Two of my former students are in my class this year and I think I am really blessed to have them in my class. :) There are a million reasons behind why they stayed back for another year but I tell myself that I must believe in them, believe that they are motivated to learn and they will one day prove their worth to the many people out there that they are students worth spending time on, and worth giving them a second chance.
Of course there are other interesting characters around. There is a boy who is from South Africa in my class (but he is Asian)! When I first observed the class, I told myself to be prepared for the worst because his behaviour suggests to me that I am in for serious discipline. However, when I actually took over the class, he caught me by surprise. He told me he was from South Africa and he speaks with an American accent. Lol! He does not give me any problem at all because he takes pride in his work and he submits all his assignments on time. I guess having a good start and introduction to the class really matters. I caught him along the corridor and had a good chat with him the very day I took the lesson and got to know him better. He told me that he found himself to be pretty out of place in the school at times because no one's like him in the school. So I encouraged him to be himself and I really look forward to seeing him shine among his classmates. :) When I had lesson observation last week, he probably earned me credit. Initially, the class was pretty tense until he made a comment "Oh very well," and the class started laughing. I do not think that the comment had any meaningful connotation behind it but somehow the class was more relaxed after that comment.
And there's this other Indian-chinese in my class that perturbed me a lot initially. He is the typical "I-don't-give-a-damn-shit" about school kind of student and honestly, I was once like him. So I know that no amount of threats or punishment can actually motivate him to be more attentive in my class. All I need to do is to ensure that he does not disturb the rest during class. However, over the course of two weeks, I see a drastic change in his attitude. Initially, when he sees along the corridor, he will just walk past me as though I am invisible. Nowadays, he will call me "Cher" and I am really taken aback. :) He will chit-chat with me and sometimes we crack jokes along the way. As a teacher, I know how important it is that your student is willing to walk side by side with you. This shows that he respects you and that he is not ashamed to let people know that, "Yes, this is my teacher and I walk beside her because I think she is just as cool as me." I really do not know what changed him but I appreciate the fact that he has now become much more matured. He's like a little angel in my life these days because when I see him smiling and responding in class, I know that he is listening and he is learning. :)
I always believe that respect does not accompany your social status or designation. You have to EARN it! If you don't concur, do watch World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles. :)
