Being born with dwarfism did not deter a 52-year-old teacher from devoting her life to tutoring children with special needs.
Zawati Yusoff said her diminutive stature was never a barrier to teaching and at the most, she just had to lower the whiteboard to her height.
“Then, I teach like any other teacher would. I am lucky as my students have accepted me just like I embraced them as my own.
“We are like second parents to students and play a huge part in shaping their characters and imparting knowledge,” she said.
Zawati currently teaches Islamic Studies to children with cognitive disabilities at SMK Pengkalan Chepa 2 in Kota Baru, Kelantan. Dealing with them, she said, required the utmost patience and sensitivity.
“For these students, there is a discrepancy between their age and intelligence quotient levels. So, we have to simplify concepts for them and be sensitive to their emotional needs,” she said.
Zawati still brims with optimism despite the challenges that confront her.
For instance, while most teachers grumbled about the shift to online learning during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Zawati felt otherwise.
“I often found home-based teaching and learning to be more effective than face-to-face classes. In classrooms, students have only me to rely on. But during online classes, many parents also joined their children and guided them through the lessons. Additional attention from parents certainly helps the students.
“But I feel great about welcoming back my students now that schools have finally reopened. They seem to have missed me just as much as I have missed them,” she said with a smile.
Picture Credit: NST
