"The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book"

So the saying goes (Author unknown).

In conjunction with Teachers' Day, I would like to dedicate this entry to all my teachers from my primary schools right up to secondary. Last year I had a great time writing about teachers from the first half of my primary school life. Read Belatedly, with Apology - A Teachers' Day Special.

This time around I am only able to come up with pictorial blog. But that does not mean they are less important to me.

King Edward VII-1 Primary School - Rugby, bola, Penilaian Darjah 5, more bola and more rugby. Thank you sir, thank you ma'am.

MRSM Kota Bharu - (1977?) - A very dedicated group of teachers. May Allah bless all of them. They may be young then, but I must say I have never seen such dedicated teachers. Without them, MRSM would have been an unknown entity.

MRSM Kota Bharu - This time in colour

While we have always seen them posing as a group in official pictures, we seldom see them in the classroom. At least then before the advent of digital photography and camera hp. I don't believe I have any copy of pictures of them in action in the classrom, but I was lucky to have many pictures of them since I was the custodian for the reunion magazine that we did in 2003.

These pics are published without permission; so I had to be choosy in the selection. I do hope they would not mind me posting them here as a dedication to them.

My physics teacher - Cikgu Wan Rosli aka Waro with Cikgu Wan Nasihah. We were supposed to visit him in KL when we found out that he was ill. But no one picks up the phone when we called, so we had to abandon our visit and didn't get to meet him. Moga Allah mencucuri rahmatNya keatas ruhnya.

They do know how to have fun and hence we were able to have fun with our studies too. Amongst them Cikgu Waro, Cikgu Nik (English), Pak Nik, and Cikgu Shaari - my biology teacher. I had fun with Cikgu Shaari; notably the MRSM Kulim expo which we won second place with an entry on Ubat Gigi. Don't ask me lah - forgot already!

And they were active in sports too - Cikgu Rahman (BM), Cikgu Ghazali (Chemistry), Cik gu Fatanah (Geography, now Dr), Cikgu Nik Faridah (BI), Cikgu Wan Kadir (Geography). I would not have been a chemical engineer had he (Cikgu Ghazali) not taught me from his heart.

Lunch with Cikgu Somchit (BM) in KL in 2003. She taught us BM in 1976 - the other 3 are my classmates; her students.

Lunch with Cikgu Wan Tik Sakinah (Geography) in PJ in 2003. A very nice teacher too during those days, she looks much younger than even her own student! I have really enjoyed her presence as a teacher. She retired as a pengarah MARA last year.

Pengetua MRSM PC Cikgu Wan Nasihah and Cikgu Nik during a visit by these old students! (2003). Cikgu Wan Nasihah had never taught me or my class per se but she was a teacher from during those days and hence I consider her as my own teacher. As for Cikgu Nik, she taught me English in F1 in 1976, so I guess she would have much influence in my writing in my blog in the new millennium. She retires as a specialist teacher and would not accept a post other than a teacher!

With aruah Cikgu Azizah at her home in PC in 2003. I was fortunate to have been able to visit her a couple of days before her death. MOga Allah mencucuri rahmat keatas ruhnya. Amin. I remember her calling me in the 1990s asking if I could attend and give a speech on during a career day at MRSM. Unfortunately I had to say no due to my work load that month. She had never taught me or my class, but she remembered me enough to be calling and I regret till today that I gave her a negative response.

with Cikgu (Dr) Fatanah at my office in 2007. Thirty years may have passed but she will always be a teacher to me. I was very humbled to have her at the office warming. One thing about tyhat I could never forget was when she rewarded me with RM1 for getting 100% for one of her tests and of course later for getting A1 for SRP 1978. I could really used the money then! She retired as an MRSM Jasin principal and a Maal Hijrah award recipient.

Happy Teachers' Day, cikgu-cikgu. Thank you.