An Enriching Journey 

Mr Mohamed Shariff, Deputy Dean Mother Tongue Department (Malay & Tamil Languages) who served ACS (Independent) for 20 Years, shares his thoughts on being a teacher and what keeps him going through the years. Apart from receiving the Long Service Award (2016) from the school, Mr Shariff is also a recipient of 2 other awards – the Caring Teacher Award 2016 and the Teacher Appreciation Award 2016 from the Singapore Cricket Association for his passionate and long service in nurturing students in the sport.

It has always been my belief that “Service to Man is service to God”. For me, teaching is the best way to do this. Teaching is an art; it is not easy to be a good teacher, but I am humbled to be blessed to teach. Hence, I must serve with commitment and care.

As a teacher, I have to set a good example to my students in my actions and values. Caring, helping and guiding them and being approachable at all times to help them in any matter that they need guidance in. In so doing, I hope to provide them with an education in life, beyond the academics, and not just teach them the subject (Mother Tongue). As much they learn from me, I also learn from them. Each day is never the same, as we are dealing with human lives and this interaction is what keeps me going.

As reading and playing Cricket are my hobbies, I don’t find any trouble in teaching and managing the CCA, but the challenge lies in balancing my professional and personal life. Difficult though it may be, it can still be done with careful planning.

Thanks to the Senior Administration, colleagues and the students for making ACS (Independent) a wonderful place to work in and for the experiences that have made me the person I am today. I’m grateful for the opportunities to teach both the Express and IB students, serving in the National and International arena, be it in my CCA or academics. Working with my department colleagues Madam Rani and Mrs Durai, we came up with the Tamil “B” (SL) curriculum, making ACS (Independent) the first school in the world to introduce the subject in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), and then to contribute to the community as an IBO workshop leader. It gives me immense satisfaction when students do well in their exams and in their lives. I have always instilled in them that they must believe in themselves in order to excel as “Not failure but low aim is crime”.

Bearing in mind that every student matters, I feel it is my responsibility to answer to God about the students under my charge. I do my best to every one of them without any discrimination as I believe that “In education there is no class distinction”.

I am aware that as a human being we cannot be completely perfect in everything that we do, but I’ll keep striving as reminded by our ACS motto “The best is yet to be”.

Mohamed Shariff