An Exclusive Interview with Ken Sir (Choi Shing-him)

The Road Less Traveled: An Exclusive Interview with Ken Sir (Choi Shing-him)

As the proverb goes, "The bird that sticks its head out gets shot." Most people are reluctant to be the pioneer, preferring to follow in the footsteps of those before them, fearing the loss of protection and refusing to forge their own path. Our featured guest today is Ken Sir, who has been teaching at our school for nearly seven years. Living by a motto that directly challenges conventional wisdom—"You won't win by doing what everyone else does; to win, you must do what others won't"—Ken Sir has remained steadfast in his beliefs, persevering toward his goals and carving out his own path to success.

The Journey of Authorship

Some may not know that Ken Sir is a published author. He has written two series of mathematics books, Tactical Strategies in Mathematics and Mathematics in Seconds. "I wanted to transform my understanding and knowledge of mathematics into a book," he explains. He admits that the idea initially started as a form of personal entertainment, but he later decided to seriously compile and refine mathematical mnemonics and calculator programs into a published collection.

Ken Sir found the experience of publishing refreshing, noting that the requirements differ significantly from daily teaching. Throughout the process, Ken Sir gained invaluable experience: he mastered graphic design using word processing software and expanded his professional network within the publishing industry, gaining insights into different ways of working.

However, the journey was not without its hurdles. Initially, he was unfamiliar with the technical requirements of publishing and required networking introductions to get started. He also faced technical difficulties, such as the complexity of digital drawing compared to handwriting. By overcoming these challenges, the eventual publication of his books brought Ken Sir a profound sense of achievement.

A Career in Education

Becoming a teacher was not actually Ken Sir’s childhood dream; he originally aspired to be an engineer, which led him to study Civil Engineering at university. Ken Sir candidly shares that he entered the teaching profession due to an economic downturn and a lack of job opportunities in engineering at the time. However, he soon discovered immense joy in his teaching career.

Ken Sir’s primary goal is for his students to learn happily. "I hope they enjoy being in class while acquiring knowledge. What I love most is seeing students attend class with a smile and see their grades improve steadily." As he speaks, Ken Sir’s eyes seem to reflect the image of happy students eagerly raising their hands to ask questions, a look of genuine joy crossing his face. Yet, he also maintains high standards for responsibility: "I will be unhappy if students fail to hand in their homework or fulfill their basic duties."

To make learning enjoyable, Ken Sir has exhausted every effort to find creative methods. "I use associative thinking to help students memorize difficult formulas," he explains. When teaching Trigonometric Functions, Ken Sir compares unfamiliar functions to "monsters" with unique traits. "When calculating the COS of a negative angle, because it has a 'big mouth,' it can 'eat' the negative sign. For sine and tangent, they have no mouths, so the negative sign must be placed outside." He has even created his own catchy theorems, such as the "Onion Peeling Theorem," the "Finding Friends Theorem," and the "King’s Swap." By turning dull mathematical theories into metaphors for daily life, Ken Sir increases his students' affinity for the subject.

Postscript

Although Ken Sir did not explicitly cite his motto during the interview, his experiences in publishing and teaching clearly demonstrate how that philosophy has led to his success. The "bird that sticks its head out" may get shot, but can those who fear to fly and choose only to crawl truly escape the fate of being hunted? In the beginning, the world was a void; "paths" only exist because our predecessors walked them into existence. We should not be complacent or bound by convention. Instead, we should look to Ken Sir as a role model—bravely walking the paths others haven’t, and stepping onto the broad highway to success.

(By: Leung Wai Shun, 5B 20 | Feature Interview | 1,199 words)