Becoming a Form Teacher at SIS Palembang this year has been one of the most unexpected, heart-warming, and profoundly meaningful chapters of my entire teaching journey. It was a step into the unknown. I walked into this school as a first time international school teacher. hmm of course nervous, excited, and constantly wondering: Would I fit in? Would I connect with the students? Would I even be able to do this well?
Then I met Secondary 1B.
They are just fifteen students, six wonderful girls and nine dynamic boys. But somehow, they manage to fill the room with enough personality, noise, colour, and glorious chaos to feel like thirty. They didn’t know it on that tentative first day, and certainly, I didn't either, but they were about to become one of the most significant and meaningful experiences of my life.
The Dynamics of Our Little Cosmos
Our classroom quickly evolved into its own unique cosmos, a space where every student held a distinct gravitational pull.
The nine boys of 1B are a whole, unforgettable story of their own. There’s Alfath, our resident deep thinker and expert in looking utterly lost in his own thoughts. His distant gaze often makes it seem as if his mind is constantly travelling somewhere far, far away, perhaps solving a cosmic problem only he can see. Then we have Ben, an Indian Muslim boy who speaks with the vocabulary and composure of someone who just concluded a conference with world leaders; sometimes I genuinely feel like I’m teaching a university student. His best friend, Max, is our dedicated Class Captain. He is a beautiful mix of responsible, humble, and funny in a very dramatic way especially with his signature, daily protest: “Child abuse!” whenever I assign homework or a project. Every single day, he delivers the line with perfect comedic timing, and every day, I pretend to be utterly shocked.
Creativity flows through Kenzie, who is always absorbed in drawing or creating something intricate on his iPad. I’ve watched his confidence bloom since the first day, and his sparkling eyes when he proudly shows me his latest progress reports and artwork are a joy. Ravito is another calm soul: friendly, warm, and perpetually ready to play a game or offer a kind word. Even while managing a health condition like GERD, he remains incredibly cheerful and deeply kind.
The talkative spark and chief instigator of fun is Gilbert. He is always doing something, always laughing, and always playing usually with his trusted seatmates, Ivander and Mario. Ivander is our quiet one, a gentle soul who initially struggled with confidence but possesses a quiet, unyielding determination. Watching him slowly, steadily open up and improve in his academics and his willingness to participate, is a profound, heart-filling experience for me. Mario is a logic genius, particularly brilliant in Math. He loves gaming with his friends but is remarkably on-brand by refusing any form of competition unless the subject is purely academic. And finally, our last boy, Zheldan. He has a beautifully critical and questioning mind, always eager to ask the 'why' and 'how' behind anything he finds interesting. Sometimes his friends inadvertently forget to include him in their whirlwind of games, and bridging that gap, ensuring every child feels and has a place in the circle, is a subtle, continuous priority for me.
Sunshine, Melodies, and Group Hugs
The six girls of 1B offer two very distinct, yet perfectly balanced, energies.
First, the cheerful, effervescent quartet: Giselle, Wellyn, Cammy, and Tiffany. They bring an undeniable beam of sunshine into the room. They make the class feel alive, colourful, and often, quite literally, Instagram-ready. They are a whirlwind of fun, loving to take pictures, record Tiktoks, give spontaneous surprise hugs, and generally brighten the day with their loud, infectious cheerfulness. They are sweet, fun, and sometimes, yes, a little too relaxed during lessons, but that wonderfully chaotic energy is fundamentally what makes them, them.
On the other side, we have the calm, steady duo: Rheyaa and Sarah. They are the soft-spoken, gentle pillars of the class, always smiling sweetly. They follow every instruction perfectly, rarely complain, hardly ever interrupt, and quietly excel in everything they do. They are the peaceful, harmonious corner of our little family like two soft, consistent melodies in a room otherwise full of vibrant, chaotic drumbeats.
The Sweetest Chaos
Serving as both their Form Teacher and their Math Teacher has been an intense, beautifully emotional experience, one that has reshaped my perspective on teaching. This group of fifteen kids has made my first journey in an international school truly unforgettable.
Yes, they are noisy. Yes, they love playing games, and the classroom often morphs into a mini-carnival of elbows and excited chatter when they feel passionate about something. Yet, they are also incredibly respectful, warm-hearted, funny, and possess a depth of kindness that often surprises me. They even took the time to celebrate my birthday with the sweetest, most romantic little surprise, a moment that truly touched me and demonstrated their capacity for genuine care.
I am so profoundly thankful for them for their boundless energy, their sweet chaos, their visible growth, and the open-hearted way they welcomed a newcomer like me into their world.
A Difficult Goodbye
This is the hard part. Although our time together is only six months, I have to leave in the middle of the school year due to personal circumstances. This departure feels heavier than I anticipated, precisely because of the depth of connection they forged with me.
I want them to know how deeply I cherish and love them. I know I will miss them terribly: the morning noise, the inside jokes, the sudden bursts of play, the constant requests of “Miss, can we get a free time?”, the small friendship fights, the beautiful reconciliations, the sudden group hugs, and the way the class seems to get so delightfully crowded whenever they start playing games in the corner. They made my mornings brighter, my days meaningful, and this unexpected chapter of my life’s journey unforgettable.
My Fifteen Stars: Keep Shining
To my dear Secondary 1B, I am truly sorry that I cannot accompany you until the final bell rings at the end of the year.
But please, know this: Each and every one of you has secured a special, permanent place in my heart.
I am thankful for your kindness, your warmth, your sincerity, and for the incredible growth I have witnessed in such a short time. Keep shining your unique light, keep challenging yourselves, and keep being the wonderfully complex, funny, and unique human beings you are.
I wish you all the very best in school, in life, and in every beautiful dream you choose to chase. Wo ai ni men. Wo hui xiang ni men. Hen gaoxing renshi ni men.
See you on top, my fifteen stars. Good luck, and thank you for being the highlight of my SIS Palembang story.
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