LETTERS: I support teaching with compassion and purpose.
Being compassionate about teaching has kept me alive and energetic.
The thought of getting young people on their feet and making them think outside the box makes me equally excited.
Compassionate teachers motivate students to try to please their teachers, but in the long run, they become aware of their own potential.
I once heard a primary school teacher in India sharing how her compassion created many doctors and engineers at her school.
She would persuade them to study for her sake.
Compassionate teachers are sensitive to students' emotions.
This aura makes students feel happy and relaxed.
Teaching with a purpose is another aspect that keeps teachers and students going.
Connecting the content with students' lives excites students as well as teachers.
For me, linking students' surroundings, culture, pain and joy with what is being taught is a fantastic moment.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR VISHALACHE BALAKRISHNAN
Coordinator of SULAM@Service Learning, Universiti Malaya
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times