The Joy that only a teacher knows

It is the hardest month of my life. This year’s April. To tell you, I’ve initiated and been giving art lesson in my office for 17 children, mostly underprivileged ones. Every day, from Monday to Friday, after school hours, I teach them drawing, art, painting and also designing craft items.    

I’m not a teacher, by the way. As a supporting staff, my job responsibilities are to assist my managers in the office administrative works and projects carried out by my office. However, I conduct this art class (with support from my office management) to help children to inculcate in them skills, creativity, confidence and good values through art lesson.

Besides my daily office works, I’ve to find out my own time to prepare art lesson. The class starts from 4 pm to 5 pm. After two weeks of teaching, I felt the actual demands of work. It was very tiring, stressful for me. Every evening, after the class, my legs and back ached, and my throat pained. Also, I had to forego all my leisure time and comfort. 

Moreover, most of my students were slow in learning. A few didn’t understand anything at all. Others reacted fast, but never hit on the point. So they always put me in a foul mood. I felt muddled-headed, and gradually I started losing my patient. I scolded them too.

At one point, I wanted to stop the class, but something dragged me on. I don’t know what it is. So today, it has been exactly a month that I’m giving the class. And the class will continue till this year’s end.        

Yesterday afternoon, I received handmade cards from my students. It shocked me, as it was unusual for me to receive cards on teacher’s day. Also, they wished me, “Happy Teacher’s Day!” The way they said it, the way they emphasized it, melted my heart. I looked at my students; they all stood in beautiful smile, grateful and proud.

  

I took a moment, and ran my eyes up and down the cards. And to my own amazement, tears welled up in my eyes. Maybe that’s the nicest thing ever happened to me in the recent years. It is, to put it more precisely.   

On that day, I asked all my students to design cards for their favorite teachers in their schools. It is to honour them on teacher’s day. The cards also contain special messages for their teachers. It took us more than two hours to complete making the cards.  

This is the pride of a man who teaches art lesson one hour a day. So you just can’t imagine the pride and achievements of those teachers who teach their entire life.

Let’s salute all our teachers!