Another way to do it is to make sure the classroom is well decorated, comfortable and has a conducive learning environment.
Abdullah Abd Kadir, 28, a teacher at SK Tok Uban here, is one such teacher.
Stepping into his classroom, one will not expect that the teacher, who is responsible for beautifying the room, is physically challenged.
“I do all the work myself, such as decorating the notice board, task schedule, organisational chart, timetable, sewing curtains and setting the tablecloths, including painting the classroom,” Abdullah said.
He said he did not mind doing all the work as he wanted his students to learn in a comfortable environment.
“Even though I only have one hand, I’m determined to do it because I know that with every difficulty and hardship, there is always a wisdom (to be learned) and that it will always be rewarded,” he said.
Abdullah, who is from Pasir Mas and has been teaching at the school since August 2018, said he had spent about RM1,000 to decorate the classroom. He said he felt deeply touched when his students gave positive feedback for his efforts.
“I decorated the classroom during the school holidays earlier this year, when the students started their school session in March.
“They were surprised. Some said the classroom ‘feels like home’,” he said.
He said that after the class transformation, he found the students had become more enthusiastic and loved coming to school every day.
Abdullah, who graduated in Islamic education at the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) in Bangi, shares the teaching aids that he created for free on his Facebook page, to be used by other teachers.
He said he would normally share his ideas with his peers in the same school but would also receive requests from teachers in other schools.
Asked about his disability, Abdullah said he lost his right arm after his car crashed into a ravine in Bentong, Pahang, in March 2018. This happened six months after he was posted to SK Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur.
During the early days after the accident, he had felt like giving up as he felt the disability prevented him from doing his job as a teacher.
However, motivated by his mother and family members, he found the determination to continue teaching.
He said being transferred from SK Bangsar to SK To’ Uban, so that he could be closer to his family, had also helped him to carry on.