Contenders for the RISE Educator of the Year award will stand a chance to win RM5,000 in cash prize and an additional RM10,000 to their school
Josephine Tan
SUBANG JAYA (April 1): The RISE Educator Award by Taylor’s College and The Risers is back for a second year to celebrate and honour exceptional educators who have made an outstanding contribution to not only their students’ education in the classroom, but also their social development especially during the pandemic.
The second instalment of the award will see the RISE Educator of the Year winner and nominator bringing home RM5,000 and RM500 in cash prizes respectively. To raise the stakes, Taylor’s College will also sponsor RM10,000 to the school of the RISE Educator of the Year winner to enhance their facilities.
An acronym for Remarkable Impact in Student Education, the RISE Educator Award is open to students, or parents of students, in any governmental or private Malaysian preschool, primary school and secondary school. Students and parents may nominate their teacher of choice from April 1 to 22 by describing the teacher’s deeds that impacted them, or their children, in 100 words or less.
As students have never seen a launderette, Nazmi built one with cardboards.
Five finalists will be chosen from the entries and will have their stories posted up on Taylor’s College social media platforms, for the public to vote for the winner.
“Studies have shown that a positive relationship between teachers and young students will help those students to achieve better school grades and behavioural skills . This can be attested from our RISE Educator Award last year, as we received many inspiring tales of teachers going the extra mile to help their students with their education by creating new learning environments to ensure that their students are not missing out on their learning,” said Taylor’s College Campus Director Josephine Tan.
Nazmi and the school children having some water fun.
However, the prolonged effects of patchy education arrangement between online and offline learning due to the pandemic has exacerbated other areas of children’s progressive development specifically on their social and behavioural skills, as well as their enthusiasm to learn.
With textbooks and towels, students learn what to do in a swimming pool.
“The schooling years are transformative years for children and young adolescents as they learn how to navigate their emotions and behaviours in different social settings. Research have shown that a conducive and fun teaching and learning atmosphere would help students to develop positive relationships with regard to their studies as it improves their attention, reduces anxiety and even supports their emotional and behavioural regulations .
“If the RISE Educator Award last year have shown us anything, it is that there are many outstanding educators who are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that their students are able to thrive and succeed in many areas of their lives. It is for this reason that the RISE Educator Award this year is looking for passionate educators who pursue their passion beyond the classroom to inspire their student to achieve not only academic greatness, but also attain excellence outside the classroom.
“Whether it is establishing a community library for their students to benefit from, setting up tech infrastructures and projects for their pupils to learn coding and robotics, or building creative innovations to help their students win competitions, we want to know these educators and we want to reward them,” she further explained.
Nazmi and his students in SK Long Sukang
The RISE Educator Award will feature three categories namely RISE Educator of the Year, where the winner will be chosen from the five finalist stories by the award’s judging panel which also feature past year winner, Cikgu Nazmi – whose unconventional and innovative teaching methods to create the classroom swimming pool and laundry service has empowered his students to explore the limitless frontiers of the world; RISE Educator Award, where five finalists stories will be posted on Taylor’s College social media platform for public voting; and RISE Educator Award: Taylorian Edition, which will allow Taylor’s academics to contend.
Voting period will take place between May 2 –May 13 and the winners will be announced during Teacher’s Day on May 16. For more information, please visit the RISE Educator Award website here.