This morning I received a text message from my husband and some friends wishing me a happy teacher's day, I was delighted. I teach a small Bible study which they used to attended. My thoughts go to my teachers, my gurus I should say - there is one man I would love to mention. Bro. Johnson, I have learnt so much from him and it has changed my life. He is one god sent teacher.
My memory jogs back to the time when I was in college, I was an average student, nothing special. I worked hard at this course that I had opted for - Drama (Shakespeare's plays). I enjoyed these classes thoroughly. This rather strict lady Ms. Cynthia Fernandez was an excellent teacher. She would make each line of the play she taught come alive with her voice and action. I was enchanted. I worked on her papers so hard and took my tests seriously because I adored this teacher and her dedication to her work.
When she gave us our test papers she always had a personal word for us. I waited for mine with baited breath and it never came. The whole class had got theirs I was almost in tears because she made it a habit to give papers according to the marks we received.
Finally, she held up a paper for the whole class to see, it was written all over in red, which meant doom. The words she said changed my life.."You cannot take a lamp and put it under a bushel, this person has been in the sidelines but today I want the class to know that she has produced a paper worthy of being published." She called me and had the class applaud me. I was in tears, but now it was tears of joy. Studying has never been the same after that - I went on to receive awards and gold medals at the university level, because of one lady - My Teacher.
If you are a teacher, I would like to tell you that you are the most powerful/influential person in this world. You have the opportunity to create presidents, professionals, business men/women and human beings of great character. If you could spot, effort, creativity, talent etc and appreciate your students for it, you will find that you may have impacted their lives in someway.
It has been years since I felt college, but I will never forget this teacher or that moment of transformation in my life. I just changed from an average student to an excellent student overnight. I remember all my teachers with gratitude and salute them for having chosen this noble profession. I salute the teachers of The Word like Bro.Johnson who make it a business to touch and change the lives of thousands of people, not for a fee but as a mission in life. I believe that teaching is not a profession, not a career, it is a mission.
I salute my mom who passed on recently, she was a dedicated teacher and her students are a testimony to it.
To all the teacher's of world, " I wish you a happy teachers day - Go and change the world! You may be underpaid and over worked but the world needs you - you dedicated missionaries."
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