A labour of love
I WAS a teacher at Cuvu Secondary School from 1969 to 1975 when, for some inexplicable reason, I was unceremoniously terminated.
So was my wife. Her fault – being married to me! I guess I was a maverick even then!
I turned 81 last month – a little past retirement age for teachers in Fiji. But I would join the profession in a heartbeat if only they would hire me.
Maybe I can be hired for professional development of teachers. I am sure I can contribute immensely. The late Filipe Bole thought so.
I am convinced that teaching is the greatest profession in the world. I do not want to demean it by calling it a job. It is a labor of love.
When it comes to transforming lives developed in poverty, especially in third world countries, education is a powerful tool. We give students the skills to read, to write and to persevere.
Low pay
Teaching can be torturous—and the pay is not that great. I was making $150 a month when I started. But I never thought about it. Heck, the Peace Corps volunteers were making only $50!
But the rewards come when students balance a chemical equation or solve a tough problem – and a smile breaks on their faces.
When you focus on relationships, this is the greatest, most exhilarating, and exciting work you can do. I was making $1800 a year but I was the happiest person you would have ever met.
Why I loved it
I loved what I did, all the time, every day. I even took Saturday classes. Yes, there were a lot of struggles. But when you see a look of understanding on their faces, it gives you such a feeling of fulfillment.
I had one kid who came up to me after he passed his FJC exam and said, ‘I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t pushed me. And the only reason I didn’t quit is because you didn’t quit on me.”
He literally said, ‘I felt like every other teacher gave up on me but you had faith in me.”
It reminded me of the movie, To Sir With Love. We took the students to see it in Sigatoka – and I think they saw a glimpse of Sydney Poitier in me.
Of course, not every student is going to say thanks. And not every student will persist. But I was never going to be the reason they walk away.
I always told them “I know you can do it!”
Each day is different
I would start fresh every day. If I had a terrible Monday with a challenging student, I did not start Tuesday still mad at him. Whatever happened the day before was water under the bridge.
I would listen to the noise in the classroom in mind and was not concerned about minor noise. The sound of students talking, laughing, exploring is the sound of learning.
I was not a lecture-based educator at all but fostered inquiry-based learning. Simon Sinek says that we must know what is our why for anything we do. As a teacher my” why” was that every student I taught had become a better person than before I met him or her.
My mantra
My goal was to make learning magical and fun. And, most of all, to make it memorable.
My best advice? When you’re a teacher, you should never stop learning. Stay curious. Keep asking yourself, is there a better way to do something? Because there always is.
I always found passion in some aspect of teaching. The kids loved it when I taught Lochinvar and we would enact the poem.
They say that if a doctor is wrong, one life can be affected whereas if a teacher is wrong, a whole class can be affected. We often disregard the powerful impact that teachers have.
Focus on building relationships with students.
I left a job as a sugar chemist at SPSM which paid me twice because I would rather help make a difference in people’s lives rather than determine the sugar content in sugarcane.
As a teacher, when we are aware that the students in front of us are someone’s greatest treasure, then it is an honor to spend time with them daily in nurturing them to bring out their greatest potential
The joy of teaching
At the basic level, there is joy in the classroom simply because every human being’s native state is one of joy, expressed through wonder and curiosity. Teaching is, therefore, a daily opportunity to participate in sharing and learning more about the wonder of this life.
It is, of course, unfortunate that overcrowded classrooms, crammed curriculums, rigid and an addiction to testing restrict the natural flow of joy. And children get bored by cramming facts and figures they spew out in the exams rather than learn to enjoy the beauty of logic and the ability to reason out and really enjoy the process of learning.
Be different
Being a non-conformist myself, I did not want my students to be standardized, but to maintain their diverse, joyful expression of the human spirit and develop critical thinking skills. I did not measure my ability by how much information can be packed into young minds for a test but by evoking a sense of curiosity. I believe that education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel which was Socrates’ enduring educational philosophy.
When teachers are dedicated and passionate in making a difference, they are respected. Then they can naturally fill the classroom with joyful magnificence and revel in the fulfillment when they see their students doing well.
My wish for teachers in Fiji
I strongly believe in opportunity for all students and in the power of public education to transform lives and create a more just and inclusive society. And that would be possible if the Ministry of Education faithfully follows its mission.
Everyone knows that Finland has the best education system in the world.
This is possible because of rigorously increasing the standard of teaching education, paying teachers well and making a conscious effort to see how the society see teachers – with respect.
ARVIND MANI is a former teacher who is passionate about quality education. He lived in the US for 35 years and was actively involved in training youths to improve their speaking skills. The views expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. He can be reached at theinspiredteacher9@gmail.com
