Back To Special Features' List Interview With Mrs Maria Tan   I Enjoy Teaching . . . Interviewers: Good Morning, Mrs Maria Tan. Mrs Tan: Good morning, girls. Interviewer: Why did you decide to become a teacher? Mrs Tan: I had always wanted to be one. But it is not my first job. I wanted to experience other jobs before joining the teaching force. I like interacting with students. Besides this, my mother too, encouraged me to join teaching profession Interviewer: Did you ever regret your decision of becoming a teacher? Mrs Tan: I don't think so. I never regretted because I enjoy teaching. The duties I carry out in school are not mundane, that is, it's not like an office job, where you do the same things everyday. In Fairfield, I get to experience different things everyday. Interviewer: Have you ever encountered any difficulties with pupils? Mrs Tan: Yes, of course. I have taught students who have discipline problems. Although they may be mischievous sometimes, I look forward to seeing them change over the years .. and this gives me the satisfaction and joy. Interviewer: What makes teaching exciting? Mrs Tan: It's the interaction and communication with the students that I enjoy the most. It's certainly a pleasure to see students changing for the better. Interviewer: In your years in Fairfield Secondary, what do you wish to see in a Fairsian? Mrs Tan: I hope to see all students grow up to be fine young men and women, who have a sense of respect and responsibility. Fairsians should leave school with good values and a sense of pride - that they are Fairsians. Interviewer: What do you look forward to seeing in our new school building at Dover Road? Mrs Tan: Actually, I think that the school building itself does not really matter. What is important is that the pupils benefit from the new school facilities and grow up to be useful citizens who serve the community in return. Interviewer: What advice would you give … to those who are aspiring to be teachers? Mrs Tan: I would tell him or her to teach because of the love for teaching and not for the sake of `material' gains. People often have the misconception that teaching is a half-day kind of a job. However, we teachers know that it's not an easy job. I would tell the new teacher that he or she must have the passion for teaching and that as teachers, he or she must enjoy teaching the students, just like a mother, who loves to care for her children. Interviewers: Thank you, Mrs Tan for your time.