Teacher's Reply

Dear Student,
As your teacher, I'm proud that you honestly tell me what you think to me. You're right, I was once a student, and as a student, I had the same problems as you're. If I really could, I wouldn't care if you're doing fine or not, just as you wished. I'll just leave you alone, but if I really do that will go against policy.

If you're failing again and again, won't your parents say something? If they ask me, why you keep failing? Can I just irresponsibly say "Oh, sorry, sir, sorry ma'am, I can't teach your child, since your child is just a plain idiot". Not to mention that what if they ask you why you're failing again and again. Which one of these, will your parents more likely to believe? "Sorry, Dad and Mum, I'm just a plain idiot", or "My teacher is an idiot and doesn't know how to teach properly".

Have you ever been punished for something you didn't do? I'm not talking about homework here, If you don't do the homework, you deserve the punishment. You know what I'm talking about, If I punish you, because your classmate who is sitting behind you making a lot of noise or your parents take away your game, because your brother spends too much time gaming and didn't do his homework. Will you be happy? Good, cause I don't want to be blame and being said as an Idiot, because of what you've done.

I say try harder all the times, "Nothing is impossible if you try and try, trying harder", or whatever it is, to encourage you, those words are meant to encourage students. What will happen if I say "Oh you, forget it, you will not pass the test", "Emm, yes, but sorry, if it's you, you will say something out of topic, next!" instead of "Try harder, you can do better", how will you, students feel? Or you have a big sport match tomorrow, will you rather me saying "The opponent is strong, but don't worry, all of you are amazing, you can do it, I believe in you" or "Umm.. The opponent is so strong, and you... I don't know. You'll be more likely to lose, but... yeah, go ahead, maybe somehow you can win".

Encouragement is what I'm trying to do. Limit exists, but how are you going to know your limit? If you don't push yourself to see where your limit is? And all you do is thinking "Oh, I can't do that, so forget it", "Oh, this one, maybe, but no, I don't want the risk of wasting my time".

And for whatever issues you have, talk to me! I'm not going to know how you feel, what problems you have or anything if you don't talk to me. Okay, according to you, we speak different languages. That makes me welcome you more to talk to me, so I'll learn a new language and so will you. That's probably how dictionary is first made, group of people who don't speak the same language trying to understand each other.

Yours sincere "Try harder" and "Nothing is impossible" believer,

Teacher

Herli © 2009