Friday 4 September 2020

The Powers That Help Us Grow

The classroom can be fun

If, as a kid, anyone had told me that I would be running my own classes one day, I would have laughed them off. The day when I would finally say good bye to the walls that, at the time, I felt were holding me down couldn't come soon enough. But do you blame a child who was constantly being reminded to 'Stop fidgeting' and 'Pay attention'? I was even told that I would probably never amount to much at the rate I was going. The words still ring in my ears at times. Yet, here I am teaching away.

By now you must be wondering what changed my mind. Would you believe me if I told you it was my daughter who was three years old at the time? You see, my work was keeping me for long hours away from her and she stopped recognising me as her mummy. I thought long and hard, and came up with teaching as the answer to my problem.  I was very sure that I would be miserable for the rest of my life. I was also very wrong.


   I became a teacher for all the wrong reasons     



Yes, I became a teacher for all the wrong reasons - it suited family life I thought. Little did I know how many nights I would spend preparing for the next day, or the constant training and retraining that was involved. The saying that you know where a teacher lives because their lights are still on at one o'clock in the morning is so true. Yet here I am 20 years later, still counting my lucky stars that I walked down this road.

I love everything - well almost everything - about this profession, for many reasons.

➤ It's a profession in which you receive as much as you give - and I'm not talking about gifts here.

 It's a community that supports without seeking support - be it to a child, a parent or anybody else.

 Teachers give willingly without expecting anything in return - be it time, energy or expertise.       

 Everyday is a learning experience - it's what helps us grow.


    Teachers come in different shapes and sizes     



But teachers come in different shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, some  never see the return on the investment they put into their learners. You see, kids grow up and move on to different schools and colleges. We lose track of what has become of them. Having said that, you can be rest assured that every kid is forever engraved in a teacher's heart and mind. Why? The many learners we have been lucky to have had in our classes unknowingly became our own teachers. Each has helped us become the people we are today.

Then there are those who are not seen as ever having played an educator's role. But who are these people? If we thought about it, we'd realise that they are all around us. 

  • Our family members who were our first teachers - education begins at home. 
  • The mentors with whom we have crossed paths - many seek only to inspire those under their wings to fly higher.
  • Our colleagues whose constant support we could not have done without - they kept us going when we needed it most.

Yes, teachers come in many different shapes and sizes for each and every person that crosses our path helps shape who we become. By the same token, our actions and our words can also shape who others become, so make them count.










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