Wednesday, January 22, 2014

An unusual teacher apologizes to student



This is an unusual teacher. He apologized to a student in the most humiliating way possible. Who is the disciplinarian here. TOC has a transcript of the words exchanged.

It was at this point that the teacher shouted at him, “Justin!”
The boy turns around, walks back to where he was and says, “[You don’t have] to shout. I’m not deaf, right?”
The teacher replies, “I tell you very nicely [to] sit down…”
The boy cuts the teacher off in a raised voice.
“Don’t shout. I deaf ah? I deaf? I am asking you, ‘Am I deaf?’”
The teacher says, “I tell you…”
Again, the boy cuts him off.
“Am I deaf?”
Teacher says, “I don’t know.”
Boy replies, “Don’t know then you should not shout.”
Teacher: “But I tell you very softly…’
The boy interjects: “You should not shout! I’m not deaf, ok!”
Teacher: “Ok, I apologise. Please sit down.”
The boy refuses and instead tells the teacher to apologise to him with specific words.
The boy is still not satisfied.
“Who ask you to shout? I deaf ah?”
Teacher says, “Did I say I am sorry already? Did I say I am sorry?”
The boy interjects again, “Say, ‘Justin, I am sorry.’”
The teacher then did as the boy instructed.
See the red highlight. Even TOC could not bring itself to put it across to readers directly.

Teachers who have opted to teach in this school know what they are in for. I am sure the ordinary teacher would not be able to cope. Today we saw the Gospel in action. The teacher had as good as done for the student what Jesus had done washing his disciples feet. No wonder the principal called it a teaching moment. The teacher totally put aside his ego for the sake of this class and this bad boy. I am sure the story didn't end where the YouTube clip finished. The engagement must continue away from our eyes. The teacher must have been very clear minded what he wants to achieve with the class and with this kid and is willing to pay a huge price to get there. I salute him! MOE has courage and done the right thing to have these two Normal Tech schools. Our school system want to make something more out of these kids and is not afraid to fail trying.

Now this is something that the PM would be right to not be afraid to try and fail. Not public transport, civil unrest and certainly running out of hospital beds.

2 comments:

  1. School classrooms should have CCTV and maybe they will be both better behaved. The teacher and the student.
    Both are wrong.

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    Replies
    1. You are right but it didn't stop there. The teacher apologized. There might have been an altercation otherwise. What then? I don't think the teacher was afraid of the boy. He was thinking about the boy's future and how for the rest of the year he will help him. This is truly extraordinary.

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