Since my first day in school, I have been looking out for my 3/5 '06 pupils.

Especially so for a certain few of them.
And as ironic as it may seem to you, these are the kids that used to be my constant source of stress, exhaustion, worry and more often than not, anger too.
Somehow, these are the ones that I grew really attached to.

And 2 years after leaving them, I still miss them, the whole class.
I will always remember looking down at them from the front of the class.
After all, they were my first batch of pupils.
Guess they hold an extra special place in my heart. ^^

And seeing them now already in Primary 5, I feel so...
I just can't find words to describe how I feel.

Well, anyway, as I walking along the corridors of the 3rd floor earlier, I walked past the P5 EM3 class.
I'm just guessing so cos the class was really small, and that usually meant that it's the EM3 class.

To my disappointment, I saw one of my 'star' boys from 3/5.
Don't get me wrong.
By no means am I trying to imply that EM3 kids are failures.

I am really, really sad as I know full well and with so much confidence that that boy doesn't have a place in EM3.
He is definitely more than capable to be in the mainstream classes.

This boy comes from what everyone would call a broken family.
The first time he told me about his family, he was very angry.
And his story made me cry.

Actually it wasn't so much the story that really moved me.
Rather, it was the thought of the emotional trauma and stress that he has had to go thru that made me weak with sympathy.
It was then I finally understood where his rebellion and anger was coming from.

And from that day on, I quit scolding him for "being naughty and rude".
I tried to be his friend just so that he has an outlet for expressing his feelings and get the attention that he needs to be able to validate himself as person, at least.

Being his friend was easier than I had imagined.
The benefits that came with being his friend were good.
For one, he stopped being "naughty and rude".
Well, in my classes at least.

And when it was finally time to say goodbye to them, I had the heaviest heart.
I had to try very hard to stop my tears from flowing.
The whole class gave me farewell gifts and cards and letters.
But this boy did not.
Nor had I expected him to.

But the look he had in his eyes as I left the class for the last time, that was really sad.
But for me, that look also meant my validation as his teacher.
That I had made some sort of impact in his life; no matter how small.

I gave him home tuition after I left and that was the first time I visited him at home.
He and his brothers have definitely been made to grow up earlier..

Anyway, my point is that this particular boy can shine.
No doubt about it, he is smart.
I think he just needs someone to be there for him always.

Easier said than done tho, when you have 30+ other kids to take care of.
Emotionally and physically straining it is.

Oh well, all is over and done already.
I have tried my best and I know that his teachers after me had too.
:)

And I hope his mum is doing well now.