Happy Teacher’s Day to myself.
This morning I woke up very well aware that it is 16th of the month and that means Teacher’s Day in our country. I grabbed my phone and put up a status like this:
Happy Teacher’s Day to myself (I chose to be a little bit self-centered today).
I wanted to be so. I want this year to be remembered because this marks my second time being a full-time housewife but it has a lot of difference from the last one. We had come across quotes telling you that experience is the best teacher. I can relate. In fact, I believe now that you are your best teacher. What you plan in your head, in your mind mould you to be what you are today. I have been a teacher for 15 years this year and I thought I’d like to share with you some of the lessons I (or more precisely, MY experience) had taught me. Here’s 10 for you.
#1 Students have long been the filler of the empty space in my heart
#2 Sometimes, I had made your children mine
#3 Students give me sense of humanity
#4 I don’t always teach. Sometimes, I learn…from my students
A lot. Not only they teach me the lives they go through, but they also taught me from the kitab (books) and tafsir (translation) of the Holy Quran.
#5 Lessons within the class room are responsibilities, but what’s outside is life
Dealing with bullies, withstanding the consequences of not getting homework done, figuring ways to eat when they forgot their purse or lost their money for the day – these are neither in the textbooks nor can be taught by any teachers. They learn them through experience, and as a teacher, we are the ones who see how they deal with life.
#6 Kids are pure. They are who we make them be
At this stage, all correction should come with reasons or at least, an explanation how things are not as how they perceive.
#7 Trust is gold
Let them speak when they are ready. I learn to hold a lot of secrets the past 15 years because every student has something to share. This reminds me of a girl whom I taught her in college. I nearly deducted her mark but when everyone was given a chance to share their reasons, she told me she just could not make it to college on the submission date just because she was short of 50 cent to get onto the bus. I wanted to cry when I heard it and collected the assignment on the same spot.
#8 Allow them to grow
Kids just wanna have fun! So, let them when it’s due.
#9 Discipline starts from home. REALLY!
I live by the rule: ibu adalah madrasah pertama anak-anak. (Mothers are every child’s first school).
#10 Kids have feelings too
Let them speak. Let them cry. Teach them how to express their feelings (anger, happiness, frustration) the right way so when they grow up, they can react better with whatever life may throw them into. Also, they should learn how people react towards their emotions, which may either be soothing or worsening. They should also learn that not everyone would react to their action or emotion the ways they expect. In worse scenario, they may even get out of hands from how they project their emotions to others.
Wallahualam.
So, I’d like to end this by thanking my mom (again, because mothers are every child’s first school!), my mom’s youngest sister who happened to be my first SCHOOL teacher and my other aunt, who is also a teacher and it’s her birthday today. Happy Teachers’ Day, exemplary ladies.
