- A Strong-willed Hero -
Don't let her calm demeanour fool you! Behind her cool and level-headed exterior lies a strong-minded and determined centre. This 30-year old tutor doesn't just teach one or two subjects - but four! With that kind of experience, how can we not ask her to share her story with us!
ECA : You teach so many subjects. Is there a favourite?
AINA : I’m a Malay teacher and also, Science, English and Maths. I actually prefer English. But the parents usually come to the school and request for me to teach Bahasa Melayu 101. It’s a very basic class. It’s usually for foreigners and someone who doesn’t really speak in Malay language at all, including the Bruneian language. I have to actually teach them what is this meaning and everything. Then, towards the end, it’s like, how do you actually build up the sentence using Bahasa Melayu... Usually, they are foreigners, so starting with a different language... it is very difficult to actually understand how the sentence should be arranged in Bahasa Melayu.
ECA : How’d you like working here so far?
AINA : Here? Quite fun! It’s got a very good administrative way, compared to others. I’ve been working with other tuition schools as well, not just here. So, yeah. If I compare it with the others, Edu Champ Academic is in a much more better way. It’s more scheduled and it’s more arranged, compared to the others, which can be very chaotic.
ECA : Any big lessons you’ve learned from teaching?
AINA : Big lessons? Yeah. Just tutoring them won’t actually help. But giving them surprise tests... (Laughs) Yeah, that one! Usually, students don’t like that - even me, myself, don’t like that! But that actually helps them, it actually makes them want to challenge themselves. Especially when they are, for example, there are some classes where there is only one student. But if you have, like, at least two students, that actually makes them more competitive with each other. So they compete with themselves while they make friends. It’s like that.
ECA : Would you like to be a teacher full-time?
AINA : I don’t mind that. I have been interviewed for a teaching job with the government before. Last year, at the end of the year. Part of the challenge for me, is that there's a lot of candidates with an educational background - instead of me, who does not have an educational background at all. I studied Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. So it’s about people and how they behave and all that. Then I furthered my studies again for my Master degree in Management. So that’s how I manage students as well. But it’s still very competitive.
ECA : What’s your favourite part about teaching?
AINA : Favourite part: it’s challenging. I like challenging things. So every time, every class, every week - that will be a different challenge for me. It’s not the same, even though you know the people. It’s not the same, even if you know their characteristics. What happens every class is different, even though it’s the same students. So, that challenge, that big challenge is actually the one that makes me more interested in teaching.
What an interesting perspective in life! Some people don't relish a challenge, but it's so refreshing to see someone who not only enjoys a challenge but thrives in it. Job hunting is hard, but we hope you find what you're looking for, Aina! With skills like yours, it won't be long until an employer sees what we see in you too! Until then, good luck!