Nazri oh Nazri...

             
          The first day I entered his class I know he is not like his friends. Muka normal, tapi the face looked blank. Cakap macam ada berat lidah sikit.
                  "What's your name ? "
                  No answer. Diam.
                  "Apa nama awak ? "
                  "Nazri "
                  "Boleh baca ? "
                  Geleng kepala.
                  "Sikit pun tak boleh ? "
                  Geleng kepala lagi.
                  I tried with simple words like : b u k u, s a y a, etc etc. Ada betul ada tidak.Kesian dia. Apalah hang belajaq selama ni. dah darjah 5.tak tau baca...

                 This phenomena  is a common thing in remote schools. especially sekolah kampung yang murid2nya dari background yang memang tak kisah bab pelajaran, or maybe emak ayah pun tak boleh baca.

                 5 or 6 minutes before the class ends I would sit with him. Since I am teaching English, so I taught him simple words in English, show him colourful pictures about common things around him  like book, ruler, pencil, table, chair, etc etc.He repeated after me many times...

                  After a week....
                  "What's your name ? "
                  "I am Nazri "...
                  I am pleased beyond words...
                  " Ok Nazri, lets read the words we learned yesterday.."

                  Its been  weeks now.. I am still trying.He is a lazy bump .He refused to listen sometimes. I prayed hard not to lose my temper. Tangan rasa ringan macam nak pang sekali tapi tengok mata dok berkelip-kelip looking at me tak sampai hati pulak.

    ".Ya Allah...hang dok tengok muka teacher pasai apa, bukan ada tulisan atas muka teacher..dah hang tak boleh, hang dengaq la teacher dok ajaq ni budak oi..." (mata dia terkebil2..blink blink blink ).

                 He is not a down syndrome boy..bukan....dia hanya ada masalah pembelajaran..
Tapi dia rajin menulis .Whatever I gave him he wrote them down.He has  a beautiful handwriting. Kemas saja.

                When I gave handouts to the others , I gave him too. Then he would stare at his paper and started to 'read pictures. or baca gambar.' dengan penoh confidence.Nak tergelak pun ada..what he read was not written on the paper..he would say in his own daily language.

               " Ali dok baca buku, mak dia dok sapu sampah, rumah depa besih. pak dia dok baca surat habaq.dia dok ataih krosi .depa semua seronok "

               The first time I heard this I gelak sampai keras perut.Now dah jadi biasa..
          Now is exam week, this morning when I was in year 3 , I saw him loitering around outside the classroom while others were busy with their exam papers.
               "Nazri, where are u going? "
               He kept quiet,.stopped and look at me.
               "nak pi mana ? " I asked.
               "Nak pi bilik ayaq teacher "
               " hai 3 kali dah saya nampak kamu keluaq? "
               He grinned at me..mata terkebil2..
             
                My plan after this is to apply my old tactics.Umpan dia dengan duit. Boleh baca satu perkataan bagi 2 kupang..(2 kupang saja, teacher bukan orang kaya he he ).

               Tapi dia budak baik..habis saja my class, he would stand up.
               "Teacher, mai saya bawa beg teacher pi bilik guru. ! "..

              Moga Tuhan terangkan hati dia menerima pelajaran..kesian.
                 

                                                           Me and Nazri..

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