Reflector

If I could use a single word to describe Miss Goh,
the word would have been “dedicated’.
If I could use a word to describe my life after I’ve met Miss Goh,
the word would be “impacted”. 

Miss Goh lived a life of perseverance, determination and passion.

As a teacher, Miss Goh didn’t just teach, she believed in educating. We learnt from her not just chemistry, but also values of life. Through her, we learnt how to be responsible students, to give our best, to work hard. We learnt how to take pride in our work , because she was a teacher who took much pride in her work. She was amazingly meticulous about her preparation for our assignments, ensuring that everything, from alignment, to spelling to sentence structure was perfect. I once asked her why she did so much, especially when she should be resting. And she told me that if, we, as teachers, wanted our students to work hard and do their best, then we must lead by example as well.

Classes taught by her were always the calmest when O’level Lab sessions came. Because we were all well prepared and Miss Goh did that for us. Teaching wasn’t a job for her, it was part of her life. It was her passion. She was totally devoted and dedicated in giving her best for her students.

Miss Goh has always been selfless, never imposing and always placing the needs of other above her own. It was always about someone else first, be it her parents, sisters or her students. She always went the extra mile for others. In her, I truly saw love.

Through the last few years of fighting this battle, I saw in Miss Goh, strength, hope, faith. She always gave thanks, even though there were times when there wasn’t good news. She always looked ahead, and never dwelt on the circumstance that may not be ideal. She thanked God for the doctors, for medication, for her sisters, parents, and people around her. She gave thanks for the nurses who brought her an extra blanket, people she met at taxi stands who would help her and simply for people who were walking this journey with her. She never complained of her pain, and the only time I ever heard her mention anything about the treatment she was going through, was when she decided to stop chemo last year. I asked her why? And she simply said, Miss Goh is tired. It was then, that I knew, she had truly given all that she had, and she had fought the good fight, for her parents, her sisters, her family.

I thank God that Miss Goh made a decision and got baptized earlier this year. I know that she drew much strength from God and that He gave her the comfort and peace she needed. I know He was with her thru it all, and He is still now.

Today, it is hard to say goodbye. We all wish we could give Miss Goh a hug again, to hear her laugh, to see her smile, to hear her voice again. It is hard to let go, because she is just so dear to all of us.

But we all know that Miss Goh is now free of pain and suffering. We know she is with our Lord, and for that, I know she’d want us to be able to smile and to give thanks.

Miss Goh has left, but not without a word. She left for us, a legacy…..and her footprints in our lives. From all of us, we Love you Miss Goh.

Cheryl Ng
Class of 2000
To my dearest teacher, who’s life has changed mine..
I miss you so much…

It has been 8 years since I left MGS. But I can still remember vividly the day I made a silent wish to God that Miss Goh will become my Chemistry teacher and the unspoken joy within me when I saw her walking into the class for the first chemistry lesson. It changed my life forever.

          Many would have described her as a strict, demanding and no-nonsense teacher. Everything had to be done properly and promptly. “Punctuality” was the only word in her dictionary when it came to laboratories session. No one in the right mind dared to be late for her classes. Girls lining up in total silence outside the laboratory meant it was “Ms Goh’s class”. Images of her swirling the conical flask came to my mind. “Be steady. Swirl it gently with your right hand and control the tap with your left hand….Clean the test tubes properly and put it in the tray!….Hurry up!” From her, I acquired the best practical skill: the art of remaining calm and making quick and sound deductions until stressful conditions.

          “Look! Isn’t this beautiful?” she said, as she shakes a test tube filled with gold powder. She made Chemistry a wonderful subject filled with beauty and exciting reactions. How many teachers are able to do that? She was a very dedicated and selfless teacher who gave endless remedial just to prepare us for “O” levels. She scolded and nagged us often. But she was always generous in her praises when we tried our best or did well. She also had an amazing sense of humour and said many funny things with a straight face.

          Back then, she was put in charge of the TAF club with Ms Monica Bong so that over-weight girls would not always find excuses to skip running and aerobics sessions. Indeed, the fear of getting scolded by her “motivated” most of us to lose a couple of kgs. More effective than any slimming centers.

          The last time I saw her was just before I entered NUS. I wanted to let her know I made it to university. She looked at me hard and said, “I remember you.” “What are you going to study?” I replied, “Engineering.” “Are you happy?” she asked in a very firm tone. I told her no. Then she said, “You will make it.” It was only four simple words. But it carried me through many difficult times in the course of my study.

          Miss Goh, I just want to say that I’m so proud of you. I always never knew how to express my appreciation towards you. The only way I knew was to excel in life and not let you down. You believed in me and gave me strength to conquer difficulties in life.

          You will always be in my mind. I will miss you.

Yeoh Wan Hui
Class of 1998, 4B1