Teachers Must Build Character, not Just Test Scores
Teachers Build Characters
They are known for shaping a child’s personality and a nation’s future at large. But what if some of them are not performing their job well?
I recently walked into a friend who is teaching from 4 years. While talking to her I found out she is teaching in a school started by my schools best teachers who were known in Karachi’s schools for being the best teachers who has links in board and where too good at their job and also found out the vice principle is a lady who was also happened to be my science teacher till 8th grade.. Talking about them scratched some old wounds. Wounds that still hurts so bad and have left imprints on me for life.
Student life is all about learning from mistakes, being scold and improving. And from the entire studentship school life and its experiences is what makes a person who ever they will be. But only if your teachers do their job with determination and being un biased.
I had no difficulty in any area of learning including academics and co-curricular activities. I was doing great my teachers appreciated me but then came a new teacher in school about whom all I knew was she didn’t like me or at least I felt so.
During my 8th grade I made a huge mistake. I took my camcorder to school when it wasn’t allowed to take pictures but nobody caught me and I brought it back. The other day there was this guy in my class who got caught for carrying a cell phone with him in school and instead of apologizing he turned me in. my principle threatened to expel me and along the chaos I accidentally dialed 7 as first digit of my parents number instead of 4 and that was the number of my class mates number. This made my madam angrier.
My parents were called to school I was scolded but was given a warning but was sent back to class. This new teacher in front of the entire 42 students started discussing that how bad I am. What shame it must be for my mom to be my mother. And that if she ever had a child like me, she should disown her, I was already lost in guilt thinking what have I done to myself I broke a school’s rule I was just 13 it was big deal I was crying out of guilt, shame and humiliation and to top all my teacher advised the class to stay away from my because I am a bad influence.
I came home my mother told me she was disappointed but I need to make up for what I did. I promised to do so. But world was not as forgiving. My 2 teachers Mrs. “S” and ms “N” started to take taunt me during class by saying “what rule are you planning to break next tooba?” and sharam tou abhi bhi ni school again aj ap? This wasn’t it my younger sister was also humiliated in her class the whole year by these two teachers they made her stand up In class and for even littlest mistakes she always had to listen” you are just becoming a brat and a stupid child like her, she was just 10 she lost her confidence. Her grades and mine started to decline. I became a back bencher. No one was my friend. I was literally made a loner.
But I recovered from all of this due to the counseling of my few teachers who felt what I was dealing with and favored me, helped me regain my lost confidence. And I grew back from “c” grade to A+ in my final term took me long year to regain my teachers.
I know I broke the rule but I should’ve been punished if it was so severe but not humiliated and insulted. I lost my confidence I was in state of depression. I wanted to just leave the school and studies. Because for those 2 teachers my crome was unforgivable they left me drown in guilt.
Teachers are supposed to make one’s personality and not destroy it. It was a teacher who helped me regain my confidence and self respect back and it was also a teacher who went a overboard with her authority and made sure am drowned in guilt and am embarrassed. Our society is in the habit of punishing and while doing so they find it such a pleasure that don’t care if that punishment is even fair? Punishment is supposed to teach a lesson that the mistake shall not be repeated again but it definitely does not mean to hurt, I wish my teachers would’ve known the difference and would’ve known had it not been due to my teacher Mrs. Haseen wouldn’t have recovered from the dejection and embarrassment at all.
It could’ve cost me my entire future. I encourage all the parents to be in touch with their children’s school teachers and keep visiting the school and meet the teachers. So, that you will keep knowing the causes of your child behavior, avoid the misunderstanding between your child, teacher and the class mates of your child, the objective of sending your children to schools will meet successfully and your child will shape his/her personality best to benefits the society.
