Being Honest About Teaching

I think being a teacher is an important job and will always be, but I never had any experience of what it is like, nor did I ever think I would do it at some point. I am doing it now for the first time, and the least I would say is that it is not what I could have ever imagined it to be.

Right off the bat, I would say that I do not exactly enjoy being a teacher. It may be because of the circumstances I am subjected to or the fact that it probably really isn't my thing. I do it anyway, as that is supposed to be my service to my country.

Other than being on Hive in the foreground and background daily, doing the same old things (that always excite me), I spend some of my time teaching at a technical college. Does it pay the bills? Heh. Just hold on a little for that answer.

Like every other teacher, what I have to do, essentially, is show up in the classrooms designated to me at the right times. I teach physics only, and then I offer what I brought to the students that day. I continue that until the end of the term, when the students take their examinations.

Now, ever since I have been doing this job, I have been questioning my ability to impart knowledge to people—the young ones at my school, at least. Why? Well, because it usually appears as though I teach Mandarin and all they understand at the end of the class is "Do you understand?" Then, of course, their response is usually "No, sir!" Then again, I would sigh out of frustration.

At times, I wonder where the issue may lie. I mean, this isn't just my experience alone. Many of my colleagues say the same thing. Could it be the foundation or something? I think of that because I often have to refer to concepts that they should already know at their level so they get a grasp of what I am explaining, but then discover that I am only speaking German to them instead.

Now, I do not come close to being great at my job either. I admit that it's my first time, and I really do not think I have the skills to do this job as effectively as I should. But I think I know how I'd like for someone to explain things to me, and that's what I try to implement with the students.

However, when I think about how I was when I was like that, I remember that I wasn't so great of a student. At that time, I was even really terrible with physics and subjects like mathematics, chemistry, and further mathematics. Man, I wondered just how I would even make it to the university. I didn't even understand math alone, let alone going further!

So then, I just mellow when I am about to get a tad bit frustrated with my job. But then again, I also remember working on myself—very hard, for that matter—and doing very well with my grades with time. However, I think about it again: we're all different and have our own paces.

To be very honest, I am only doing this job because I was posted by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to teach at that school in service to my country. I like to think that there are other ways I could serve, but we're doing this now anyway.

The incentives I get are the monthly allowances the federal government gives us. Sometimes, the state government gets touched by a spirit to give us allowances in some months. What I get from the school is "Thank you!" And, of course, that fills my belly more than five packs of pizza.

By the way. Have I mentioned that it's chalkboards? I thought we were in 2024. Marker boards are much more convenient, indisputably.

With this little experience with teaching, I have come to the conclusion that I would rather do other jobs that are more within my strength and zeal to do than be a teacher. It's not what I expected. And so I give salutations to the teachers far and near.

After June, which is when I will be done with service, I'll go back to where I came from. If I ever get skilled at teaching, maybe I could reconsider, but I'd rather not afterwards. Until then, I'll be trying to conquer this mountain of 500 scripts to mark.