Reda Soherwardy English Coordinator Riyadh Al Retaj Girls School, Jeddah
Learning and gaining knowledge is one of the main purposes of human lives, which is definitely not possible without a teacher. Very often the role of teacher is underestimated in terms of its influence, which normally goes beyond generations. Teaching was the occupation of the prophets. It is the shaping of human minds and personalities which in turn shapes destinies of many. It is a job where I feel I grow each day and learn new things from new experiences, situations, from my staff and my students. I completed my masters in analytical chemistry from Karachi University. When I entered as a teacher in my very first class, I was quite unsure of what to expect or how exactly I was going to handle the kids or how I was going to deliver the lesson. Although I had prepared before hand, I was confused. I even forgot the parts of information I had to deliver. My lesson was about insects. I scribbled some funny insects on the board and tried to keep the lesson interesting. The girls said they enjoyed. I once had a student who used to literally sit with her legs on the desk, while she would eat and drink, sing, cry and shout, ignoring the presence of teacher. She was very good at distracting other students with various methods, and the class I taught had a large number of hyper-active students. I tried different techniques with her, strictness, politeness, pretending that she is not there, it all failed. But when I started to pamper her, and appreciate her for little things, to my surprise she changed. She turned out to be the smartest girl in the class toward the end. Teaching is a tough job as it deals with the development of thought processes and personalities, which neither comes easy nor fast. It requires a lot of patience and hard work. Belief in Allah keeps me going. Life is all about ups and downs. But if your heart is content and your mind is clear about where you have to reach, then the troubles are not just troubles, they become learning opportunities. Besides, as a supervisor, I would say, there is a feeling of a little bit of improvement, a little more relaxation and satisfaction when all the effort pays off. Seeing my teachers and students growing, learning and succeeding and seeing their bright smiles gives me a genuine boost. The most important thing you have to take with you to class before anything else is clear intentions and target of what you want to achieve with a flexible plan. You have to have confidence in yourself and concentrate equally on all the students. The first lesson you deliver that is learnt and remembered easily by the students are always your actions, and your manners despite talks. Learning never stops, and so I still continue to be a student; I love to be one always; it's something I can't ever give up. I always want to learn new things. Though my school and university life is a memorable period of my life, my working life is an opportunity to make many splendid memories. Teaching is the best thing to do. Don't spend a lot of time weighing the options, just step right in. Allah will open the doors of ease one after another. As told to Nisma Rafiq / Saudi Gazette
