FOR years, English Language teacher Elizabeth Parameswary (pic) was always the first to arrive at school.
She would be there before the clock struck 6am, and from 6.20am to 7.20am, she would coach weak students in extra English lessons.
Her dedication, along with that of other teachers, helped her school, SMK Taman Tuanku Jaafar (SMKTTJ) in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, achieve good Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results in the subject, according to a press release.
Having reached retirement age, Elizabeth recently bade farewell to the school and to a profession to which she had committed 36 years of her life.
But her identity as a teacher will stay with her, she said.
“Once a teacher, always a teacher,” she quipped, adding, “My most memorable moment in teaching is that I will always be called Teacher Eliz.”
Besides teaching, Elizabeth served as the coordinator for school clubs and associations, and was an SPM examiner. She was also a Malaysian University English Test speaking paper examiner.
In addition, she took it upon herself to form an “English is Fun” Telegram group for the school, parents, as well as the nearby community, to disseminate various forms of reading material.
Her dedication saw her receiving the Excellence Service Award from the Education Ministry twice, in 2007 and 2016.
She urged the younger generation of teachers to teach students from the heart and with passion regardless of race or religion.
“I don’t just teach; I learn too, from my colleagues and students. The school is a place for expanding and enriching our knowledge. This is one of the best things about school that I will miss dearly.
“The other important thing that I will miss dearly is students looking for me to get ‘minyak kapak’ whenever they have headaches, stomach pain or fever.
“I always carried a bottle with me for my students’ sake. Now, whenever I see the ‘axe oil’, I will be reminded of my teaching days,” she shared in the press release.
She expressed appreciation for the retirement ceremony, held in the school hall on Feb 13, which saw the participation of teachers, non-academic staff and students.
“I wish to thank my principal Md Sa’at Atan and senior assistant for administration Vigneswaran Munusamy for organising my retirement ceremony on a grand scale. I will forever cherish their warm and generous hospitality,” she said.
On her retirement plans, Elizabeth said she looks forward to travelling, broadening her crochet hobby, and learning tailoring.
Born in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Elizabeth underwent teacher training at Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas in Cheras and pursued her Bachelor of Education (Honours) Teaching English as a Second Language at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
She joined the teaching profession in 1989, starting her service at SJK(T) Vivekananda in Petaling Jaya, before serving at SK Kg Gelam and SMK Pasir Panjang, both in Port Dickson, and finally SMKTTJ, where she served the longest – from June 2002 to February this year.
