Children
nowadays are a different breed; they are naughty, daring and even very
outspoken. Maybe it is all because we have spoiled them too much. Forget about
the cane even if they misbehave in class. You can only give them a verbal
warning or counselling but most of the time it is not effective. I can tell you
that the teacher’s most difficult job is not to teach and impart knowledge but
to guide and discipline the pupils so that they would not be led astray in
their formative years. Any teacher who
can do the latter successfully has already won half the battle.
A week ago I had a surprise from the
Primary One class. One of the pupils asked me, “Teacher, do not set too
difficult questions for us during the coming English assessment test”. This particular pupil is the naughtiest in
the class. Every teacher entering the
class complains about him. He is disruptive and always making troubles in the
class. Once he put that question to me, the rest followed in chorus. They were
all very persuasive and they expected me to give them an affirmative answer.
They all gazed at me and expected a quick answer.
“Well, no problem but next year you will
not be promoted to Year Two but remain in the same class” I answered sternly. Then as expected the whole
class booed and became like a wet market. I tried to use all my might to calm
them down. I could hear all kinds of responses from them. Some even teased and
taunted their peers as being lazy, a moron and so on. I had the last laugh looking
at them.
Then as expected of a good teacher,
I explained clearly to them that we must not cheat in the examination. We must
all work hard to answer the most difficult questions. I stressed further that
there is no short cut in success. Then I told them the story of a hardworking
ant and a lazy grasshopper. They all sat quietly and listened to my story. At
the end of the story, they clapped their hands and nodded their heads in
unison. They all wanted to become the hardworking ants.