I was once like that!

Prior to my tertiary education, i was a timid, mousy female. I did not talk much. I was just comfortable to be unnoticed. I did not mind if people were not aware of my presence. I was happy to be on my own. I always felt inferior towards myself. I did not have the confident especially to talk in front of people.

I am still much of the same person except that I am now a more confident person and more talkative. My tertiary education, my last stage of tertiary education has taught me a lot. From one who would not open her mouth to ask question or offer opinion to one who will just pop out opinion. Though i am not agressive in putting my opinion across especially in discussion , still i feel that i am a better person than i was before. Though my boss said that i have not enough leadership attributes, still i have proven myself and to my boss that that i can manage people well. Otherwise, i would not be able to make those programmes she asked me to handle into successful programmes.

Looking at my students now, give me a feeling of deja vu. I was once like them. I never open my mouth in class or in discussion. I was quiet but very observant except when i felt sleepy. Why i was quiet was because i always thought that whatever question i may asked or opinion raised, may sound stupid or irrelevant or mundane. So, i kept quiet in class and never utter words unless prodded.

Now, i told my students,'he who ask question, may look stupid for the 5 minutes he asks question, but he who does not ask question, will be stupid for the rest of his life!'

So hopefully my students understand the importance of interaction in class. It is to answer to human nature of being curious and inquisitive, to keep mind stimulated and build confidence and improve ones language. So i said, 'Speak up class!'