KITA MENGAJAR ANAK IKUT "WARNA" KITA SENDIRI

KITA MENGAJAR ANAK IKUT "WARNA" KITA SENDIRI

Satu pengakuan jujur seorang guru, dan pelajaran untuk setiap ibu bapa

Sabtu lalu, saya mengendalikan sesi pertama KPBA (Kenali Personaliti Belajar Anak), satu masterclass ringkas 30 minit untuk ibu bapa dan pendidik.

Keesokan harinya, seorang guru yang hadir menghantar mesej kepada saya. Satu ayatnya buat saya berhenti seketika:

"Saya lebih memberi penekanan pada warna hijau kerana itu warna saya dahulu."

Dalam sesi itu, kami berkongsi empat "warna" sebagai bahasa mudah untuk memerhati bagaimana anak terlibat dalam pembelajaran. Hijau mewakili anak yang lebih mudah faham apabila diberi penerangan, ruang bertanya dan perbualan.

Guru ini sedar sesuatu yang ramai antara kita tidak pernah perasan: selama ini, beliau mengajar mengikut cara beliau sendiri belajar, bukan mengikut cara murid-muridnya belajar.

KITA SEMUA PERNAH BUAT PERKARA YANG SAMA

Jujurnya, saya rasa ramai antara kita begitu.

Ibu bapa mengajar anak dengan cara kita dulu diajar.

Guru menerangkan dengan cara yang dulu berkesan untuk diri sendiri.

Bila anak tak faham, kita ulang, dengan cara yang sama, cuma suara lebih kuat dan muka lebih serius.

Lalu kita mula membuat kesimpulan: "Anak ni malas." "Anak ni lambat." "Anak ni tak minat belajar."

Sedangkan mungkin masalahnya bukan pada anak. Mungkin cara kita membantu belum kena dengan dirinya.

EMPAT "WARNA" UNTUK MEMERHATI

Dalam KPBA, kami gunakan empat warna mudah. Ia bukan ujian personaliti, bukan diagnosis, dan bukan label kekal. Ia sekadar cermin untuk membantu kita memerhati:

🔴 MERAH (BUAT): Anak mungkin lebih bersemangat apabila diberi matlamat jelas dan ruang untuk mencuba sendiri.

🟡 KUNING (LIBATKAN): Anak mungkin mendapat tenaga apabila belajar bersama orang lain, berbincang dan berinteraksi.

🟢 HIJAU (DENGAR): Anak mungkin lebih faham apabila ada penerangan, ruang bertanya dan perbualan yang tenang.

🔵 BIRU (ULANG): Anak mungkin membina keyakinan melalui contoh, struktur dan latihan berulang.

Anak boleh menunjukkan lebih daripada satu warna, dan ia boleh berubah mengikut subjek, keadaan dan peringkat umur.

Penting untuk saya jelaskan: KPBA bukan tentang "visual, audio atau kinestetik". Banyak kajian pendidikan mendapati bahawa melabel anak mengikut gaya pembelajaran seperti itu tidak banyak membantu (rujuk: Pashler et al., 2008, "Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence", Psychological Science in the Public Interest). KPBA lebih kepada memahami watak dan kecenderungan anak: apa yang membuatkan dia bersemangat, apa yang membuatkan dia yakin, dan bagaimana kita boleh menyokongnya.

SOALAN YANG LEBIH PENTING: KITA WARNA APA?

Inilah pelajaran terbesar daripada guru tadi.

Sebelum bertanya "anak saya warna apa?", cuba tanya diri sendiri dahulu:

"Saya selalu membantu anak dengan cara apa?"

Kalau kita "Hijau", kita mungkin banyak bercakap dan menerangkan, sedangkan anak "Merah" kita hanya mahu terus mencuba.

Kalau kita "Biru", kita mungkin memberi banyak latihan berulang, sedangkan anak "Kuning" kita lebih hidup apabila belajar bersama.

Tiada warna yang betul atau salah. Yang ada cuma padanan yang belum dijumpai.

FAHAM → CUBA → PERHATI

Jadi, apa yang boleh kita buat? Kami gunakan tiga langkah mudah:

1. FAHAM

Perhatikan bila anak paling bersemangat belajar. Bila dia buat sendiri? Bila ada kawan? Bila diterangkan? Bila dapat ulang?

2. CUBA

Ubah SATU perkara sahaja dalam cara kita membantu. Bukan sepuluh. Satu.

3. PERHATI

Lihat apa yang berubah dalam seminggu. Kalau ada kemajuan kecil, teruskan. Kalau tidak, cuba pendekatan lain.

