Lesson 1: Back to Basics

Haughty and naughty students who don't like to be reprimanded usually think that they can just treat teachers as people who only work in order to feed themselves and their family members. They think that the lives of their professors lie in their hands. What is worse is they make us, teachers, look stupid. These notions are a crap if not ridiculous. One thing students often forget is why they call their professors, instructors, and proctors 'teachers.'

Perhaps, some examples can enlighten their deprived minds.

We can inspire and motivate people who already have goals in their lives. We only need to nourish these goals, and help our students go to the right path. Flexible that we are, we can do this in our out of the academe. Teachers can go to different schools. As long as we have our license we can teach anywhere. And even without license, we can venture into other jobs. We can go to call centers, or even become event’s organizers. On the other hand, students, once kicked out, can never go to any. It will take a long time for them to get their act together and start anew. There are exemptions to this of course but they are scanty otherwise nobody will go to school anymore.

Second reason that students must be on their toes is there are many students in the world who deserve the instructors' best efforts. We don't like wasted effort-nobody likes it in the first place. I, for one, don't bother myself caring for those who do not want to help themselves. I rather be stuck with bookworms who forsake their lunches for good reads than teach those who make my blood boil. I rather comfort below-average students who still follow my instructions than those who think they are high and mighty. The point is, if some students don’t like listening and participating in our class discussions, the teachers only need to interact with those who show interest in learning. We will not forsake those who depend on us. We are neither caregivers nor nannies who follow their bosses around. We make Bosses.

Lastly, one of the reasons we are called teachers is we have gone through series of studies and tests which not all students can go through. Students can't even pass regular quizzes, how much more a nationally standardized examination. Giving us alibis for their violation of classroom regulation is an insult to our intellect. Trying to pit their pride against our pride is a mismatched challenge because we belong in a different level.

It is high time that these irresponsible students know who they fight against. We are not ordinary persons who wear stifling clothes to look formal, makeup to look older, high-heeled shoes to look respectable. We have already succeeded our trials in order for us to be where we are right now. A challenge coming from a stray batch of school sheep is but an ordinary case for us that we are willing to take any time of the day—except when we are at home, that is—knowing and believing that in a school, there are more students who are willing to learn than those who throw their lives and their parents’ toil away.

We are not only teachers. We are Professional Teachers and it takes more than just a bunch of rowdy kids to take this title away from us.