It has been a long journey, but I have arrived at a place where I strongly believe that educating the heart is just as, if not, more important than educating the mind.
In line with my belief that students need to be encouraged to be independent learners who are passionate and take charge of their own learning, I initiated a support group for patients and care givers who are living with liver disease. This was after I became the caregiver to someone with the illness and found that there was no such support for these patients in Malaysia. Where the support group is concerned, I am convinced that patient education is key to building awareness. This is the first step in equipping patients to take on a more active role in their health and well being.
As teachers, I think we have a bigger role to play in the process we call 'lifelong learning'. It is one that goes beyond the confines of the classroom, the school, the college and our own agenda. In fact, our role in this bigger picture surely aligns with our college's core values, the main one being 'Respecting and Caring for Each Other'. It is one where we are encouraged to exercise initiative and responsibility in helping each other cope with life's challenges. What better way to show our students that, than to walk the talk!
In time to come, I plan to explore avenues to link initiatives such as this to my students' needs. I am sure this is possible as there is a community service requirement that students in the program that I teach need to fulfil. I believe their engagement will inculcate in them a sense of compassion. I hope they will be motivate enough to develop an interest in the wider environment and community ... to be a valuable member of their own community. As for me, having this opportunity to establish a network with the community is truly a time of personal growth. Please click on Support Group to visit the website that I created and am currently maintaining.
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