Bukan ubah anak. Ubah cara kita membantu.

DI ZAMAN AI, PERANAN KITA BERUBAH

Hari ini, dengan AI dan teknologi, hampir semua maklumat ada di hujung jari anak-anak kita. Mereka boleh bertanya apa sahaja dan mendapat jawapan dalam beberapa saat.

Ini bermakna, sebagai ibu bapa dan guru, kita tidak perlu tahu semua jawapan. Kita tidak perlu menjadi ensiklopedia.

Tetapi anak-anak tetap memerlukan asas yang kukuh, dan seseorang yang mengajar mereka cara bertanya, cara menilai, dan cara memilih yang betul. Teknologi boleh memberi jawapan, tetapi tidak boleh memberi adab.

Peranan kita sedang berubah, daripada "penyuruh" kepada mentor dan coach. Dan dunia berubah dengan cepat, jadi kita juga perlu berubah dengan cepat.

Rasulullah SAW bersabda: "Sesungguhnya aku diutus untuk menyempurnakan akhlak yang mulia."

Fokus kita: akhlak dan adab dahulu. Insya Allah, ilmu akan menyusul.

PENUTUP

Kata guru itu lagi dalam mesejnya:

"Sekarang saya dah boleh terima bahawa anak murid saya ada warna yang berbeza. Jadi pendekatan pun akan berbeza."

Itulah perubahan yang saya harapkan untuk setiap ibu bapa dan guru. Bukan sekadar tahu teori, tetapi mula melihat anak dengan mata yang berbeza.

Lain anak, lain cara belajarnya.

SERTAI SESI KPBA SETERUSNYA

Jika anda ingin mengenali "warna" anak dengan lebih mendalam, saya menjemput anda ke sesi seterusnya:

🌈 KPBA: Kenali Personaliti Belajar Anak

📅 Sabtu, 21 November 2026 ATAU Sabtu, 19 Disember 2026

⏰ 10:30 pagi · LIVE Online · 30 minit

🎥 Rakaman disediakan untuk peserta berdaftar

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Untuk ibu bapa / penjaga anak sekolah rendah Tahun 1–6

💰 RM19 sekeluarga (harga biasa RM49), harga promosi sehingga 31 Disember 2026

Termasuk refleksi ibu bapa + anak, profil refleksi melalui e-mel, panduan tindakan ibu bapa dan Cabaran 7 Hari KPBA.

👉 Daftar: https://kenalipersonalitibelajaranak.netlify.app/

— Coach Amirul

Practical AI • Learning • Leadership

#KPBA #LainAnakLainCaraBelajarnya #IbuBapaMalaysia #GuruMalaysia #PendidikanAnak #ParentingMalaysia

 

As Long As I Have Breath, I Have Purpose: A Lesson from Tun Dr Mahathir at 101

By Coach Amirul Iskandar Mannan

What would you do if you knew you had only a little time left to live?

Would you stop working? Spend more time with family? Travel? Rest? Or continue doing the things that give your life meaning?

Recently, I came across a picture of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, now 101 years old, returning to his office.

The image was accompanied by a statement attributed to him about continuing to work even if he had very little time left to live.

Whether or not those were his exact words, the picture and the story behind it made me stop and reflect.

Not about politics.

Not about his achievements.

But about life, purpose, resilience and the desire to keep contributing.

A Man Who Has Just Lost His Life Partner

On 28 September 2026, Tun Dr Mahathir lost his beloved wife, Allahyarhamah Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, at the age of 100.

They had been married for 70 years.

Seventy years!

Imagine sharing your life with someone for seven decades. The memories, the experiences, the challenges, the victories, the ordinary moments that become extraordinary simply because you shared them.

And then, one day, that person is no longer there.

I cannot imagine how difficult that must be.

Yet, on 13 October, reports showed Tun Dr Mahathir returning to his office, attending a tahlil for his late wife and resuming his familiar routine.

We cannot know exactly what he is feeling or how he is coping with his loss.

But the image reminded me of something deeply meaningful.

Even in difficult seasons of life, having a sense of purpose can give us a reason to keep moving forward.

What Is My Excuse?

I looked at that picture and started thinking about myself.

Like everyone else, I sometimes feel tired.

There are days when things don't go according to plan.

There are challenges in business, training, leadership, and life.

Sometimes opportunities don't materialise. Sometimes people don't respond. Sometimes the effort seems greater than the results.

And yes, sometimes I wonder whether I should just slow down.

