Being a teacher in this part of the world isn't an easy task at all. When you consider how underpaid and underappreciated we are or how stressful the nature of the job is, all of these would have easily made one quit and seek a greener pasture had there not been a deep passion for teaching in us, which is true, but despite all of this downside, there are still some things I enjoyed about my job as a teacher that make me keep going, and today I'll love to tell you all about it.
In truth, the job is very stressful and can drain one's energy. In fact, despite how strong I'm, on several occasions I still consider quitting and jumping ship to another profession, but my passion for teaching and helping these children is one of the major reasons why I stay behind and keep on working.
Despite being a public servant and having opportunities for free medical care at the hospital, it's still not a good reason to stay because they usually tell you they don't have most of the drugs you need, meaning that despite the fact that they remove medical fees from my wages, I still spend money to buy drugs outside because they don't give me what I need.
But then, putting all that aside, like I said, there are a few things that I really enjoyed about my job, and number one on the list is my passion for teaching; it's something I've come to admire and engage in since, god knows, when. I just find it easy and do it effortlessly because I've got the passion, so even though I get tired and exhausted from work daily and feel like quitting, when I remember my passion, I'll rethink and feel like I need to make a difference in the lives of my young ones.
Take, for instance, being a teacher and how I complain about the stress. I can easily quit and go to a private school to teach; at least there the population won't be as much as it's here, but then I've worked in private schools before and know how we mannered and cultured their students; most have good academic backgrounds and are well below average in their studies, but the reverse is the case in public schools.
Most of the students here have poor academic backgrounds, and this affects their performance. In fact, you will be surprised to find students in junior high and/or senior secondary school who either read or write. It's quite disheartening, and given the nature of my job and some teachers I see around, if I were to leave, I believe they'll just keep pushing these students to promote themselves without them knowing anything.
A student ought to pass through school and let school as well pass through him, not just for him to pass through school without any evidence of that aside from the fact that they're putting on a uniform, so I usually, out of my passion, delve into teaching methods such as utilizing technological devices and apps to make sure they at least pick up a thing or two that they've learned from my teaching.
Aside from the passion and joy I derive from shaping young minds, one other aspect of my job that I love and that keeps me going is the sporting activities and competitions. You see, we often hold annual sporting competitions within the school and even participate in interhouse and state sporting competitions, and I just love this aspect of my job because I get to discover talent and nurture them to learn and thrill in it.
The more we compete, indulge in exercise, and win, the more excited I'm, and it doesn't really matter if we win, but the joy of seeing this student thrilled, excited, and even joyous when we win just makes me want to keep going, either in academic or extracurricular activities. The joy of a teacher usually comes from the progress of their students.
Even if I'm not recognizing my efforts in training the students, I know they're my product, so seeing them excel has a way of lighting up my day, and it's one of the reasons I keep going on and on despite all the challenges therein.
All photos used in this article are mine and captured with my Redmi 12 smartphone.
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