What All My Beloved Teachers Have In Common
- My 10th Grade Chemistry Tutor
I just graduated mid-school and, although I loved science, My Mother thought I needed a home tutor for chemistry because it was yet to be taught in high-school. The teacher, I sometimes still contact her via facebook, is very kind and patient. She listened to what I said, and answered my questions. Not only she understood the lesson she taught, she actually tried to understand me and my personal learning style — almost like she was studying me. My home-tutor role model who inspires me to pursue teaching-as-a-paid-hobby.
Yes, I home-tutor. Or online-video-tutor for now.
2. My ESL Course Teachers
I was a student in an ESL course before they offered me to teach elementary-school kids. I had the one-month one-on-one training with The Principal, but the real training was when I was the student. Despite different teaching methods, there were two teachers who both taught me how to encourage students in learning new language, and that we can learn it from whatever sources. I want my students to understand and be confident with their language abilities, so I drilled them students with encouraging words, combined and applied teaching methods. I know it works because . . . well, I work
I’m fluent in several languages, sarcasm included.
3. My Dance ‘Mentor’
I have always been interested in dancing (I recently made a writing about dancing here. Also read another one that’s kinda about dancing here) since I was young — long as I remember, my first stage was when I was four (yeah, it was a small neighborhood stage, but I was four and brave enough to move my body with other ten-year-olds). It was 2001 when I was brought to an arcade arena. While I was playing, like any 9-year-old kids, I caught some guy playing an arcade by moving his feet; I was fascinated. He was kind enough and willing to teach me how to play. Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name today, neither do I meet him again, so to the guy who taught me Dance Dance Revolution, thank you so much.
Does it count if I return his kindness by teaching other kids DDR? Because I do that.
4. My High-School Math Teacher
This teacher knew her students’ potentials and turned it into their strength as well as her own. My class used to have a math quiz every time we have finished a chapter, she would divide the students into three categories based on the score: the assistant teachers, the average students — and the ones who need more attention. She made a group of six (I have about forty classmates), consisted of (usually only one) assistant teacher and several average ones as well as ones who need more attention, then handed out our answer sheets. The goal was for each group to share the same answer; this way, the assistant teachers will teach the ones who need more attention, while the average bought more time to understand the lesson. It’s a win-win: the assistants can explore their math skill, the average can understand better, and the ones who need more attention can study using their preferred style.
She said, “I don’t make answer key, I simply search your answer sheets. Those become my answer key,” to me and my best friend; we’re her ‘assistants.’
All my beloved teachers share one same trait: they focus on the students. They are enthusiastic, accessible, and approachable, that way they engage and form strong relationships with students. They don’t only explain the subject but make sure they present it in a various interesting and lively ways to keep the students motivated. They set high expectations while sending morale-boosting support and words so that students feel nurtured by their assistance. When teachers show that they value and care about their students’ ideas and opinions, the learning process is improved and mutual respect is built in a hope-welcoming environment.
It is not an easy job to understand what students need as teaching is already a demanding hard work that requires in-depth knowledge of subject (obviously), administrative task such as curriculum and standards, key skills and more. But if teachers do just that bare minimum, they — and the young learners they teach — will never grow. So, like any other profession where one must give more effort to achieve mastery, great teachers must tirelessly put more time and work through the challenge to possibly make a difference in the lives of his/her students. Seeing your students’ achievements will be like harvesting the good seeds you have planted — so worth it.
Happy World Teachers Day!
Bonus: Honorable Mention
My father and mother, who are a mathematical calculus lecturer and a high-school physics teacher respectively. They are the ones who teach me the passion to teach so many subjects and love of learning students’ customized needs.
