"Just have a happy weekend"

clip_image002“Do you care about our class at all?!!!” I asked my pupils, almost pleading, half-shouting.

This class has become a nuisance, though I wouldn’t admit that. Well, I’ve been blessed to be with these extremely sweet angels at other times, who would somehow get possessed along the way and would end up wounding a teacher’s heart. Oh! That could be an exaggeration; but yes, they do break my heart.

At first, I wouldn’t really mind a series of complaints hurled against my advisory class. I could discipline them, almost effortlessly; so, there must be something else going along in every subject teacher’s journey in my pupils’ self-made haven. But eventually, my eyes have witnessed what has been considered misconduct in the norms of the school; my ears have heard the loudest of shouts saying, “Keep quiet!” (Note: 80% of the population inside does this, so imagine your eardrum breaking out), and my throat has been harassed whenever my signals won’t work (often when they don’t notice me watching them.) This scenario has become a routine (Ouch!). Imagine the adviser’s exhaustion at the end of the day (That’s me!).

Recently, they have become too hyperactive that they would all stand at the slight signal of a subject teacher ending the class. Boom! Merry-making time for them. The worst happens when the next teacher comes in late for the class. Being the adviser, I have to be on-the-go, and probably on-the-loose (Oh no!). Seriously, I am on watch. And there, that’s where my exhaustion stems from. Then comes the endless drama of a female teacher detailing every misbehavior among other things. And the list goes on.

Now, let’s talk positive. Some “genuine” angels happened to be in my class. These are the group of pupils whom teachers would like rather too fast due to their outstanding behavior. One pupil, one boy, has been a constant companion of mine. Not the one I go out with of course, but the one who would sense my current state of being, observe me, then find a way to calm me down. He has been with me for 3 years (as my pupil), but I still don’t see it a reason for him to sense what I really do feel at the moment. Anyway, so he’s been pretty assisting me for months.

I had a pretty bad week just recently. Every afternoon would seem like a dreaded one, for I would hear complaints one after the other. But this boy would do things to comfort me. On that Friday, he went to the teachers’ nook, went towards my table, organized my things, and cleaned my table. He waited for me; I was working with his classmates on an important matter. Until he waved goodbye. Shortly, I entered the nook and found a folded paper on my table. My intuition was right. He would leave me a note. But it wasn’t that simple, and I would like to share that here.

Dear T. Dolly,

I wish we could change our ways and the things you hate about us. I wish you a happy weekend with your love ones. I am sorry if we disappointed you. Just have a happy weekend. We love you, but I do not know about the others who are disrespectful. I love you T. Dolly as a teacher. Thank you for teaching me. Please don’t give up but if we are so noisy, I am just sorry.

Bye T. Dolly.

Each pupil has his own characteristics, uniquely woven into his being and shaped by life’s circumstances. But for teachers, a pupil like him is worth a thousand smiles.

I look forward to meeting all of them, for I don’t hold grudges against them; they are the youngsters who need a little bit of patience and an extra ounce of hard work. But this pupil will never get unnoticed, for he is one of my life’s prized jewels.

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