Bidding English teacher a fond farewell
Leela Rani Bachan Singh retires after 38 years in the teaching profession
ON the first day of her teaching career, Leela Rani Bachan Singh came home crying, telling her mother that she didn’t want to teach. And every time she tried to find a way out, she would be met with obstacles.
Thirty-eight years on, it is apparent that she touched many lives. Many of her ex-students came to bid Leela Rani farewell at her retirement ceremony in SM Teknik Kuala Lumpur.
She taught English there for the past 18 years. An ex-student even offered to chauffeur her to school and back for the day. Those who couldn’t make it sent her loving messages and phone calls wishing her the best in life.
“I had wanted to pursue law. But I did not want to burden my father, who was paying for three of my siblings’ studies at the time so I signed up for teacher training.”
She had wanted to give up many times in the first 10 years of her career. But it all changed when she continued her professional development in Britain.
“When I went to the UK, I realised that I was meant to be right where I am. I was always meant to be a teacher,” Leela Rani said.
“Teaching is not an occupation - it is a vocation. Things were not happening the way I thought they should for a reason. Maybe it was God’s way of nudging me in the right direction.”
She said that the most fulfilling part of her teaching career is listening to her former students speak fluently in English.
“I would ask them: how come you never spoke up like that when you were in school?
“They said that they understood English was a stepping stone and made it a point to learn the language.”
The ex-student who chauffeured her on her retirement day, Esmael Yahya, 31, said that Leela Rani was very motherly. Being in a residential school, he took comfort in English Society and debate - Leela Rani was the advisor for both activities.
“In debating, she encouraged me to build my confidence. I never thought that I could talk and argue in front of people.
“She has been an inspiration. And all these experiences have led me to become a teacher myself. I now teach academic writing at Monash University Malaysia. I help people understand how to write their theses better,” he added.
Leela Rani was not only a mother figure to her students but also her colleagues. When English teacher Norasiah Mohamad started out at SM Teknik Kuala Lumpur, she was worried about Leela Rani who was the English panel head then.
“In no time, she made me feel very comfortable and welcomed. She has helped me so much and she is always there to give me good advice,” she said.
“She was also the one who introduced me to the Newspaper-inEducation (NiE) programme by The Star.
“Students find it interesting and I love using the newspaper for my lessons. It’s different from the usual exercises and students enjoy the hands-on activities like cutting and pasting. It keeps them awake in class,” said Norasiah.
“I wish there were more teachers like her! She really connects with the students. She not only teaches them, but makes them love English,” she added.
SM Teknik Kuala Lumpur student Yashlen Pichyalagan described Leela Rani as a gem of a person.
“She has a charming personality that one can easily bond with.
“One of my most memorable experiences with Puan Leela would be the day before the Deepavali holidays began. After school, Puan Leela called all the Indian students -- to give us a chocolate cake.
“We thanked Puan Leela and chatted until our parents came to pick us up.”
Yashlen also found NiE useful as a valuable study material.
“As a learner, the newspaper helped me sharpen my English skills and English was so much fun with it,” he said.
To student Ng Wai Yin, 17, Leela Rani is a mother figure, a motivator and an educator.
“She was the best English teacher that I’ve ever had! And I mean it. Since kindergarten, I’ve never had a teacher like Puan Leela. Her way of teaching entertains me and I would pay attention to her lessons.
“I hope that Puan Leela lives a long and happy life. I’m going to do my best in my exams to show Puan Leela that she did not waste her time teaching me,” he added.