7979爱陪读 一道缩影的背后——一班老师的坚持 Behind a Touching Story - Unwavering Determination of a Group of Teachers

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Group Photo of Companionship Class’s Teachers (Starting from left): Low Khee Ling, Teh Bee Lin, Pang Mei Hwa, Khoo Cheng Yin, Esther Seow and Lim Bee Hoon

 “Good Boy” “You Are Very Good” 
The soft yet determined voices of teachers’ encouragement continued to resonate from the room for the whole afternoon. This is not a tuition centre, but a Companionship Class. The teachers not only teach but also accompany, guiding the children step by step until they finish their homework. Most of the children in this group are from financially disadvantaged families, their parents are mostly not highly educated, and they can’t afford to pay tuition fees. Furthermore, they do not know how to guide their children in their academic and growth development. Henceforth, the 7979 Underprivileged Children's Companionship Class was established to assist parents of underprivileged families by providing care for their children after school hours.

林美云老师 （右）

The Arrival of MCO

This Companionship Class is located in Penang Island at True Light Baptist Church’s 7979 Holistic Care Station. Currently, they have 6 teachers and 9 children. Every day, the teachers would accompany the children on a one-to-one or one-to-two basis. It had been running smoothly since the trial run. Before the Companionship was officially launched, Teacher Lim Bee Hoon (the Companionship Class’s main PIC) and 3 other teachers with teaching experience were invited to the organising committee. They decided to start the class first and handle any issues that arose accordingly. Unforeseen to everyone, before long, MCO was issued. This had disrupted their plans. MCO came like a tidal wave that hit the children’s school grades, and their performance went down tremendously due to lack of teacher guidance and supervision.     
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During that period, the lives of many were like hitting the pause button, although the Companionship Class teachers missed the children, they were perplexed about what to do next. At this time, Teacher Bee Hoon suggested using Zoom, a remote meeting software or real time communication software, to maintain connections with the children so the Companionship Class continues as teachers could respond to any issues those children were facing. The ferocious pandemic did not strike down the teachers; instead, it stimulated them to strive forward, hence the Companionship Class was officially launched in 2020.     

Finally, the Companionship Class was able to get back on track, and the teachers were aware that the real challenges lay ahead. Teacher Bee Hoon, who was once a primary school teacher with years of experience, shared frankly that while school teachers can focus on teaching a class of the same age with the same progress on the syllabus. It is impossible with the Companionship Class, as its students come from diverse schools and age groups, and even the homework requirements vary. Oftentimes, the teachers need to spend time searching for answers before they can guide their students. For example, spelling, which was quite straightforward, has become complicated due to the methods each teacher uses. Let’s use the word “Train” as an example. Teacher A might read the English word “Train” directly, and students write down the word. On the other hand, Teacher B might read out the “Chinese word for train”, then the students are required to write down the English meaning of the word. The Companionship Class teachers have to fully grasp the requirements of each school to enable them to help the students excel.    

Teacher Pang Mei Hwa (On the left)

She is Not a “Bad” Child

Unfortunately, the toughest issue is not difficulties in teaching.  Teachers gradually found out that the main issues affecting a child’s academic performance were not the student’s ability to learn, but their family environment and background. Teacher Bee Hoon shared that previously, they had a student by the name of Ke Xin (pseudonym). She was raised by her parents (Her father passed away) who spoiled her. She was always absent from school. If she did go to the school, her parents would complete her homework for her; we knew that because of the handwriting.  School teachers had spoken to her parents about this many times, and they refused to cooperate; they even scolded the teachers in return. As a result, Ke Xin refused to go to school, and she rejected school life.      

“She is not bad, she is just spoiled.” That was the comment that Teacher Bee Hoon gave about Ke Xin that she is not a “bad” child. Whenever Ke Xin attended the Companionship Class, she would follow the teachers’ instructions and complete her homework all by herself. Another experienced teacher, Teacher Pang Mei Hwa shared truthfully that she worried for this child’s future; however, she can’t do anything about it, and said: “I am not being sorrowful, but I feel helpless.”    

