Mujalifah (right) makes a house call to a student to check on the BM assignment.
SIBU (Nov 22): SMK Sibu Jaya teacher Mujalifah Kassim goes the extra mile to connect with her students who have poor Internet access, if any, during the school closure period to help them keep pace with their study.
She makes weekly rounds, especially on Fridays, to check on these students staying in Sibu Jaya and nearby longhouses.
The scorching heat does not deter her efforts to reach out to these students.
The 39-year-old teacher, who hails from Sarikei, said the house visit was her own initiative to assist students with their study, prompted by the desire to make them feel appreciated for the school work done.
The down-to-earth teacher teaches Bahasa Melayu (BM) in the school.
“This is just my own small initiative to assist students during the school closure period to keep up with their study, and not instructions from the school or any party.
“I want them feel appreciated that is if they have completed their BM assignment that I gave them and I came to check (their work) or correct (them) if necessary.
“They (students) have striven to do and complete (their assignment). Hence, as a teacher it is only appropriate that I make effort as what the students had done and check their assignments, which is a common thing during the teaching and learning process carried out in classroom,” explained Mujalifah, who has been teaching in SMK Sibu Jaya for the past 12 years.
She informed that SMK Sibu Jaya was her first posting as a teacher.
Meanwhile, it was learned that Mujalifah’s initiative to assist her students without Internet or having poor connectivity first came to light after a former student caught her in action teaching a student outside the house gate and uploaded the photo to the social media.
The mother of two told The Borneo Post yesterday that she started making house visit since the Ministry of Education announced the closure of schools nationwide from Nov 9 till Dec 18.
“I visited students staying in in Sibu Jaya, who do not have devices to access the Internet for online classes as well as those staying in nearby longhouses with poor Internet connectivity,” she added.
Asked on the number of house she would visit in Sibu Jaya, Mujalifah said it depended on the number of students, who responded, after they completed their assignment and messaged to come and check as well as provide guidance on their work.
She added that during the visit she just stood outside the house even though the students’ parents invited her in.
“I politely decline their request as checking the students’ work does not take long; it is just for a while,” she revealed, adding that her students were delighted to see her visiting them to follow up on their assignment.
Adding on, Mujalifah opined that making house call to her students would not affect her quality time with her family.
“This is because the house visit does not take long. Furthermore, I am not carrying out such approach for all students.
“The rest of the students attend online class with me through Google Classroom, Google Meet dan WhatsApp,” she said.
Asked on the number of students without Internet access, whom she visited, Mujalifah was uncertain on the actual number, but believed there were not many such cases.
“Because there those who have Internet access but have to share the gadgets with their parents and other siblings in order to utilise the Internet data.
“To facilitate students’ learning and avoid burdening their parents, it is best I strive to the best of my ability that is to visit their house (to check on their assignment and provide guidance). These students are staying in Sibu Jaya and surrounding areas, which are easily accessible.
“They will inform me their home address once they have completed their assignment on that week and I will drop by their place,” she said.