ONE VOICE, MANY LIVES

Dear Aliana,

I’m so glad you’ve decided to become a teacher.

We’ve had generations of teachers in our family line—your grandfather and my grandmother; your mum, uncle and aunts; my mum and dad, my siblings and I, ... the list goes on!

Someone once said this:

So true!

Your voice in the classroom will impact not one, not two, not 40 but generations after.

What your students learn from you, what skills they acquire and what values you inculcate among them should not fade away. These should stay with them when they go for further studies or enter the workforce, get married and become parents.

Your touch could live on in their children and the generations after.

You embraced wonderful values at home, Aliana. You have compassion, honesty, fairness, respect for others and integrity.

Yes, you’re not perfect! Neither am I. You made mistakes too but learnt to draw boundaries. You were hurt but learnt to forgive.

You’re beautiful, Aliana.

What values you hold on to, please impart to your students. They are your children for a season.

Be the first to apologise if you said or did something wrong that hurt them. They won’t laugh at you. They’ll respect you, trust you and know you care.

Many a teacher has been harsh to tender hearts, leaving behind them wounded souls. There are, in schools today, perpetrators of racism, mockers of other faiths and customs, ‘educationists’ who should never have been allowed to set foot in classrooms.

A lecturer whose husband was a doctor had this to say when addressing lecturers and teachers at a conference years ago:

“In my husband’s profession, they bury their mistakes. In our profession, we see our mistakes going around doing terrible things to society!”

She meant students who had not been well-nurtured.

But it applies too to the beings who should never have been certified as teachers!

If the school you are posted to has colleagues who are unfair, cruel in their remarks, fast with their hands, what will you do?

What must you do?

Raise the issues. Protect precious lives.

You have a voice, Aliana.

Use it.

Just one voice can start an avalanche.

Be that voice.

Love,

Aunty Ani