Honoring Others - Mary Matthew

Today, I want to share the story of another teacher in my Pre-U school days. Her name is Mary Matthew. She had passed on a few years ago.

She was our form teacher in the last year of my Pre-U. She taught us 'Economics' and she was a very strict, no nonsense teacher. 

I remembered that when we returned to school from the year-end holiday to start our last year in the Pre-U, she started the class by giving us quizzes for the previous year's economics lessons. Of course, most of us have forgotten much of what we learned after a 6 weeks break. For the first question that we cannot answer, we will be made to stand on the chair. And if we still cannot answer the 2nd question, we will be made to stand on the table. Imagine the humiliation of a 16 yrs old (boy or girl) being made to stand on the chair or table. From that day onwards, all of us did not slack in our economics lessons. Did we blame her for being harsh or hurting our emotion? No, i don't think so. Or at least not for me. What we learn is that there is a consequence to all our action. We don't study, we don't pass. Its that simple. And this principle will translate to the working world and whatever we do in life. I rather get humiliate in my class in school than face with a major adverse consequence in life because of a bad decision.

The second thing that really touched me was my payment to sit for the A level examination. As shared my other posting, we were down and out as far as money is concerned. So, i really cannot afford to pay the exam fees in a lump sum. What Mary Matthew did was, she first helped me to calculated the exact total cost (she knew that i was bad in my maths). Second, she paid the full sum from her own pocket and worked out an installment period that I can pay her back on a month basis.

This might be a simple gesture to some. But to me, it meant so much. And she did it without making it known to the class or anyone. She helped me when I needed help most while at the same time taking care that I will not feel embarrassed.

She will be another teacher that I would love to meet on the other side of Heaven. A teacher that taught us with her heart rather than her method.