Farewell Mr.Foo

Mr.Foo will be leaving NY soon and NYConneXions grabbed the chance to interview him. Mr.Foo’s passion for his profession is evident from his take on education and the way he constantly gives advice to the students in this interview. So hopefully you readers out there get inspired!

How many years have you been teaching at NYJC?
I have been teaching for 5 years in NYJC.

What is your impression of NY students?
It was very fun teaching them. I love teaching and I find NY students a joy to teach. NY students are very humble and that’s the best part about them.

If you had not been a teacher, what would you have been?
I’ve always wanted to teach since many years ago and even up till now I still want to continue being a teacher. If I had not been a teacher, I think I would have become a doctor. A teacher is something like a doctor because they both help people. I always describe a teacher-student relationship as being somewhat similar to a doctor-and-patient relationship. In the case of a doctor, a patient will always come and approach the doctor for help. Similarly a student usually approaches a teacher for help. This is needed; otherwise the teacher will not know what the student’s problem is and cannot help. So I guess if I cannot be a teacher, I will be a doctor to save the lives of patients? (Laughs)

What is the most gratifying thing about being a teacher?
It is the interaction with the students. That is the best part. But that is not all. We need to guide and help them maximize their potential to achieve what they believe they cannot achieve. This way we add value to them not just in the academic aspect but in terms of life skills as well. So when you are in the teaching profession, you really have to speak their “language”, joke with them and be "hip". It helps to build a rapport and it makes learning and teaching fun at the same time.

So will you be making teaching your lifelong profession?
I will be making education a lifelong career. Currently, I will be going over to the Ministry of Education Headquarters. I might not be teaching students but I will still be dealing with education. There will be no direct contact with students, it is more of policies and the tailoring of the curriculum for the ‘A’ Levels.

We often see you playing tennis. What do you like about this sport?
What I like is when the ball comes into contact with the racket. The sound it makes is very satisfying. It is also the excitement and thrill of getting the ball over the net, which I can tell you, is not as easy as it seems. It is not so much of brute force; rather, it is the technique. Another thing I like about tennis is the people I play with. They are very fun loving people and are truly tennis fanatics. But unlike them, I play only on a recreational basis to de-stress.

So do you play other sports?
I do but not those that involve direct contact with the ball. That is my weakness. I need to have a racket in order to send the ball to where I want it to go. I can play the racket games but for sports like basketball, it is always a miss for me. (Laugh)

Will you becoming back to NY to visit?
If possible, of course I will return. However, given the nature of the new job, I think it might be difficult. By the time I am off, all of you would have left so it might be difficult to meet again.

Will you becoming back to NY to teach?
Well I will be there (HQ) for three years. If there is a vacancy then I will come back. If not, then I think I will move on to secondary schools and take a look at the different types of students there.

All I know is that I will be staying in the education sector but I’m still searching for the direction to move in. I’m still trying out a few areas. That is one of the main reasons I am moving out of Nanyang. I feel that in order to truly know the education system, you really have to try out the different areas. Maybe after a few places, I can then decide which place is the right one for me. You have to search for your niche area. The thing that drives a person in his career is the passion. This applies to your studies as well. You must have the passion for the subject you are studying before you can excel in it. So even if you don’t like the subject, you must learn to love it.

What qualities do you think a good teacher should possess?
You must have the passion for the subject you are teaching. From my point of view, a Chemistry teacher has to be able to make abstract concepts concrete since Chemistry is a very deep subject where we are experimenting on things at a microscopic level, something that the naked eye cannot see. Another thing is to get feedback from your students to see if they have understood what you’ve been teaching.

What is your style of teaching?
I don’t like my class to be like a graveyard. Sometimes you need a bit of noise to keep the class going or else the teacher will fall asleep. You ask a question and all you can hear are the cricket sounds. That’s very sad for the performer on stage. I don’t like a regimental style of teaching because I find that it kills the joy of learning. But sometimes the students really have to keep quiet and listen, especially when I have important things to tell them. So that is a problem. I don’t want my class to be too quiet or too noisy. But it is not true that a noisy class will not be able to learn effectively. Learning is best when you are relaxed, not tensed up. When you are tensed up, nothing goes into your head and you won’t be able to learn.

What piece of advice do you have to give to your students?
Treat every test and exam in college as a learning experience. It is alright to fail but you must pick up from there. All the little tests and exams are in preparation for the final big exam, which is your A levels. You must forgive yourself for whatever mistakes you make in your tests or exams. Evaluate your mistakes, learn from them and make sure you do not commit the same errors again in the next test or exam. If you have any problems, seek help from your tutors. Students have to work hand in hand with their teachers. Another piece of advice is to study early for your exams. If you study at the eleventh hour, you will panic and you won’t be able to remember what you’ve studied. So please prepare for your exams early.

Do you have any memorable moments in NY?
There have been many special moments. The best part about teaching is when students come forward to thank me for helping them to achieve what they felt was impossible for them to achieve. It may not necessarily be an A or B. Some who had a C were just as grateful. They tell me, “Mr Foo, I’ve never passed Chemistry in my life! I hate it so much but I can actually get this grade!” It actually takes very long, about 2 years, to see a student you have taught return after graduation. So it is those few minutes of reunion that makes my day. To make a teacher happy, all the student has to do is to appreciate and thank him or her. Just go up to the teacher and express it verbally. It is sure to make the teacher’s day.

Interviewers: Hillary Liow & Yue Hui Ting