A CLASS that had dubbed themselves the 'Lit Laggers' changed their name to 'Lit for Life' after Miss Lucy Oliver Fernandez was done with them.

'They had come into literature class thinking it was a subject they could get through without studying,' Miss Fernandez, 42, said.

'When it became clear that it needed some work, they became overwhelmed, and began to switch off and shut down.'

The Catholic High School teacher worked her magic, organising afternoon and evening study sessions, as well as study camps, to stimulate their interest.

Then came the turning point.

'They realised that they were reading and learning about themselves, and how they experience and interact with the world,' she said. 'That's when their interactions with literature became meaningful, and they turned the corner.'

The class then even wanted to make T-shirts proclaiming their new 'Lit for Life' outlook on the subject.

Miss Fernandez realised the kind of impact teachers have on students, and she has always kept that in mind.

'It can be daunting at times, but it is certainly something worth spending your life doing,' said the teacher of 14 years.

Her desire to teach English and literature may have come as a surprise to those who knew her when she was younger.

She had been a pure science student in school, but made a complete switch to studying English language and literature at university.

'I had done science for so many years that when I finally got to do literature, I really relished it,' she recalled.

After finishing her undergraduate degree in New Zealand, she went on to pursue a master's degree in applied linguistics at Oxford University before returning to Singapore to teach.

A self-professed 'nerd at heart', Miss Fernandez feels strongly about her subject. 'To me, there's nothing quite like literature,' she said.

JENNANI DURAI

This article was first published in The Straits Times.