5 Things Teaching Kids Have Taught Me

As I have already mentioned, I am a newly graduate from Chemical Engineering Department at Tripoli University. While I was a full time student, I was working as an English language private tutor for kids to finance myself and to be fully responsible of my own life.

I have always been passionate about English language and I enjoyed the learning process of the language very much until in 2013, a friend told me why don’t I consider working as a teacher since I have the desire and willingness to do so and I have been doing it since then.

Right after graduating, I began working as a full time English teacher for third grade students and this experience have not only helped me discover myself but it has definitely made me cherish teaching more.

Since school year is almost over, I would like to share with you what each student have taught me. I have a total of 35 students and each one of them is an entire world. Here are the top five lessons I have learnt:

Patience:

This is the first word to pop up on our minds when we say kids. Working with kids can be overwhelming but it shows you to what extent you can put up to before breaking into pieces. Even though I consider myself a very patient person but this what I now call a theory have been tested by the kids I am working with.

Purest form of unconditional love: 

Whenever they make too much noise or do not listen to me, I get upset and they feel guilty so they haul me with apology letters and they write I love you Miss Malak on the board once I come in in class. I cannot hide my smile even when I am upset.

To be a role model for them:

I remember when I was little and I had teachers whom I considered role models for their superb efforts and how they made learning easy and enjoyable but once I became one, I found myself brainstorming for ideas, activities and taking courses related with teaching so I can give out my best for each class.

Ms. Know it all: 

Students see teachers as a box of information and answers. We all see them this way and being one meant that I had to be ready for their pop up questions during the class. I learnt how to be ready for anything because kids cannot take no for an answer, trust me!

Openness to different levels:

Students understanding level varies and the challenge for any teacher is to keep up with each student starting from weak to excellent ones. However, the main challenge is to keep up with weak students and help them improve, they acquire most of the teacher’s effort so never give up on them.

Lastly, I have come to love teaching because I know that I am helping someone grow and flourish. I have also learned how to be a better person and how to help someone more effectively.