‘I need my school to be known.’
Those fervent words, uttered like a vow, were said by none other than Teacher Norsalmiza. Hungry for knowledge and eager to share, this teacher won’t stop until she delivers the best of what’s out there for her students in SMK Kahang, Johor.
Teacher Norsalmiza takes pride in teaching mathematics to Chinese, Indian, Malay, and Orang Asli students in her culturally diverse rural school. She highlights that this diversity allows her to ensure her students can utilize the resources available, enabling them to push past boundaries that are hard to cross.
Our team first learned about Teacher Norsalmiza through a series of happy coincidences early last year at the Young Innovators Challenge (YIC) Train-the-Trainer (TTT) workshop in Kluang, Johor. Excited to join YIC, Teacher Norsalmiza initially mistook the TTT workshop as one for both students and teachers, rather than an exclusive session for teachers and university mentors. Acting on this misunderstanding, she brought four of her most enthusiastic STEM students to a training that was not intended for them.
However, this fortunate mistake gave our local Chumbaka partners, Mr. Amadeus and Mr. Chen Ye, a novel opportunity to inspire these students on their innovation journey further. As a result, those very students returned to their school with an empowered and focused intent to take up leadership roles in their individual YIC teams.
With a smile in her voice, Teacher Norsalmiza expressed her gratitude for her students’ accidental attendance at the TTT, held at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). She noted that this experience was pivotal as it provided exposure and helped set goals for her students’ educational futures.
‘I am the only one who can teach them,’ confided Teacher Norsalmiza. She wasn’t even the teacher originally scheduled to attend the workshop. Yet, she willingly took on the role and prepared herself with the necessary skills, knowing this was an opportunity she didn’t want her students to miss.
What chance discovery might you come across this year in your own innovation journey? Take a page out of Teacher Norsalmiza’s book and find out how you can get involved in Chumbaka’s events by reaching out to us here!