By MARCUS HENG
brats@thestar.com.my

DO you recall that experience of going to school and entering a classroom for the first time? Chances are, mom accompanied you there, where she singled out a lady and told you, “That is your teacher and you will learn loads from her!” Learning is a never-ending life experience, but it’s in our school-going years when education is most imperative because it moulds us to the individuals we eventually become.

Teachers are the ones who guide us through those formative years. My lecturer, Alex Tan once said, in his trademark kind and assuring way, “If anything goes wrong, don’t panic! I’ll teach you to fix it.”

Another lecturer of mine, Roslina Abdul Latif, on the other hand, who for all good intents and purposes, warned us with her mantra “You miss your deadline, you die!” Granted, that’s a heavy-handed approach, but it helped us learn more about the real world.

Parents and friends are likely to be our teachers, too. Honestly, I wouldn’t be good at gaming if it weren’t for my friends and, likewise, my writing skills could be called into question if it weren’t for my mentors in BRATs. These people may just be “doing their job” but they invariably teach us what it’s like out there to be a journalist and also to show us if journalism could be our passion.

Everyone has been our teacher, consciously or unconsciously. Some people may have treated you badly but you could still learn a thing or two from them as a life experience.

Professional gamer, Hai Lam once said “I don’t mind getting my butt kicked as long as I learn a thing or two!” Everything around us is knowledge, whether it is of value or just something that is good to know.

So, on May 16, take the time to appreciate your surroundings. No matter what we do in your daily lives, we are being taught one way or another. Look back and think of everything you have learned from everyone and pass that knowledge on to someone else. Be someone’s teacher; guide and help anyone you can.

And finally, we at BRATs would like to wish a Happy Teacher’s Day to all of you, because one way or another, you’re definitely a teacher to someone – you just haven’t realised it yet!