How Teaching Taught Me - Essay Example

Teaching Taught Me! Short Story [Pick the Teaching taught me! Life has hidden secrets and treasures, sometimes these secrets are kept from us from the people that we love and adore. Those people hide secrets that show their deep sacrifices that they have for us. These secrets when revealed change our perception about them. Those special people can be friends, siblings and even parents. My teaching experience taught me something. It was something that I learned through the relations. One secret that I came to know was when I was teaching in Saudi Arabia. It was a secret that mother was hiding from her son. I never knew that my teaching experience would teach me something at the end that made me conclude that loved ones sometimes express their affections and sometimes hides it from the people that they love, even their hiding of the secrets also reveal their love. We usually misinterpret people’s silence, silence also carries a lot of meaning and feelings, some people do not express their hidden feelings because they think it is difficult to express with words, they think they would not do justice to their feelings and emotions. All my life I thought it was words that carry love for someone, it was the words that carry emotions and sentiments for the loved ones but my experience of teaching at Saudi Arabia changed my mind from every respect. I came to know that silence is the best expression. It expresses something that cannot be expressed with words and voice. Silence expresses the in expressible, it expresses what words cannot express. I was an elementary level School teacher in International Islamic School, Jeddah. This school was near to my house. I enjoyed going to school. It was an experience that I would never forget and will always remember and cherish. It gave me new experiences and opportunities to learn new things. I used to teach English to class 8th. It was a class that I had a great bond with. All the students held a special place in the class, some were naughty, talkative, and intelligent and some were very quiet. It was a multi cultured class, most of them were Asians, mostly Indians, Pakistanis and Arabs. Learning about each individual was also a new experience. This class was a special class because it was a multi – cultured class. Every student was unique and special to me. Teaching to multi – cultured class was a new experience for me. I came across different cultures, different personalities and natures. Apart from understanding every child’s background information and their competency level in English language, I was also interested in understanding every child’s individual personality and way of behavior and act in the class. I never knew that my interest in exploring every child’s personality would make me explore a new and special thing. I found it very easy to judge and explore the students of my class. I found some very different and unique by nature, I thought in talking and knowing them would help me to create a strong and good bond with the kids. Among all the students the student that never allowed me to explore or share a bond was ‘Shahmir’. He was an Arab Child, he was fourteen years old. He was tall, thin, and dark and had symmetrical features which made him look very attractive. Boys usually do not look attractive at their early teenage but he was one of smart kids of the class. I never heard him talking in the class or playing with any of the kids in the class. At first I thought he was weak in speaking English, which held him back from the participation in the class which later on was proved that I was wrong. One day I asked the students to read in the classroom. It was a chapter about ‘Sports’, Amjad an Indian student requested to read first, I allowed him. As soon as he finished reading, I asked Shahmir to read next. More than wanting him to read I was interested in hearing him sound and to know his competency level in English. I thought to ask him purposely to talk in English would make him confuse and nervous as he was not good in socialization. When he started to read, I was satisfied that he was fluent. Though he had the Arabic accent but he was clear, fluent and audible. When I was done with the reading session in the classroom, I resumed with the question and answers session, which I usually used to have with my students at the end of every chapter. I asked questions regarding to the chapter from few students before asking Shahmir. He replied with appropriate answers. This class made me conclude that Shahmir was intelligent, attentive and a good English speaker. He had no problem regarding the subject, teacher and the environment. This didn’t help me to find the reason of him being not social. It me clear that something was disturbing him personally. The other day all the kids were playing in the playground. It was their games period. I purposely asked about Shahmir, Amjad replied: “Ma’am, we called him to play basketball with us but he said that he was not feeling well and wanted to stay in the class” I wondered that kids in this age use to be sports and games freak. Being silent all the day was understandable but I couldn’t understand that why he had no interest in sports where other Arab students were crazy after basketball. On one other occasion I became sure that Shahmir was not social, playful. He was a kind of a kid that wanted to stay away from people and society. He talked less and I never found him smiling in the class. I organized a class party for the children on the last studying day of the week. All the children were excited and happy after hearing the announcement about the party and as expected Shahmir showed lack of interest. I asked if there was anyone that was not