But seeing a 101-year-old man returning to his desk reminded me to ask myself a simple question:

Amirul, what is your excuse?

Not because everyone must continue working until they are 101.

Not because rest is a weakness.

But because I still have the ability, the opportunity and the desire to contribute.

And that is something I should never take for granted.

I Don't Want to Stop Learning

Throughout my journey as a trainer, coach and speaker, I have always believed that learning is a lifelong responsibility.

It doesn't stop when we leave school.

It doesn't stop when we graduate.

It doesn't stop when we become managers, directors or CEOs.

And it certainly doesn't have to stop when we retire.

Today, I spend much of my time helping people understand AI, improve communication, develop leadership capabilities, and become more confident in applying what they learn.

But here's something important.

Every time I teach, I learn too.

Every participant brings a different experience.

Every question challenges my thinking.

Every training session allows me to improve.

That is what keeps me excited.

I don't want to become someone who believes he already knows everything.

I want to remain curious.

I want to keep discovering.

I want to keep growing.

Because every master was once a disaster.

And regardless of our age or experience, there is always something new to learn.

AI Can Make Us Faster. But Purpose Makes Us Human.

We are living through an extraordinary period of technological change.

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we learn, work, communicate and create.

I often tell my participants that AI is a tool.

A powerful tool, yes.

But still a tool.

It can help us organise information, prepare presentations, analyse data and generate ideas.

But it cannot decide what gives our lives meaning.

That responsibility belongs to us.

In my training, I often explain this through the idea of Bits vs Bricks.

AI can help us with many of the Bits — the tasks, processes, and execution.

But humans must own the Bricks — our purpose, values, judgement, relationships and accountability.

And perhaps the most important Brick of all is our desire to make a positive difference.

Technology may extend our capabilities. But purpose gives those capabilities direction.

Retirement from Work Is Not Retirement from Life

I believe we need to rethink what retirement means.

For some people, retirement means spending more time with family.

For others, it means travelling, volunteering, mentoring, teaching or pursuing a passion.

And for some, it means continuing to work because they genuinely enjoy what they do.

There is no single right answer.

What matters is that we continue finding meaning in the life we have been given.

You may no longer hold an official position.

You may no longer run a company.

You may no longer have a classroom full of students.

But your knowledge, experience, and wisdom can still help someone.

A young entrepreneur may need your advice.

A student may need your encouragement.

A colleague may need your guidance.

A community may benefit from your experience.

You don't need a title to make a difference.

You just need the willingness to contribute.

My Personal Commitment

I don't know how many more years Allah has planned for me.

None of us does.

But I know what I want to do with the time I have.

I want to continue learning.

I want to continue teaching.

I want to continue sharing.

I want to help people think better, work smarter and create impact.

I want to spend meaningful time with my family and the people I love.

I want to take care of my health so that I can continue doing the things that matter.

And most importantly, I want to leave something useful behind.

Not necessarily wealth.

Not necessarily recognition.

But knowledge, values, encouragement, and opportunities that help others become better versions of themselves.

If one person becomes more confident because of something I taught, that matters.

If one leader becomes more compassionate because of a conversation we had, that matters.

If one student discovers their potential because someone believed in them, that matters.

That is the legacy I want to build.

A Question for All of Us

When I look at Tun Dr Mahathir's picture, I don't see a message that everyone should work until their last breath.

I see a reminder that our lives can continue to have meaning at every stage.

We don't all have to live to 101.

We don't all have to achieve extraordinary things.

But while we are here, we can choose to make our time count.

So perhaps the question is not:

"When can I stop working?"

Perhaps the better question is:

"What meaningful contribution can I still make with the life I have?"

As for me, my answer is simple.

As long as Allah grants me the health, ability, and opportunity, I want to continue learning, sharing and making a difference.

As long as I have breath, I have purpose.

Selagi ada nafas, selagi itu ada tujuan.

And if you are reading this, I invite you to reflect on one question:

What knowledge, experience, or kindness can you share with someone today?

Don't wait until everything is perfect.

Start with what you have.

Start where you are.

Make today meaningful.

---

Coach Amirul Iskandar Mannan

Trainer | Coach | Speaker | Author

Helping people THINK BETTER → WORK SMARTER → CREATE IMPACT.

