Samuel Isaiah

Challenging Perceptions Through the "Pedagogy of the Heart": The Orang Asli Journey

A day in Samuel Isaiah's life includes an abundance of innocent smiles, high fives and fist-bumps with the children, hugs, and lots of good morning wishes from almost every child in the school. He believes that his orang asli  'children' changed his life as he fell in love with them. Diving and indulging into their livelihoods and embracing their culture, his love for them lead him to see potential in them, as it blossomed in him that he was there for a reason.

Emphasizing on love in touching the lives of his children, he has proudly displayed their progress and capabilities which he deems more valuable than any other recognition through local and international conferences, workshops and seminars.

Constantly challenging the negative perceptions being placed on his orang asli children, he has strived to conduct daily lessons in ways not common in rural schools by emphasizing on fun, purposeful, communicative, and problem-solving learning. Bringing theories and concepts into practice, he has allowed his children to experience and make sense of learning, made them confident users and learners of the English language, thus significantly improving their exam performances.

Not something accomplished overnight, his endeavours include providing technological infrastructure for his children, teaching them to play music, connecting them to a national and international audience, and creating a conducive environment where they proudly speak and use the English language. Something probably not imagined possible, especially in an indigenous setting.