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Indeed, the adage "once a teacher, always a teacher" rings for me. Having been a teacher for almost 2½ decades, I have never failed to so-called teach too, especially in informal situations when the needs arose. However, it has often been said that learners did not necessarily learn or grasp whatever had been taught.
This brings me to the subject - the teaching profession. Gone were the days when this profession is a much sought-after one. Despite being revered as a noble profession, it no longer has a place in the hearts of our younger generation. Recent surveys have revealed that it would be the last choice of the educated job-seekers. Now, what has happened? What has gone wrong? Should we blame any quarters? The onus, I stress, is on us - teachers to redeem the prestige this profession once had.

Before we point accusing fingers at any quarters for that matter, we should check ourselves. Have we been good role models? Have we been exemplary in carrying out our duties? How are our "backyards" - have they been messy? Have we neglected any of our other duties at the expense of the teaching profession? The list can go on.
Undeniably, there is much to gain by being a teacher. Besides enjoying the perks enjoyed by other federal servants, as teachers, we are constantly in touch with the world of abundant knowledge. We dare proclaim that we are constantly learning, thus moving along with times especially in this information technology era. Surrounded by books, computers and what-nots ( as teachers we have to avail ourselves), there is no way we will be left behine. What a privilege! We need to be so-called more knowledgeable than our students!

Talking about rewards, let's not be materialistic for once! The success achieved by our charges - our students, should be rewarding enough to push us on. Moreover, as teachers, having a part to play as moulding our younger generation - our futher leaders, should give us the rightful reason to stand tall! Rest assured, our cause is a noble one.

Of late, our government has not been neglecting us too. The recent annoucement by our Health Minister that heart patients will no longer need to tediously go to the National Heart Centre or the Heart Centre in Johore Bahru is indeed a most-welcomed move. Teachers (being federal servants) and immediated family members with heart problems can now conveniently go for treatment at Normah Specialist Medical Centre for cardiology services including surgeries, made possible by the agreement signed between the Ministry of Health and Normah Specialist Medical Centre.Treatment is subsidized. So teachers, lest we forget, our government does have our welfare at heart!
All the more, as teachers, we should never allow complacency to creep in. We should double our efforts to provide the best to our charges. The futher of our younger generation is at stake! We should never, even for once, adopt a lackadaisical attitude towards our students especially the slow ones. After all, they are human beings too - born with the same faculties like ours. They need nurther. Services rendered by us should by no means be mediocre. Only then, at the end of the day, we can console ourselves - "alas we have done our utmost and our best; our conscience is clear".

		I'll part with these words:-
		to my comrades in the same field
		no regrets - a heavy task we undertake
		educating our younger generation
		together we'll weather the storm
		concerted efforts required of us
		we'll continue to win the battle
		God-willing, coming out of it victorious.