#CoachAmirul #LifelongLearning #PurposeDrivenLife #Leadership #NeverStopLearning #PersonalGrowth #Mentorship #HumanCentredAI #MakeADifference #SelagiAdaNafas

 

Beyond Drawing: Helping Teachers Turn Knowledge into Visual Learning

Reflections from the Visual Teachers programme with Jabatan Agama Islam Perak, 13–14 October 2026

By Coach Amirul Iskandar Mannan

Teachers Are More Than Deliverers of Information

Every day, teachers face an important challenge.

They may understand their subjects extremely well. They may have years of classroom experience and a genuine passion for teaching.

But understanding something ourselves and helping someone else understand it are two very different things.

A concept that seems straightforward to a teacher may be confusing to a student.

A lengthy explanation may contain all the right information, yet still fail to create understanding.

This is where visual communication can make a difference.

The objective is not to turn every teacher into an artist. It is to help teachers become more effective communicators of knowledge.

That was an important focus of the Visual Teachers programme conducted with teachers from Jabatan Agama Islam Perak (JAIPk) on 13 and 14 October 2026, through a collaboration involving Yayasan Wiba Prima.

From Visual Thinking to Classroom Application

I had the opportunity to work alongside my friend and training partner, Dr Ruzaimi Mat Rani, whose work in visual thinking and Visualization Through Freehand (VTF) has helped shape the programme's methodology.

Dr Ruzaimi focused on developing participants' visualisation capabilities through VTF and Design Thinking.

My responsibility was to help participants connect those capabilities to their daily teaching responsibilities.

For me, three questions mattered most:

When can teachers use visualisation?

Where can it support the teaching and learning process?

How can teachers develop useful visuals for their actual lessons?

These questions are important because learning a technique is only the beginning.

The real value comes when that technique becomes part of everyday practice.

A Practical Workflow Teachers Can Reuse

During the application component, we introduced a six-step approach designed to help teachers prepare visual explanations.

1. PILIH — Choose

Identify one specific learning outcome. What should students understand, remember or be able to do?

2. PECAH — Break It Down

Identify the essential information students need. Remove unnecessary complexity without losing accuracy.

3. SUSUN — Organise

Consider the structure of the information. Is it a sequence, comparison, process, timeline, hierarchy or relationship?

4. VISUALKAN — Visualise

Use simple shapes, symbols, arrows, keywords, and freehand sketches to make the information visible.

5. SEMAK — Verify

Check that the content is accurate, the visual is clear, and the explanation is appropriate for the students.

6. GUNAKAN — Apply

Decide how to use the visual during teaching, discussion, revision, or assessment.

The strength of this workflow is its simplicity.

Teachers can use it repeatedly, regardless of the topic being taught.

Where AI Fits into the Process

We also explored the potential role of artificial intelligence in preparing visual teaching materials.

AI can assist educators in breaking down complex information, organising key points and suggesting different ways to represent a concept visually.

For example, a teacher might ask AI to organise an approved lesson topic into a simple sequence or comparison that can be drawn on a whiteboard.

But AI should never become the final authority on what is taught.

This is particularly important in Islamic education, where religious accuracy and appropriate references are essential.

The principle is straightforward:

AI boleh cadang. Guru wajib semak. Guru yang menentukan.

AI supports the preparation. The teacher retains professional judgement, responsibility and accountability.

I often describe this distinction as using AI for the Bits while humans remain responsible for the Bricks.

Technology can assist with execution, but purpose, values, decisions and accountability belong to people.

The Real Test Happens After Training

One of the challenges in professional development is ensuring that participants can apply what they have learned.

A workshop may be engaging. The activities may be enjoyable. Participants may leave feeling motivated.

But what happens when they return to work?

For teachers, the question becomes:

“Can I use this in my next lesson?”

That is why I believe practical training should help participants produce something usable.

In Visual Teachers, the aim is to connect visualisation techniques to authentic teaching needs.

A teacher might use a timeline to explain a historical event, a flow diagram to illustrate a process, or a comparison chart to clarify differences between concepts.

The format should serve the learning objective, not the other way around.

Better Visuals, Better Conversations

Visual communication also creates opportunities for students to participate.

Instead of simply watching the teacher draw, students can be invited to complete a diagram, identify missing steps, explain relationships, or produce their own visual summaries.

The drawing becomes a tool for thinking, discussion and checking understanding.

And perhaps that is the most important point.

Visual Teachers is not just about drawing. It is about making thinking visible.

Moving Forward

My appreciation goes to Jabatan Agama Islam Perak, the participating teachers, Dr Ruzaimi Mat Rani and Yayasan Wiba Prima for the opportunity to contribute to this professional learning programme.