interested in attending the party and in no time Shahmir raised his hand and said,” Ma’am I might not show up for the party tmorrow”, I was expecting this answer from him. I asked the reason of not showing up for the party, he said “I am not feeling well and would like to rest” I knew that he was telling a lie, i asked him to come and be a part of the class. He said “okay ma’am I will try”. His statement made me feel that he will not show up and the next day I was assured that he did not wanted to attend the party. I tried talking to him one day. I called him to my office. He entered with the usual style. I made him sit and asked questions regarding to his family. He replied: “ I live with my mother, my dad died in a car accident which me and mother survived when I was five years old. “I asked him whether the absence of his father was the reason if him being so quiet, he replied: “I don’t even remember him, I don’t remember how he looked like” Later I asked him about his mother, her name was ‘Amina’ . He said “I stay all the day in my room, we don’t talk that much. She doesn’t go out and stays most of the time at home”. It made me to think that why there was such a cold relationship between son and his mother they were all alone in the house, they were supposed to share a strong bond after the absence of his father and her husband. I asked him to go back to his class and resume with his studies. I made up my mind that I should meet his mother. After few weeks parents and teachers meeting was going to be held. I asked Shahmir to bring his mother to the meeting. He turned silent on hearing this. I asked the reason of his silence, he said “she never goes out of the house, mmm I know she will not come” I knew that he lied to me, he acted like I will trust him and will not ask for his mother again. I did not want to lose this task, I knew that I was going to explore something new in this regard. I started to think about the plans that will make his mother come to the school and meet me. I thought of calling his mother personally, Shahmir’s behavior made me suspicious. I took the number from the office and called her. When I heard her voice I could easily say that she was young in age, she spoke with a kind of disappointment. I confirmed that whether I was speaking to Shahmir’s mother and she replied “yes, this is Amina here, Shahmir’s mother, how may I help you?” I told her that I was his English teacher and wanted to meet her, she became all nervous and worried she thought that I had called to complain about Shahmir’s performance in English subject in no time she started asking “is he doing well in English?” I replied “oh yes!, I just wanted to discusss some general things with you. I invited her to the parents and teachers meeting. She sounded happy but later asked “Shahmir agreed on this?”, I said “Yes, he did. All the parents are supposed to come to the meeting as it was important to discuss the student’s academic report. She replied happily that she will try to show up. Soon the week arrived that made me waited. Out of all the students I was eagerly waiting for Shahmir’s mother. The students were taking their usual classes. The meeting was going to be held after the break. Soon after the break I went to the class and made all the students sit quiet. I told them that their parents were going to join them in the classroom to discuss their performance in the English Class. I soon started to meet the parents of Amjad, Ali, Zeeshan and the rest. I was waiting for Amina to arrive and discuss a few things related to shahmir’s personality than his studies. Soon I was told that she arrived and was sitting in my office. I went to my office so that I can bring her to the class where rests of the parents were sitting. I entered my office and paid salam to her. She stood up and came in front. I looked at her and couldn’t believe that she was physically impaired. She was standing all confuse and nervous because she thought that I would be judgmental about her damaged eye that was giving an ugly look to her beautiful face. I asked the reason of the damaged eye that she had. She replied “long back in a car accident, I lost my eye”. I was sure she was talking about the same accident in which she lost her husband, I did not wanted to precede the conversation because it was taking the time of parents- teachers meeting. I brought her to the class, as soon we entered there was a surprised look on Shahmir’s face as if he wasn’t aware that his mother was going to arrive. All the students started to stare at Amina, some of them moved back from her where she was standing and some of the students started to ask the reason of the damage of the eye. Amina kept quiet and was noticing Shahmir, who was standing near the window. He was angry and Sad, while he was walking through the door, he shouted at his mother “I told you not to come, why do you keep scaring everyone?” after saying this he ran out of the class. Amina burst into tears and walked out of the class, I asked the pion to take her to my office, I thought after handling the other parents I’ll talk to her personally. As soon I got free she I rushed to my office. I opened my door and saw that there was no Amina waiting for me there. At first I thought it was a bad plan to call her to the classroom. Later on it made me realize that calling her to the meeting made me detect the reason of Shamir’s non- socialization. I was sure that he was ashamed of her. He never wanted any of his friends or class mates to see her, he used to dislike when they used to sympathize with her and ask the reason which made her physically impaired. After few days I went to shahmir’s house during the school timing. I knew that she would be alone. I knocked at