Why I Love Teaching

A few days ago I just finished my classes this summer and I am now in a long hiatus to finish my dissertation. It's funny how you come to think of the most unusual things when you're not doing much. Perhaps it's because one's mind tends to wander when one gets bored with the daily grind.

I never seriously asked myself before why I love teaching but it all became clear to me one day when I was cleaning my room. As I was filing my records from last summer's class I took notice of the index cards my students submitted in class. Memories of last summer filled my head with the happy moments we shared at the time. I really can't believe that it's all over and that I will not be able to be with my students again.

Why do I feel this way? We were only acquainted for a month but why do I miss my students? What have they done for me to feel a great yearning for them? Is this yearning related to the job of teaching or the company of being with students?

The answer to all these questions is quite simple. I miss and yearn for my students because I love them and that loving someone does not require a reason for it to exist. It's just the way it is. It may sound cheesy but a perceptive student once wrote that I treat students as if they were my friends. How true. Every time I enter the classroom I don't see students in there but young peers or siblings. My main job there is to teach them to be good people and nothing more. When the semester ends and I see an improvement (no matter how little) in the way how they think and act then I will be very happy. Though such things are quite different to quantify by usual methods all it takes is some sensitivity and a little intuition for one to determine if you've made a mark. Though I am not sure if all my classes are successful in achieving my goals but seeing 2 or 3 students improve for the better is good enough for me. Rome wasn't built in a day after all.

The reason why I love teaching is because it gives me an opportunity to be with such young people. I am very happy why I'm with them. I always make it a point to challenge them in every way both intellectually and physically because it is a way of making them think big. This is the reason why it's common to see me competing in brawn with many of my students because I want them to learn confidence in dealing with people. There's no better way of developing confidence than in a competition.

I'm really grateful that I was given a chance to become a teacher. Someday I'll return to being one when everything is in order. For now I pray that the Almighty may keep my "dears" safe and that they may be properly guided even when I'm not around. Someday in their own good time they may be able to do things that can make this world a better place.