I hope the ideas and techniques shared will continue to find their way into classrooms, helping teachers communicate more clearly and giving students more ways to understand what they learn.

Because ultimately, the value of training is not measured by how much information we present.

It is reflected in what people can do differently afterwards.

THINK BETTER → WORK SMARTER → CREATE IMPACT.

---

Watch the Programme Highlights

🎥 Visual Teachers — 13 October 2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwe3QWueGcs

🎥 Visual Teachers — 14 October 2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiLY8b9IzFQ

Interested in Visual Teachers?

Schools, education institutions and organisations interested in exploring practical visual communication and teacher development programmes are welcome to connect with Yayasan Wiba Prima.

Let's help more educators turn knowledge into understanding.

#VisualTeachers #VisualThinking #VTF #DesignThinking #TeacherDevelopment #PendidikanMalaysia #PendidikanIslam #AIinEducation #YayasanWibaPrima #CoachAmirul

 

Which AI Is the Best? Why the Top-Ranked AI May Not Be the Best for Your Work

By Coach Amirul Iskandar Mannan

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok — which AI should you use?

It's a question I often receive when conducting AI training programmes.

With so many AI tools available today, it's understandable that people want to know which one is the best.

Some people look for the smartest AI. Others want the fastest, the cheapest or the one that produces the most impressive answers.

But here's something I always encourage my participants to consider:

The best AI isn't necessarily the one sitting at the top of the leaderboard. The best AI is the one that helps you do your work better.

Understanding AI Rankings

Just like universities, cars or smartphones, AI models can be compared using different performance measures.

In the AI world, these comparisons often involve benchmarks — standardised tests designed to evaluate particular capabilities.

For example, AI models may be assessed for reasoning, coding, knowledge, mathematical problem-solving, instruction-following, and other capabilities.

However, different benchmarks measure different things.

Being number one in one benchmark doesn't automatically mean being number one in everything.

This brings us to two useful websites I want to share.

1. BenchLM — Explore the AI Leaderboard

Website: https://benchlm.ai/

BenchLM allows users to explore AI model rankings and compare different models.

You can investigate which models are leading according to its ranking methodology and explore various performance indicators.

The website also provides information about capabilities, pricing, and other practical considerations.

Think of it as a useful starting point when you want to know how different AI models compare.

One important reminder: Always check when the information was updated and understand the methodology behind a ranking.

Not every model has the same level of independent evidence supporting its score.

2. Artificial Analysis — Compare AI Performance and Value

Website: https://artificialanalysis.ai/

Artificial Analysis is another useful platform for understanding the AI landscape.

It provides model comparisons covering factors such as intelligence benchmarks, speed and pricing.

Why does this matter?

Because choosing AI isn't only about getting the most intelligent model.

In actual work environments, we need to consider other questions.

How quickly can the AI complete the task?

How much does it cost?

How consistent are the results?

Does it meet our actual requirements?

What level of review or verification is necessary?

A highly capable model may be more than you need for a straightforward task. A lower-cost or faster model might sometimes be the more practical choice.

The objective isn't simply to choose the most powerful AI. It's to choose the most appropriate AI.

My Approach: Learn to Use Cross-AI

During my training programmes, I often encourage participants not to limit themselves to only one AI tool.

Personally, I like exploring an idea using one AI, then using another to develop a second perspective or alternative approach.

For example, I might start with ChatGPT to structure an idea or prepare an initial draft.

Then I may explore how Claude or Gemini approaches the same problem.

This gives me something valuable: options.

And options help us think.

But using more AI tools doesn't automatically guarantee better answers.

We still need to check the facts, evaluate the output and decide what is useful.

AI can generate options. Humans must exercise judgement.

Five Questions to Ask Before Choosing an AI Tool

1. What exactly am I trying to achieve?

Are you writing a report, analysing data, preparing training materials, conducting research or solving a problem?

Start with the outcome, not the AI brand.

2. Which AI performs well for this type of task?

Use benchmark websites as a starting point. Look for evidence relevant to your actual needs.

3. How does it perform with my real work?

Test the same task across two or three AI tools using suitable, non-confidential information.

Compare the results fairly.

4. Is it practical and worth the cost?

The most advanced AI isn't always necessary. Consider speed, affordability, accessibility, and ease of use.

5. Can I trust the output?

An impressive answer isn't necessarily an accurate answer.

Check important facts, figures, calculations and references. For confidential or sensitive work, follow your organisation's data-protection requirements and approved AI policies.

A Simple Exercise You Can Try Today

Here's a practical challenge.

Take one task you frequently perform at work.

