Teaching to the rest has induced many a paradigm shift. I used to avoid proverbs like the plague as I felt that true writers would invest some effort into coming up with original figurative phrases.

But, I had to bow down to reality when I marked the end-of-year scripts. Mercifully, I didn’t get to mark my own students’ scripts, but glancing at their scores was enough to induce a lump in my throat. Some of them got a single digit for their valiant effort. Out of 36 marks.

This just means that their writing is so bad that I cannot stretch them by insisting on original thought.

This realization hit me with sledgehammer force. Fatefully, I came across a script that features a proverb as part of the conclusion. A burnt child dreads the fire. Honestly, I have never come across that proverb before, but I instantly recognised how such ‘prefabricated phrases’ allow weak writers to pass off original thought as their own “legally”. I had to come to my senses.

So, I did. And here are four endings that I wrote that comprise a proverb:

Title: An Expensive Lesson Picture: A child’s hand in a sling That day, I learnt an important lesson — pride comes before a fall. I resolved never to let my arrogance get the better of me or act recklessly and be injured. I did not want to pay such a heavy price again!

Title: Learning a Lesson the Hard Way Picture: A stack of worksheets In the end, I learnt an important lesson the hard way. Once bitten, twice shy. I resolved to study diligently instead of neglecting my homework again. This experience would be etched in my mind forever.

Title: Gaining Confidence Picture: A mother teaching her child how to cook A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Esther was gratified that she had put aside her reservations and learnt cooking from her mother. She had a whale of a time whipping up a feast for her family! Through this experience, she gained confidence and resolved to cook more often in the future.

Title: A Plan that Backfired Picture: a person thinking with question mark overhead Every cloud has a silver lining. From this experience, I learnt that things do not always go as planned. Hence, I must be resourceful in overcoming unexpected obstacles. I resolved to come up with contingency plans instead of leaving things to chance in the future.

A struggling teacher’s job is never done. Sigh. 😮‍💨