Alyda Keh: Lessons Beyond the Classroom

Yssa Yu interviewed Psychology professor, Ms. Alyda Keh, for Teacher’s Appreciation Week.

Yssa Yu (YY): Why did you choose to be a teacher/professor?

Alyda Keh (AK): Because I wanted to touch lives and to inspire others.

YY: What do you love most about teaching?

AK: Helping students see that lessons in the classroom can also be lessons in real life. That’s what I love most about teaching.

YY: What is the best memory you’ve had in the classroom?

AK: I’m trying to remember the memories when you two were in my class, but just to be safe, let’s work with something that’s more recent. So, the best memory that’s more recent was when my students were asking me how long does it take to study Psychology, to get a MA, which basically showed that they are interested in the field. And it meant that somehow, they are inspired to learn more about people.

YY: Are these Psychology majors?

AK: These are non-Psychology majors.

YY: What do you do when you aren’t teaching?

AK: I do a lot of things. In terms of work, I do counseling and project management, work with companies, and consulting. And non-work would be reading books, not textbooks, watching movies, and finding new places to eat.

YY: What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from a teacher?

AK: I forgot the exact quote, but it basically says that a good teacher would be the one who helps the least of the students in the class to become better. It’s not honing or it’s not focusing on those who are already good at what they do, it’s also giving more time and effort on those who are struggling and those who are not doing so well.

YY: Who inspired you to teach?

AK: My inspiration was a Christian Life Education teacher, his name was Sir Changco in high school. And he was able to make the subject fun and relate-able. In a way, I try to be the same.

YY: What is the one thing you want all your students to learn?

AK: I want them to learn that with people, there’s more than what meets the eye. I want them to realize that we must be kinder and more understanding towards other people and also of ourselves.