It could be drafting an email, summarising a non-sensitive document, brainstorming ideas, or developing a training outline.

Give the same task and instructions to two or three AI tools.

Then evaluate:

• Which produced the most accurate answer?

• Which understood your requirements best?

• Which needed the least correction?

• Which saved you the most time?

• Which gave you the most useful outcome?

You may discover that your favourite AI isn't always the best option for every task.

And that's perfectly fine.

The purpose of the exercise isn't to find one permanent winner.

It's to develop your ability to choose wisely.

From Using AI to Thinking Better

I believe the real opportunity with artificial intelligence goes beyond learning prompts and mastering tools.

It's about developing better ways to think, work and make decisions.

AI can support us with drafting, organising, comparing, summarising, and generating ideas.

But the bigger questions remain ours.

What are we trying to achieve?

Is the information reliable?

Does the solution make sense?

What are the consequences of our decision?

Who remains accountable?

This is why I always remind participants:

There is no ONE AI tool for EVERYTHING.

Don't become loyal to a tool at the expense of the outcome.

Be curious. Experiment. Compare. Learn.

Most importantly, never surrender your judgement.

Final Thoughts

So, which AI is the best?

My answer remains:

The best AI is the one that best fits your task, your needs, and your responsibilities.

Explore BenchLM and Artificial Analysis.

Understand the rankings.

Test the tools.

And make your own informed decisions.

Because ultimately, success with AI isn't about having access to the highest-ranked model.

It's about knowing how to turn AI capabilities into meaningful results.

Think Better → Work Smarter → Create Impact.

---

Let's Continue the Conversation

Which AI do you currently use the most?

And have you discovered a particular task where another AI performs better?

Share your experience. We can all learn from one another.

Coach Amirul Iskandar Mannan
Trainer | Speaker | Facilitator

Further Reading

• BenchLM: https://benchlm.ai/

• Artificial Analysis: https://artificialanalysis.ai/

#ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #AITraining #AILiteracy #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #WorkSmarter #CoachAmirul

Apabila Setiap Garisan Ada Maknanya

Apabila Setiap Garisan Ada Maknanya

Alhamdulillah, pada 7 Oktober 2026, projek Certified Visual Teachers (CVT) menerima satu detik yang amat bermakna. Delegasi Sekretariat Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund, diketuai Ketua Sekretariat Encik Rizatuddin Ramli, bersama penyumbang dana Yayasan MySDG dan Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Johor, telah mengadakan lawatan pemantauan impak ke tiga buah sekolah di Kulai, Johor.

Projek ini, di bawah Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund, dilaksanakan oleh Yayasan Wiba Prima dengan sokongan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia dan JPN Johor. Ia menggunakan kaedah Visualization Through Freehand (VTF), pendekatan lakaran visual spontan yang dimajukan oleh Dr. Ruzaimi Mat Rani, yang hanya memerlukan pensel dan kertas.

Mengapa pendekatan semudah ini penting? Kerana ia boleh dilaksanakan di mana-mana bilik darjah, tidak kira kaya atau miskin sumbernya. Inilah teras prinsip Leave No One Behind.

Di SK (F) Sinar Bahagia, saya menyaksikan sesuatu yang sukar dilupakan. Guru Besar terkesan melihat murid Pendidikan Khas melakar, sehingga setiap garisan yang dihasilkan mempunyai maksudnya tersendiri. Di saat itu, saya yakin bahawa kaedah yang mudah dan kos rendah benar-benar mampu memberi impak besar, terutama kepada mereka yang paling memerlukan.

Perjalanan ini bukan bermula semalam. Sejak 2023, lebih 2,500 orang guru telah dilatih dalam kaedah VTF di beberapa negeri, dan pendekatan ini turut menerima pengiktirafan antarabangsa di QS Reimagine Education Awards, London, pada 2025 dan sekali lagi pada 2026.

Di bawah projek UN SDG Trust Fund ini pula, 100 orang guru telah dilatih dan kini mengaplikasikan VTF di dalam bilik darjah masing-masing, dengan sasaran menjangkau kira-kira 15,000 murid di seluruh Johor. Mereka bakal menerima pensijilan Certified Visual Teachers pada Januari 2027.

Setiap guru yang dilatih bukan sekadar belajar melukis. Mereka menjadi pemangkin perubahan kepada ratusan murid. Dan apabila setiap garisan yang dilakar seorang murid mempunyai makna, di situlah pembelajaran yang sebenar berlaku.

