at the crossroads whereby i’ve been thinking a lot about my future , teaching came across to me as one of the most carefree, flexible , least time consuming, fun , interesting and interactive job that appealed to me. I wouldn’t say i really passionately like teaching, but i definitely have some interest in the job , considering the many other benefits that come along.
But over the last few weeks, i really think i need to rethink and reset my priorities .. teaching aint as easy as you think at all… i’ve come across two incidents that made me really change my perspective of teaching. i really understand now, how teachers go mad over years of being in school…
I was at my void deck when two of these stupid students from probably upper secondary from some nearby school started to yell at me and tried to disturb me and rudely provoke me. I ignored them but i wonder how many times of this situation i would have to face if i were to work in a school! everyday, every hr of the day i have to be with such students!! i would definitely go bonkers in time to come…its just quite beyond my level of tolerance to be able to condone such circumstances time and time again eh…now i understand why teachers enter the profession full of zeal and passion but end up drained and totally …exhausted.
the next incident was my tuition student. aside from setting questions, doing my own revision of the topics so i know what to help the student in…the most exhaustive part of teaching…so unfortunately and quite ridiculously happens to be the need to constantly have to push and nag at the student to do his work….i had to nag and rush my student for 3 weeks and now, the work ..which is probably only a 2hr assignment…is still not even attempted yet…..i read from juan’s blog that she was going mad in school because of an outing whereby the students needed to submit their consent forms signed by their parents and it took her WEEKS to get it done and everyday she has to call and chase her students for it..didnt really understand that but know i get it…its really tiring….to be always chasing for work or forms….mine’s only one student, can’t imagine wad woul dhappen if its 1X40. God bless me.
Teaching is definitely exhausting at times, and it doesn’t help when you are trying so hard to get through to a student and they simply don’t want to do the work. Eventually, though, there comes a time when it has to cease to be your responsibility and the responsibility has to fall on them. They know the consequences of not getting it done.
Comment by amayala — July 14, 2008 @ 1:34 am
it’s definitely tiring and challenging! but when you reap the fruit of your labour, its rewarding! and you’re not merely making a living, but really moulding lives that will impact lives in future – their family, communities, nation! when you discover the weight of the job, what’s in your hands, perhaps, it wouldn’t be so tiring afterall. you don’t need to change all 40 of them. i guess even if you just helped to change 1 student, that student will remember you forever!
jiayou brother!!
Comment by pistarchio — July 17, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
Hey amayala , yeah pretty much agreed. I guess you’re right about the fact that tutors can only do that much to help. Ultimately, they have to rely on themselves and their self-motivation to achieve whatever thats installed for them!
Pistarchio : yeah ..just that at times , it really gets frustrating. wonder how XH does it!
Comment by mrmuddlehead — July 17, 2008 @ 2:52 pm