Take care of the students’ feelings, they will take care of yours

Students are vulnerable. They can feel emotionally harmed by those whom we think is the villain in the class.

Teaching is truly one of the noble jobs in the world. We work in school, we work during break time, we work in summer, and we work even at home while everybody is already asleep. Our work has a lot of sacrifice and struggles, that is why teaching makes us saints someday or a hero today. However, human as we are, time would come when we are preoccupied with so many things while walking on a hallway or even while we are talking in front of students. And when this time comes, most of us can no longer think what/how to talk with students in a more cautious way especially when it is in a situation which needs an immediate discipline. No best teacher can ever do this except when one has learned from his/her experiences.

Being an educator, I have this belief on a simple yet golden Confucian saying, “Don't do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.” I’ve thought there is no other cool teacher than me who can discipline students in a friendly yet effective way, but I witness a fellow someone who I want to believe like me, a badass guy, who by accident come to this profession. He is assigned to be the adviser of a particular section which many would describe as a class of hell. At first, he got a feeling the task was given to him as a form of punishment for being not good in his teacher’s evaluation. But in the journey, that class started to get a few awards and acknowledgment during school competitions and activities. Most members in the class started to like their section and the members as well as their adviser. Looking at the situation, I salute the teacher. Through him, maybe I would start to believe in this mathematical idea that negative plus negative equals positive. Dealing with students who are worst among the wilds takes a little connection. It takes ears to listen to each individual’s story about themselves and about their family. But personally, handling that section last year takes a little patience, humor, and edited life stories just to get their attention and that moment when they like simple fun and laughter.

Sometimes, I feel sad for some educators who by their achievements, titles, or position, feel the need to be respected in their presence, eyes, names or even the task that they want the students to learn and perform. Respect is a virtue. Every student must learn to have it and give it to anyone. But teaching respect in an aggressive or authoritative way seemed like another story to understand. I wish some teachers would still have this thing in mind that despite our excellence and achievements for being a most professional teacher, some learners have no care about our background. I think they only care about their decisions in life, so give them the best choices. Be careful with your words, it might return to you. Be careful with your pride they might show it to you. Take care of the students’ feelings, and they will take care of yours.

Edmer John Caballes

Cebu City