Lize Shola Okoh: We Need Better Teachers
It
had happened when she was in secondary school. She was not more special
than your average teenager who had the drive and passion to succeed in
school in order to better their future. She enjoyed Biology, Economics,
Further Maths, and English Language – although it wasn’t her favourite.
She did her homework as best as she could and handed it just in time
like any other student; but one particular assignment made the
difference, even though she never realised it at the time.
The
assignment that could have change the course of her future career path
was in creative writing. She recalled that for the first time in her
English class, they had been given an assignment to write a flash
fiction of 250 words. As she sat in the class, ideas of what she could
write began to flood her head and she couldn’t wait to get home to
begin.
That night as usual, there was
no light, but still, she sat on the living room carpet with a lantern
on the table as she poured her ideas out on paper. She said that she
couldn’t remember the exact words, but knew the story had been about a
son who had died on the day of his eighteenth birthday and as his family
and friends gathered at his graveside, his mother had cried in anguish.
She had written on and ripped the paper in her booklet several times,
trying to get the prose as perfect as she could. Every word was to be a
rhythm, leading from one scene to the next.
As
I looked at her unveiling her story, I could see the passion and
regret. The passion came from knowing what could have been, if her
teacher had been a good one; and the regret that she had been too young
and ignorant to have understood what his reaction had truly meant.
She
had been proud of her work and submitted the assignment in anticipation
of his review. The next day however, she was surprised when the teacher
called her and asked who had written her submission. Still puzzled at
his question, she replied that she had. However, he refused to believe
her. He knew she was a good student and did well in her assignments, but
for some reason, he couldn’t fathom that she could have written such a
brilliant piece.
Looking back on it
now, I couldn’t help but conclude that her teacher had failed her. As I
quickly Googled the word ‘teacher, I found that a teacher must enjoy
teaching. A teacher who cares for their students is going to help that
individual succeed in their life in the future.
I
believe teachers can act as role models and steer a student towards
their strengths and talents. So for me, it is a wonder when some
teachers act like their role in teaching starts and ends with the
curriculum of their subject. Simply put, if you’re not ready to teach,
mentor and act as a role model for the younger generation, teaching
isn’t your calling. Oga abeg, find another job.
I
would have expected a sound teacher to have taken the time to encourage
and nurture her writing abilities. Instead, he had concluded that it
was a friend of hers who was amongst the top ranking in his subject that
must have written it for her. She, on the other hand, did all she could
to convince him that she had indeed written the story herself, but
turned to deaf ears.
Now an adult, she regrets that she hadn’t realised earlier on and taken it into her own hands to pursue her creative talents.
This
story really resonated with me as a writer, and made me angry for her
sake that she had never been steered to what had clearly been her gift.
Imagine if her English teacher had been a good one, who cared for his
students and helped them succeed in their life in the future? Perhaps,
she could have been a published author by now, or even if she never
followed that path, at least she could have earlier on realised some of
her talents and her strength in writing fiction.
I
hope this story helps someone think more about their role in life, and
how they might be an instrument in helping someone else realise their
dreams no matter how small that might be.
We all play different roles, and in so doing our purpose are interdependent and interconnected with those around us.
So, maybe we don’t just need better teachers in the world, we actually need better people.
What do you think?
Till next time,
Stay positive, creative and passionate!
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