Terima kasih kepada semua guru, JPN Johor, KPM, Sekretariat Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund dan Yayasan MySDG. Insya-Allah, perjalanan ini akan terus kita kembangkan untuk manfaat lebih ramai anak bangsa.

📰 Liputan penuh Utusan Malaysia: https://utusan.com.my/nasional/2026/10/delegasi-malaysia-un-sdg-trust-fund-tinjau-program-guru-visual-bertauliah/

 

Beyond the Certificate: What 20 UniSZA Students Taught Me About Entrepreneurship

By Coach Amirul Iskandar Mannan

On 9 October 2026, my article “Daripada Kemahiran Kepada Pendapatan: Peluang Melalui Usahawan Tutor Online” appeared in Utusan Malaysia.

Alhamdulillah.

Seeing the article in print felt meaningful, especially after the long Usahawan Tutor Online (UTO) journey.

But the real story is not about getting published.

It is about what happened inside a classroom at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), and what that experience could mean for thousands of other students.

An idea that started years ago

UTO began in 2022 through an initiative involving Yayasan Wiba Prima and Drawzania.

The idea was straightforward.

What if we could help someone learn a visual skill, teach that skill to others, and turn it into a potential source of income?

Through collaboration with UniSZA's Pusat Pemindahan Ilmu dan Pendidikan Berterusan (P2P), UTO developed into a Senate-recognised professional certificate programme.

In September 2026, we finally delivered the first professional certificate cohort.

Twenty students from UniSZA's Faculty of Innovative Design and Technology (FRIT) joined us for five days.

For Dr Ruzaimi Mat Rani and me, the challenge was not simply to deliver an interesting training programme.

We wanted participants to experience something real.

From learning a skill to finding a customer

The students began by developing their visual and drawing capabilities.

Then we introduced the business challenge.

Who would you teach?

Why would someone want to join your class?

What would you offer?

How would you promote it?

And most importantly, would someone actually register?

The students formed nine teams and began building their small teaching businesses.

They created offers, developed marketing materials, and reached out through social media and their personal networks.

Some found interested customers quickly.

Others had to improve their messages or approach more people.

Seven teams ran paid classes, while two started with free classes.

Both approaches provided opportunities to learn.

A paid class tests whether customers are willing to exchange money for the value offered.

A free introductory class can help a new tutor gain experience, understand learners, and build confidence.

Neither approach guarantees future success.

But both can help someone begin.

The moment learning became real

One of my favourite moments was watching the students present evidence of the classes they had conducted.

They were no longer talking about a hypothetical business.

They had taught real people.

They had experienced the pressure of preparing lessons, communicating with participants, and delivering something they had promised.

They also discovered that entrepreneurship involves much more than creating an attractive poster or writing a business plan.

You need to understand people.

You need to communicate.

You need to earn trust.

And you need to deliver value.

That is why I believe application must be part of the learning process, not merely an activity at the end of a training programme.

Technology makes the journey easier

One important difference between launching UTO in 2022 and delivering it in 2026 is the accessibility of AI.

Today, students can use AI to explore ideas, prepare marketing content, improve communication and organise their business activities.

That can reduce the time and effort required to get started.

But AI is not the hero of the UTO story.

The students are.

AI can help produce a poster, but someone still needs to understand the customer.

AI can help prepare teaching materials, but someone still needs to teach.

AI can suggest ideas, but someone still needs to make decisions and take responsibility.

As I often share in my programmes, AI can help with the Bits, but humans must own the Bricks.

The opportunity beyond UniSZA

What excites me most is the possibility of giving more young people access to experiences like this.

Imagine students discovering that a skill they already have, or one they can learn through a structured programme, could be valuable to someone else.

Imagine a student conducting a small class during the weekend.

Imagine that first experience developing into regular teaching, additional income, or perhaps a larger business.

Not everyone will become a full-time entrepreneur.

And that is perfectly fine.

The objective is to create options.

For students from lower-income families, those options may be particularly meaningful.

This is where universities, foundations, zakat institutions, corporate sponsors and community organisations can play an important role.

We already invest in helping young people gain knowledge and qualifications.

What if we also invested in giving them structured opportunities to create value in the real world?

And what if we followed up after 30 and 90 days to understand who continued, what they achieved, and what support they still needed?

That would help us move beyond measuring attendance and satisfaction towards understanding meaningful outcomes.

The next chapter

I am grateful to Dr Ruzaimi Mat Rani, Yayasan Wiba Prima, Drawzania, P2P, FRIT and the UniSZA team for making this first cohort possible.

