Watching
Mr Lim get into his car is educational; and watching him get out of it is even
more so. Mr Lim, the teacher of Secondary 1, weighs more than a 100 kg and his
car is an old mini.
At first sight one would think that
it would be impossible for him to get in; but he does so with amazing agility
and grace. No sooner does he get out of the car when we see a flock of school
children running to greet him as if he were a film star. He will then make his
entry into his classroom like a VIP on a visit.
As he walks he answers the various
questions thrown at him from his young companions. Most of them are students
from his present class, but some are his old students. They just happened to be
around when Mr Lim arrived and they could not resist running to him.
Mr Lim is the oldest teacher in the
school and has been teaching there since its founding in 1955. He has been teaching
Secondary 1 for all these years and has taught thousands of students. Among the
students he has taught are several top civil servants, two army generals, two
cabinet ministers and our school principal. In spite of all his achievements,
what makes Mr Lim my favourite teacher, and the favourite teacher to many
others too, is the fact that he really cares. He cares about all of us equally.
He does more than just teach us.
He knows all his students and
ex-students by name and delves into all our personal lives. He can tell with a
look that we are unhappy about something. He will then take us aside and talk.
He will get to the root of the problem, even seeing the principal or our
parents if need be. He will not stop until the problem, whatever it is, is solved
and he does it in all sincerity — without expecting anything in return. Is
there any wonder then that we all love him?
