This archive report was first published on 17 May 2020.
As I sat down to teach my two children, I felt a sense of dread wash over me. I had been a teacher for only two hours, but I was already frustrated and defeated. I had to quell the beginning of a scream of exasperation close to eight times during those two hours.
It's not easy being a teacher, I've come to realize. It requires a special dose of patience that probably needs years of experience to acquire. Children have the attention span of a goldfish, and getting them to concentrate on a task for even 30 minutes can be impossible.
My friend, a trained teacher, recently told me how she and her husband handed over the role of teaching their two youngest children to their 15-year-old eldest child after two weeks of struggling. They realized they were losing their temper too often, making the job even more difficult.
Her reprieve was short-lived, however, as her children soon told her they no longer wanted to be taught by their big sister because she shouted at them more than they did.
This experience has taught me a lot about myself, including the importance of appreciating teachers. I have to confess that many times, I have been uncharitable towards them, wondering if the education my children are getting is worth the school fees I pay.
Now, I know that being a teacher requires lots of skill, experience, determination, supernatural patience, and perhaps some form of psychology. Hats off to these men and women who make a difference in our children's lives.