I am equally grateful to the students who were willing to try.

We cannot yet say how many will continue teaching or eventually build sustainable businesses.

That journey is still unfolding.

But we can say they have experienced something important.

They have taken an idea into the market.

They have taught real learners.

They have begun discovering the value of their capabilities.

And for me, that is a meaningful first step.

The question now is not simply whether we can deliver another UTO programme.

It is how many more students we can allow to begin.

If your university, foundation or organisation is exploring practical student entrepreneurship and income generation initiatives, I would welcome a conversation about how we might create more opportunities together.

Because education should not only prepare people to find opportunities.

It should also help them develop the confidence and capability to create opportunities.

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This article expands on my Utusan Malaysia contribution published on 9 October 2026.

#UsahawanTutorOnline #UTO #EntrepreneurshipEducation #StudentEmpowerment #UniSZA #ExperientialLearning #YouthDevelopment #SocialImpact #CoachAmirul

Anak Susah Fokus Belajar? Mungkin Kita Perlu Tanya Soalan Yang Berbeza

 

Anak Susah Fokus Belajar? Mungkin Kita Perlu Tanya Soalan Yang Berbeza

When a child struggles with learning, it's natural for parents to want to solve the problem.

We look for more exercises. We consider another tuition class. We reduce screen time. We tell them to concentrate. Sometimes we simply ask them to study longer.

But I've been thinking about a different starting point:

Before asking a child to learn more, should we first try to understand how they appear to learn better?

“Tak fokus” doesn't always tell us what to do

Saying that a child “cannot focus” describes what we're seeing. It doesn't necessarily tell us what will help.

That's why observation matters.

Perhaps the child becomes more engaged when allowed to do something rather than only listen.

Perhaps involving them in a discussion makes a difference.

Perhaps listening to an explanation helps.

Perhaps they need repetition before something begins to make sense.

None of these observations should become a permanent label.

The purpose is not to say:

“Anak saya memang jenis ini.”

A more useful question is:

“Bila saya cuba cara ini, apa yang berlaku?”

That small change in language changes the parent's role from someone trying to diagnose the child into someone learning alongside the child.

FAHAM → CUBA → PERHATI

I've simplified this into three actions:

FAHAM — Start by trying to understand how your child responds to learning.

CUBA — Change one small thing in the way you support them.

PERHATI — Observe what happens.

Did the child engage longer?

Did they understand more easily?

Were they able to explain the idea afterwards?

Did they become frustrated?

Would the same approach work again?

Then repeat.

That's far more useful than simply giving a child a “colour” and assuming we've discovered the answer.

I made a short video about this

I've shared some of this thinking in a short Bahasa Melayu video:

Watch: Anak Susah Fokus Belajar? Mungkin Ini Puncanya
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iq3PigrKgC4 

The video is also part of a bigger experiment I've been working on.

Introducing KPBA

I've developed a short parent programme called:

KPBA — Kenali Personaliti Belajar Anak

Lain Anak, Lain Cara Belajarnya.

KPBA is a 30-minute LIVE online session designed to give parents a simple starting point for reflecting on how their child responds to learning.

After the session, parents complete a 24-question reflection together with their child.

They then receive a personalised reflection profile by email showing the tendencies that appeared most strongly in their responses.

But I don't want the journey to stop at a result.

That's why KPBA continues with a 7-Day Challenge.

Parents receive a practical guide and can use a 7-day e-Tuition trial as one environment in which to try different approaches, observe their child's responses and reflect on what appears to help.

The objective isn't to prove that a child belongs to one category.

It is to help parents become better observers of their own children.

A small experiment for RM19

I'm intentionally starting KPBA small.

The first session will be:

17 October 2026
10.30 pagi
LIVE Online — 30 minutes
RM19 per family

Why RM19?

Because at this stage, I want families to experience the idea, use it with their children and tell me what works, what doesn't and what can be improved.

This is V1.

We'll learn from real parents and continue improving it.

Perhaps the better question isn't “Why can't my child focus?”

Perhaps it's:

“What seems to help my child learn?”

That is a question we can actually explore together.

And that's what I hope KPBA helps parents begin doing.

FAHAM → CUBA → PERHATI.

🌈 Lain Anak, Lain Cara Belajarnya.

Learn more about KPBA and register for the 17 October session
https://kenalipersonalitibelajaranak.netlify.app/

Suggested blog tags: Parenting, Pendidikan Anak, Cara Anak Belajar, KPBA, Learning, Education, Ibu Bapa, Coach Amirul