Teaching is not exactly an easy job. It's not exactly easy to teach kids with different needs using one pattern, you know.
I was cool with all of my teachers from nursery through primary school; they mostly had same pattern of teaching. I always topped my class, so, things were just fine.
When I got into high school, things became a little different, with different teachers handling different subjects and applying their different methods.
Unsplash
I may not be in a position to grade my teachers but i will. And if I'm handed a whip to greet them with, I may just do justice.
I don't have a worst teacher. Or I can't recall ever feeling about anyone in that way. But with teaching methods;
Mr S. taught us Mathematics. Actually he knows the subject really well. Taught my big brothers before me. The man was just weird. Arrived class extra early. He starts to teach immediately. Never seen a man who holds the attention of the whole class as he does yet manages to not pass the information. Once he's in class the whole place grows quiet. Everyone runs to seat in front (actually, he likes to ask questions starting with those at the back. Sometimes). You see students working at their rough sheets and calculator. Don't even assume they know what they're doing. It's all disguise. "Do you understand?," The whole class goes "Yes!" A big lie. I can't recall anyone asking questions during his class. His supposed best student never even understood. Was always as confused as the rest of us. I remember a time when some students used to scream and jubilate for getting a 3/20 in his test. If you did your assignment or not, that's your business. The time I excelled at maths, my bro was holding lessons with me at home. Was really good. I supplied answers to questions during class to my mates. I never got up to answer.
An extremely quiet man but this technique did not work with me. Cannot even remember a time from when I understood anything he taught.
Because, I know he's good, I'll grade him a 3/10. I'm being nice.
On the flip side..
The best teaching/learning period I experienced was in my first year in senior high school. This man, Mr Ebere, taught us Economics, Data processing and Computer. All three. While I know that I put in great effort at my studies, I must tell that he had the best methods. Man was grounded in not just those subjects but in the field of teaching. I've spoken about him to my friends and siblings many times.
Okay, so here's how he did his;
Let's say he's teaching a topic in Economics and while on it, he throws a question(from the previous topic which may be somewhat related to the new one), at the class and realized that a few persons may have forgotten, guess what he does?
He goes back to teaching the previous topic from the very beginning. I remember it used to make the class murmur but he did not care. He taught with cited examples(many, far too many), sometimes smiling, sometimes not, he stammers (it made the class even fun), he punished, throws subs but importantly, you see the enthusiasm. He wasn't the "oh! you've forgotten. You don't read. That's your business" kind of teacher. He was the "pay attention. This book must enter your head by fire by force" kind of teacher.
Sometimes, many times, after some students are yet to understand (which in my opinion is their faults), Mr E still revisits the subject. Funnily enough, I knew my notes word-for-word at that time. With how he was always teaching and re-teaching topics, I couldn't help it.
And now, you'll assume that with his methods, he'll probably be behind in meeting up his scheme and stuff. But very surprisingly, he was 'always' the first teacher to finish his scheme - long before many other teachers had gotten anywhere.
See, this may not be anything to you, but to me, it is everything. Here's a teacher that I will never forget. There are so many other teachers with effective methods that I adore but this one stood out for me. For everyone of us at that time.
He set the toughest questions, did not condone malpractice, yet his students did well. We had teachers whose classes made us excited and a lot of them were not even as strict yet they did not have that much impact on us.
I am not just excited because I did excellent in his subjects. Heck! In ss1, I did well in every single subject I offered. Man made you excited about class, never missed his periods, was never late(apologized if he was). Lol. He'll even take other teachers fee periods(very annoying). Covered every area so you never get confused.
So, I would be grading him a 9/10. Should be more right? Well, I recall when he gave me a 99/100. When I spoke to him about my earned one mark, he said, "..you worry too much. I know you got it but I can't give you."
In this scenario, power just changed hands. I'm that petty. I know.
Thanks for gracing this post.
Greetings!