I have been thinking about this long time ago since I was doing my masters at IIUM. I had a chance to be supervised by a great mentor who teaches me about value and ethics. I learn that from him. Taking several classes under his tutelage was a privilege that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I would email him quite regularly when I have qualms about my teaching practice. I would always get a straight-to-the-face kind of answer. No filter. Nothing. It always serves as a reminder why I am in this profession. He had retired now. No email. Just occasional Whatsapp message. But, it helps me to feel better when I am feeling blue.
Now, I am no longer have the privilege to email him like I used to do. He rarely checks his email. With a younger wife, he is pretty much preoccupied with his retirement life. So, I normally will find motivational videos about teaching. One of my favorites is a TED talk by Rita Pierson. She passed away not long after giving the TED talk. To know more about her, this is one of the articles written about why it is important for teachers to know their students better in order to make impact on their lives.