Sometimes, I get discouraged after much effort has been put into the students and yet they did not show appreciation by working hard.
Now and then, I get a little tired, wondering how long I could last to keep myself energised to provide meaningful lessons for my students.
Unlike what outsiders think, being a teacher is never about just teaching the subjects. It is always tiresome for a teacher to do things that they could have avoided if their students just cooperate a tweeny weeny bit more. Like, handing in of homework and keeping quiet in class for effective lesson to take place.
And why do teachers keep nagging students to do all these? It is just for a simple hope. To hope that the students will exercise more responsibility. To hope that they will find meaning in the subjects they are doing. And ultimately, to hope that they will get good results in tests and exams. And of course, to ensure they will turn out to be useful beings that could contribute greatly to society in future.
However difficult being a teacher can be, I always think about this poem that my sec sch VP once showed us. It gives me the strength and determination to carry on my duties, and to keep the zest in me going. If I don’t want my students to give up, I must set a good example.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must; but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow;
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit;
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
