In teaching, patience is not a virtue. It’s a necessity
(Gattegno)
When
I was a kid, I loved seeing a teacher standing in front of the class.
It seemed that the teacher had a power to bring the class into a “new
world”. The Teacher had been trained and had experienced professional
development to develop students’ knowledge. I was so proud of my
teachers. The teacher was the greatest person in the world, knowing
everything and mastering a lot of knowledge. At that time, a teacher had
to teach everything. Of course, in my mind as a kid I desired to be a
teacher, thereby being a great person.
Nevertheless,
when I grew up, my idea regarding the teacher as a great person was
changed. Being a teacher as my profession was not appealed to me, even
though I was the graduate student of teacher training department. The
main reason I did not want to be a teacher was I had to be patient. How I
could manage my emotion during teaching and at the same time, I had to
teach more than 40 students in the class. This happened when I taught
elementary school in 2003. Something crossed through my mind; I did not
want to be a teacher.
The
other reason was the teacher should be responsible for students if
something happened in the class. For instance, my mother is a good model
for being responsible. She is a teacher who works for elementary school
in rural area. I got used to listen to my mom about something happened
in the class. When my mom brought something to the class for her lunch,
she did not have a lunch because she had to share her food with another
student which did not eat because the students did not have food in his
food. The other reason was I also studied at economy faculty majoring
management and I just concentrated on this major. Oh my God. I promised to myself; I did not desire to be a teacher.
However,
nobody knows what it will happen in the past. Three years ago, a friend
of mine called me. I did not know why she called me, but it sounded
very important. Actually, that day, I did not want to go to her house
and it was really hot. I just stayed at home after coming back from
university. However, she continuously called me to say that she needed
my help. She told that there was a job available. I did not know what
kind of job she would give to me. I was not happy to hear that, but my
friend’s eyes were shining when she offered that job. The job was
teaching.
I
told my friend that I did not want to be a teacher. Conversely, my
friend continuously offered me the job. Actually, I had to take my
friend’s position as a teacher in that institution. She was going to
take the final examination at our university, so she needed my help with
her classes. I refused her offer. I said that I needed a job, but not
as a teacher. I would find another one. Again and again, she pushed and
rushed me to take her position. Finally, I promised that I would teach
until she finished her examination, and but that I did not want to be a
teacher the whole life.
On
a warm day, the first day I was as a teacher, I went to a house. I had
to teach a student, being a private teacher. Before getting that house, I
thought that my student was the only one, but I had four students with a
variety of levels. I got confused by that situation and did not know
how to start teaching because they had different abilities and styles in
studying. I, then, tried to ask them what they wanted to study and I
thought that it would help me teach them. Surely, they needed to have my
attention and I had to be patient with them. That was my first day as a
teacher and I really loved it, although I did not understand why.
Perhaps I could answer my students’ question asked me about the target
language, although when I started to teach, I was worried so much about
the patience. I could not imagine that I had to communicate with my
students, at the same time, I was worried about not getting retain their
attention.
While
I was teaching, I felt that I was looking back into my experience as a
student. Teaching is a mirror for me. At that time, I would not love the
impatience teacher. Thus, when I was the teacher, I reminded myself to
be a nice teacher for my students. Sometimes, in my mind, I judged my
students as “the naughty students” because I did not have their
attention. I then realized that my students were kids and they do not
understand anything regarding a bad thing. They just acted naturally.
The
unforgettable teaching memory also the first appealing desired to be a
teacher was when I looked their eyes deeply; my students did not have a
chance to write answers on the blackboard because of time-off, they felt
upset. Within their worth effort and enthusiastic, my students really
wanted to study, although the way they learn with their style, running
in the class or doing another activities, but actually they desired to
study. They juts expressed their style based on their way.
At
that time, I never imagined that I would work in education field.
Finally, I made a decision as a teacher. Nowadays, during studying in
School for International Training, I have a mission as a language
teacher is putting me in my students’ position. Long times ago, when I
took the class and learn the target language or other subject, I did not
like learning in the class that the teacher did not pay much attention
to students. However, my previous experience is my mirror. I have to
change everything that I did not like in the past based on my
experience.
On December 26, 2004,
the earthquake measuring on 8, 9 the Richter scale occurred in my
hometown. More than 200.000 people died and lost because of the disaster
and less than 2000 teachers were lost. Before this catastrophe
happened, we had been issue that was lack of teachers. I was so sad; I
had no idea what I had to do for my hometown. I lost my words, just
crying and crying.
For the last may before coming to the United States of America,
I had traveled to areas which were devastated by Tsunami with my
friend. Most of the schools we visited had been severely affected by the
earthquake and the Tsunami. I saw a lot of children learning under tent
even sometimes without tent, they still studied. I was committed to
myself, I would come back to help children, to save their future through
an education. I have to contribute to this
optimistic and long view of the future. Children have lost their family,
I will not let children lose their hope to study even though they study
will limit resources.
Nowadays,
I feel that teaching is my life and I wish I could spend the days that
God gives to me. I found one of keys to teaching successfully is to love
teaching; love teaching as you love your life.
There are hopes and wishes through their eyes
Brattleboro, December 7, 2006