我会翻词典了

​ Accompanying Brings Transformation

 ​Besides, Teacher Bee Hoon had been experimenting with different operation models for the Companionship Class. In the year 2023, she followed our 7979 Program Coordinator to Taiwan for a field trip to the 1919 Companionship Class together with other Companionship Class teachers. It was indeed an eye opening trip for her, she realised that running a Companionship Class cannot solely depend on teachers’ love and years of experience, it needs a good system to manage, such as effective management and distribution of donated items.

While Teacher Bee Hoon is trying to improve the system, she also takes teamwork very seriously, emphasising close cooperation and mutual support. She is grateful to have a team of dedicated teachers to discuss matters regarding the Companionship Class. Every teacher believes that as long as they put their hearts into teaching and accompanying the children, plus parents’ supervision, every child can be transformed; for “Education could be in many forms”. Lora (pseudonym, Lori’s sister) is a good example. At the initial stage, Lora dared not take her homework out of her bag, fearing that she could not complete her homework. Later on, Lora showed obvious progress in her study because of Teacher Bee Hoon's gentle pestering and her father’s constant reminding. Lora shared happily: “Now, I can write better in English and understand more English conversations.” She also learns how to use the dictionary to search for vocabulary.    ​

Teacher Bee Hoon: “I hope our method is effective, and I want to see the children's progress.”
Teacher Mei Hwa: “I hope I have more patience in teaching the children.”    

Teacher Bee Hoon and Teacher Mei Hwa’s wishes are the seed in the hearts of every Companionship Class’s teacher. It was this same desire that led them to commit their afternoons to accompany and protect every growing seedling.  

Teacher Bee Hoon and Teacher Mei Hwa’s wishes are the seed in the hearts of every Companionship Class’s teacher. It was this same desire that led them to commit their afternoons to accompany and protect every growing seedling.

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1 As for Lori’s story, please read the article “Finally, Our Hard Work Paid Off” in this issue. 

陪读班老师合影，左起为刘琦璘、郑美玲、彭美华、邱清盈、萧丽芳和林美云。

“Good Boy”   “你很Good”
午后，室内时不时地传出老师鼓励孩子的声音，温柔、坚定而有力量。这里不是补习班，而是陪读班。老师们不只是教，更是陪着他们，一步步地完成每天的功课。这班孩子多数来自经济拮据的家庭，不少家长受教育程度不高，不仅无力负担孩子的补习费，也不懂如何引导孩子学习与成长。因此，7979弱势家庭儿童陪读班应运而生，在孩子放学后提供陪读服务，为弱势家庭的父母分担一份心力。

林美云老师 （右）

病毒来势汹汹  可我逆水行舟

这间位于槟城的陪读班——真光浸信教会7979全人关怀站，目前有6名老师和约9名孩子。每天，老师以一对一或一对二的方式来陪读孩子。从试跑到如今，陪读班已经稳定进行。在陪读班正式启动前，林美云老师（陪读班负责人）与3名有教学经验的老师受邀一同参与筹备工作。她们决定先试着开班，再根据情况规划下一步。谁知刚起步不久，行动管制令（MCO）席卷而来，打乱陪读班的节奏。不仅如此，MCO如一股巨浪，冲击孩子们的成绩。少了老师的引导和监督，他们的学习更是雪上加霜。

那段日子里，许多人的生活被迫按下暂停键，陪读班老师们惦记孩子们，却不知如何是好。这时，美云老师提议以线上方式，透过“ZOOM”远程会议软件服务或即时通讯软件，继续与孩子保持联系。就这样，陪读班从未中断。“你们有什么事，是可以找我们”，即使无法见面，老师们随时准备回应孩子们的求助。一场疫情来势汹汹，非但没有击垮老师们，反而促使他们迎难而上，并于2020年正式推动陪读班。

