Opinions

A job truly exposes one to an infinite number of experience one could not ever possibly imagine. Being a teacher it allows me to see the life in school from a completely different prospective. Previously I grew up as a student and living in secondary school was really pleasant and full with joy. It was so far the best thing that has happened in my life but I would not deny that are moments I despise about being a student. I hated some of the disciplinary measures and rules taken by the school, whether it is directed under the ministry or not, and I hated co-curriculum activities - all of them - and I detest the number of workload, the humid hot weather at certain time of the year that makes the classroom stuffy and the day uncomfortable, the lecture for the whole morning and the listlessness I felt for the whole day due to extreme tiredness and lack of time to rest. I hated a lot of things but overall all of them is easily ignored due to the incredibly amount of joy I had experienced in schools and all the fun I had with my friends.

Right now being a teacher I know how it feels like to be a teacher and how the different society in a school co-mingle with another society to make the school an interesting population. Being teacher is actually busy and just as tiring as students. 70% of the work a teacher does, I dare say, is paperwork irrelevant to the students. Writing teaching plans even though we know it's useless but only because it is the directive of the ministry. Preparing paperwork for the students' activities in which they have no authority or autonomy to write yet. Finding the most economical way to assist the students in finding the best trainers for co-curriculum, keying in students data in websites required by government but inaccessible to the students, understanding how the marking scheme works and what it requires to help students who are largely disinterested in knowing them because they have yet to understand the severity of the ground, learning to teach a subject one is not trained to teach, trying to control a class of recalcitrant and rebellious students while rushing to finish syllabus in time....lots more.

There is something worth looking at. Teachers, being as busy as students, too love the students to give space and cooperate for the lessons to go smoothly. Students, being tired, too would often hope the teachers stop teaching at certain points and allow the students to rest and sleep whenever possible. I was there, I know listening teachers teaching the entire morning is downright tiring. But teachers have a work to do, they have responsibilities to shoulder and they have people to answer to if they are deemed to have failed their responsibilities. And therefore it is impossible for a teacher to satisfy all the students' wish. But, as Newton's third law rightly states, every action has a reaction. It is also impossible for students to meet the teachers requirements due to a multitude of complicated reasons.

It is in my observation that often a teacher crosses path with a student at the most busy and stressful time in a day, and vice versa. Often heated conversation and conflict arises because a teacher and a student could not cooperate and reach a consensus to allow a lesson to go on smoothly. It is true a student ought to listen to the teacher, but in my book in some occasion a teacher could give space and tolerate with the students. I understand what the teacher fails - we do not know the students, we do not know whether he has the independence and maturity to understand the severity of the consequences if he does not pay attention and do his homework, and therefore for the student's best interest we assume he does not and we begin to lecture them that they have to work hard and give them telling that it is time for them to study.

But being a student, there simply are times they need a break. After all they have lots of subjects to study and all the subjects and knowledge are new to them and it takes time to digest. Perhaps in the previous lesson he has been thrown a complicated question and that while fathoming it he got so tired he simply could no longer listen the next lesson. Exacerbated by the fact that there are lots of co-curriculum activities and perhaps house chores to deal with at home, there are many things to balance and many things to be done. It is in my opinion that a teacher could at times understand the students' position to employ the best approach to assist them.

Likewise a student ought to put themselves in a teacher's shoes sometimes. Sometimes a teacher simply has too many paperwork to do that they got so busy they forgot a lot of things. Sometimes they are frustrated and support the students in many instances but are often silenced or fear to voice as being a worker under the school and the government, there really is not much room for voice to be spoken or be heard. Often a teacher has to control and suppress a few students for the best interest of those who wish to have a peaceful lesson. There are way too many things to be considered and to be taken care of.

Being a teacher and in the past, a student allows me to see a lot of things from the positions of both students and teachers. I think it is time for both parties to attempt to put themselves in each other's shoes and try a different solution to a similar event. Of course I do not agree that being a student, being recalcitrant is a nature. If a student behaves badly, it is the duty of the teachers to educate. Teachers are humans and therefore fallible, and there are times a teacher could be wrong and it is best that students do not get too arrogant in handling disciplinary issues. If a student is embroiled in fighting, take disciplinary issues sternly and strictly but at the same times, trying to understand the very root of the problem is helpful too. Telling them to only control their anger and not repeat the action is only a short term solution. I understand it is not easy to change someone as I have seen first hand, but to continue to suppress and ignore isn't a bright choice either.

Teachers and students, complicated living beings to live.