Learn to Master Learning

As a first-generation immigrant, I arrived in New Zealand understanding little to no English. I remember staring helplessly at my primary teacher, lost in a sea of sounds. Even as I progressed through school, English remained a challenge. I improved year by year, but was still not where I wanted to be. The moment everything shifted was Year 11, when I received a Not Achieved (fail) grade on a collection of essays. As a top student with high standards, it was a real punch in the guts. I had to accept my disadvantages as a non-native speaker, but I also realised that overcoming that specific failure would make for a much more epic story for those that hear it, that the biggest hurdles stopping me from succeeding should prove to be the biggest factors that push me to succeed. Unlike other subjects (like Maths), my journey in English was shaped not by ease, but by persistence.

Along that journey, I was fortunate to learn from teachers who guided me with patience, clarity, and encouragement. Teachers like Mr Smales and Mr Nola did more than explain content; they showed me the path forward, helped me see where I was going wrong, and reminded me that progress comes one step at a time. Great teachers do not simply deliver knowledge, they understand the struggle, recognise potentials, and know how to help students move from confusion to confidence step by step.

In sharing my story, I believe that good teachers are expert in their subject, but great teachers are not only good teachers, but also empathetic to the challenges students face because. The problem with being “too good” at a subject is the inability to step into the shoes of the students.

Though it may seem odd for someone from a traditional Chinese academic family to pursue English, like Mr KongMing, literature and the humanities are my bread and butter. And the skills one obtains: analysis, critical thinking, and expressing oneself are transferable across all domains and subjects, which is why English is also so important, as a tide that raises and sinks all other subjects. Ultimately, looking ahead to age 85, I know I’ll find the deepest satisfaction not in personal accolades, but in knowing I lent a steadying hand to students on their own academic upland roads, just as my teachers did for me.