Students are our Best Teachers

Darla School Assembly

Class in Progress

My Cohort of class IV B

We spend more than nine months with students, and honestly, they’ve taught us more than we’ve taught them—how to use the latest gadgets, how to dress fashionably, how to walk with swagger, and probably how to roll our eyes without getting caught.

Take my Class IV students. They literally check my patience—daily, sometimes hourly. They’re passionate little humans who grumble a lot and pretend not to listen. Managing 48 of them is like herding cats on a sugar rush. By the end of the day, I regret not being able to give each one enough attention. When I assign group work, the classroom turns into a fish market—complete with animal sounds, screeches, and the occasional mysterious squeak. Exhausting? Yes. But when I get serious, they actually listen. And they learn. So maybe there’s hope for us both.

Then there’s my Class X students—the introverts. They’re like well-trained puppies: if I turn my head, they turn theirs. They listen way too much. They work hard, I think (they’re so quiet I can’t always tell). I secretly wish for a whole class of them—students who never question me, even when I’m clearly wrong. Bless their silent hearts. I told them to be good, do good, and good things will come back. They nodded. No arguments. Beautiful.

Some of my past students are now teachers—like me, but younger and probably less grumpy. Others have vanished into professions in places I’ve never heard of. Many have jobs, many are still students, and a surprising number have found me on Facebook and followed my blog. I like to think they miss me. I definitely miss them.

All in all, I was lucky to have such sincere, diligent students. Almost as lucky as they were to have such a good teacher. And I’m enjoying the fruit of teaching—one Facebook like at a time.