纵然陪读班顺利迈上正轨，但老师们知晓，真正的挑战还在后头。曾任华小，有着多年执教经验的美云老师坦言，学校老师面对的是同一年龄层的学生、统一的课程进度，教学相对顺畅；但陪读班则应对来自不同学校、不同年级的学生，连对课业也各不相同。老师们常常得花时间查找答案，才能指导孩子完成功课。甚至最常见的听写，都有不同的方式进行。以英语听写“train”为例，甲班老师念英文词汇"train"，学生拼写出来；乙班老师，则是念“train”的华语译文“火车”，学生听后，需自译成英文单词“train”听写。陪读班老师得一一厘清不同学校的要求，才能真正帮助孩子。​

彭美华老师（左）

她不是“坏”孩子

最棘手的，不是教学上的困难。老师们慢慢发现，影响孩子课业表现的，往往不是孩子的学习能力，而是家庭环境与成长背景。美云老师坦言，过去曾遇过一位这样的孩子——可馨（化名）。可馨生长在一个被父母（父亲已去世）过度溺爱的家庭中，自小她常常缺席学校课堂；即便偶尔有上学，她的功课常由父母代笔，字迹并非出于她本人。校方时常找可馨的家人沟通孩子的问题，奈何父母始终不愿配合，甚至责骂学校老师。现在，可馨拒绝返校，非常排斥校园生活。

“她不坏，她是属于被溺爱了。” 对于可馨的情况，美云相信她不是一名“坏”孩子，因为在陪读班学习时，她能够遵照老师的吩咐，也能够亲自完成功课。另一位陪读班资深老师——彭美华，坦言很担忧这孩子的前途，但爱莫能助。她忍不住道出处内心的苦楚：“不是心酸，是很无力。” 

我会翻词典了

陪伴带来蜕变

 ​此外，美云老师为陪读班，不断摸索更合适的运作方式。2023年，她随7979专案同工和其他陪读班老师，观摩台湾1919陪读班。¹那趟行程令她大开眼界，原来陪读班不能只靠充满爱心和教学经验的老师，也需要有系统地管理，包括如何有效管理和分配收到的捐赠物资。

在改善陪读班原有的制度当儿，美云老师同时也看重团队之间的紧密合作与相互支持。她感谢能与一班老师团队一起商讨陪读班事务。大家坚信，只要用心教导的陪伴孩子，加上有父母协同督导，一定会看到孩子的改变。因为“教育是多方面的”，美云如此说道。若兰（化名，若琳的姐姐²）就是其中一个良好的例子。刚来陪读班时，若兰因害怕没有能力完成功课，并不会主动拿出学校作业，自动自发的完成。后来，在美云老师循循善诱，以及父亲的提醒下，若兰的课业有明显的进步。“我现在比较会写英文和听得懂英语 ”，若兰开心说道。她也学会翻词典，查询词汇。

​“我希望看到果效，孩子有进步。”美云老师
“我期望自己更有耐心的教导孩子。”美华老师

美云和美华老师的期许，是关怀站陪读班老师们心中那一道缩影。正是这份共同的心意，让她们在每一个午后，甘心乐意地默默陪伴陪读孩子，守护一颗颗尚未成熟的种子。

老师会与完成功课的孩子齐齐玩乐

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​ 1 “观摩台湾1919陪读班”事迹，请参阅《7979杂志》2023年9月刊<7979动起来>“7979新动态1”：https://www.7979.org.my/sept-2023/05。
  
2 若琳的故事请参阅本期“我们的付出，有了果效”文章（页13）。

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​目录
7979爱陪读  一道缩影的背后——一班老师的坚持
7979爱陪读 从谎言到成长——俊贤的三年级转折点
7979爱陪读  我们的付出，有了果效
7979爱走动  2025年沙巴水灾回应报告（2月和3月） 
福气临门 阳光、空气、水  
7979资讯台
​7979救助挑战营海报
大家一起7979  当孩子呼求，我们能否及时守护？