GETTING BACK TO UTM TO TEACH ENGLISH AFTER SO MANY YEARS

 

An old friend who is a teaching staff of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia [UTM] contacted me a few weeks ago, asking whether I would be interested to teach English. My first question was, whether it would be physical or online classes. Once informed the classes would be conducted face-to-face, I agreed without any hesitation.

Today, the first physical class was conducted, on week 3 of the semester. The first two classes were still conducted online as all learning institutions in Johor state were instructed to be closed because of the haze.

After 2 years and 10 months being away from school, I was excited to get into the classroom to do something I do best: Teach.

The lecture was held at T02 block, a new faculty building I had never been to. I arrived earlier and discovered there was a cafeteria on the ground floor. That was good news, now that I know I could always eat breakfast before the class starts.

HAPPINESS: to find Roti Canai and Teh Tarik available, and at reasonable prices.

The class went well despite the technical glitch i.e. the LCD project did not work. We had to resort to plan B, using Google Meet to watch the slide presentations. I was happy that I got to see real students in a real classroom one more time.

As I was about to leave the faculty, an ex-student [of SMK Taman Universiti] appeared out of nowhere. Fans are everywhere. He is now one of the faculty staff and he even helped me to report about the problem I had encountered with the projector to the technician of the faculty.

If you find me busier now, then you should know the reason already. I have another class to teach this Friday afternoon and am looking forward to that as well.