienced the “wilderness” after teaching for a few years. He realised that all it took to bring him through was his love and passion.
He wants to see more Christians with the “X” factor – the passion and the willingness to be anchored on God — joining the teaching profession.
“My motto in life is to do everything for the glory of God. Romans 8:28 is what that motivates me,” he said.
RIGHT GOALS
‘I will keep striving for perfection. I hope to be more productive if I set the goals right. Given the constraint of time in school, it is difficult to reach out to students and tell them about the Gospel, but I will try my best.’
— Mr Noel Ong.
Chen Yi Reng is a part-time correspondent for Methodist Message.