the door, first she asked who was at the door, I replied “it’s me, Shahmir’s English teacher” she opened the door at once. She made me sit in her drawing room, she made me tea and snacks, I always knew that Arabs were hospitable. I wondered how difficult it would be for her to work with one eye. I asked her to sit with me and talk about shahmir. She started from his childhood. She told about his nature that he is usually quiet and silent and talks when he feel it’s necessary to reply , she also added that he is ashamed of her damage and dislikes when people ask about the impaired eye. I asked that why did she never tried to cure her eye, she replied “you cure something when it is supposed to be cured, I lost my eye on purpose and on wish” her statement made my heart to pump really fast, this was the time when I was about to get my answer. I asked her to make herself clear, she said “yes, it was Shahmir who lost his eye in the accident, I donated my eye to him, I thought I have seen a lot and shahmir still needs to see more. My son is my world to me, I could never tell him this secret because I taught that it would make him feel a debtor of his mother but still I could never form a bond with him” Her statement made me cry. I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. I hugged her and told her that he needs to know this secret and love of his mother and made her feel that everything will turn out to be good for them. The next day that made me started to worry was the thing that whether I should tell Shahmir about the big and important secret that his mother was hiding from him. My mind was echoing many and different answers to me. After analyzing the situation from various aspects I arrived at a decision. I decided to tell shahmir about the secret that his mother was hiding from him for so many years. I wanted to tell him about the secret for various reasons. He lived alone with his mother and never shared the bond that a son shares with his mother. I thought that revealing of the secret to Shahmir would make him realize that all these years his mother never told him about what happened in the accident. The next reason of telling him was that I did not wantShahmir to continue with the same bond with his mother that he was having at the moment and also I thought after having a good bond with his mother he might bring healthy and positive changes to his personality. The next day I was all prepared to tell Shahmir the truth that his mother was hiding from him for so many years. I called him to my office, all this time I was wondering if I was doing the right thing or not. But after all the thinking and analyzing I was assure that telling hi the truth was the right thing to do because even when the truth was not revealed the things were still not better. When he entered I made him sit and asked him to relax. I told him that what I was going to tell him would change his perception about his mother. In order to start with the conversation, I asked him about his parents and that accident that they met several years ago, he said “I do not remember anything, I just know what my mother told me about the accident that my father passed away and my mother lost her eye” After hearing his reply I said “Shahmir, all these years your mother was hiding the truth from you, she told you the truth but hided some important things from you” my statement made him confuse and nervous he said “I am sorry ma’am, I have no idea about what you are talking right know. What is it that my mother is hiding from me? , please tell me.” I did my half job. I prepared him to listen to what I had for him. I told him to relax and handle the confession in a mature way. I let him know that his mother didn’t reveal the real thing to him in all these years. I told him what Amina had told me I told him that he owed so much to his mother and told him that it was not Amina but him who lost the eye, Shahmir couldn’t believe what he had heard, it made him speechless. He ran out of my office in no time, he asked for the permission to leave for home early, I told him that I will drop him to his house, he agreed. As soon we reached his house, he started to shout for his mother, his mother was in the kitchen and came running towards the door. I was sure that Shahmir would never have screamed for her this way. He ran towards her and hugged her tight. I saw him crying and complaining badly about hiding the secret from him. He didn’t come to the class for few days, I was worried if everything was okay on their side. I called their home and no one picked, this made me more curious to know what was going on in their house and between them. I decided to drove by their house next day, I was expecting positive things, when I knocked their door, Shahmir opened it, he saw me with a big smile on his face and welcomed to his house. I saw Amina coming fast towards me and thanking me for telling Shahmir about the truth, I knew it was very difficult for her to reveal the truth and tell Shahmir about the reality. She was thanking me as if I did a big thing for her I just said in return that “it was you who did the sacrifice for your son, I just transferred the information to your son” Amina smiled in return and asked me to sit and have a cup of coffee. In in the next few days I was noticing Shahmir’s behavior and started to find some positive changes in him, I was satisfied that I did the right thing at right time. That day, I realized that the loved ones hide many things from us. They hide the sacrifices that they did for us. They hide it so that we can live a life of dignity and respect. Even the secret that they hide is a sacrifice in itself. Moreover the teaching experience did teach me something at the end. Read More