Rods sometimes doesn't mean rod

I must have mentioned it once that immediately after graduating from high school I started teaching despite not having the qualification back then and it was fun. There’s joy When you see the smiles on the kids' faces when they learn something new or what seems to be so hard for them suddenly becomes easy. Even after going to the polytechnic, every holiday is another opportunity to each and impact lives. Recently, the zeal to teach in high school is no longer there, probably because I’ve experienced what it feels like to teach adults, people who you don’t need to spend much energy on, shouting “please listen guys” or maybe the money which as part of the motivation no longer sound appealing.

When I started teaching, I tried to adopt the same technique my teachers used for me when I was still in school. Though so many people are against the use of cane in schools, my school was one of those where the use of the cane was welcomed, and it worked. I could remember how the fear of facing the teacher’s rod made us do every task diligently and I thought it would work with my students too. Instead, it created fear in the mind of the students. They feared me and do things with fright. That wasn’t the relationship I wanted, so I tried to study each student and see if I can see something that will be more effective than cane.

I got my answer after I gave them a test and they failed despite all my explanation. I turned to the class in anger and what I saw made me change my approach. Even though I do have a cane in my class at all times, I’ve never used it on any of the students. I can’t just use it on them like other teachers but I don’t want them to see it as a weakness hence the constant presence of cane in class. Seeing the fear on their face, I asked them to relax and right in front of them, I broke the cane. I engaged them in a conversation and instead of criticizing them, I tried to reason with them. I was surprised to see them smiling and talking to me. We did the correction of the test and they all asked me to give them questions to solve. To my surprise, they passed and that was the turning point. I taught others classes at intervals, especially during strikes and holidays, and the experience I had with the class I taught in my first stint at the school came in handy. I was able to form a bond with those kids and till today I still value them.

The use of the cane is still in practice across various schools in Nigeria but I believe there’s a better tool teachers can use instead of beating the students at the slightest provocation or any mistake they make. Words are powerful,  they can do what cane can’t do. So many of these students are passing through a lot at home and it’s affecting them in school. Be their confidant, let them feel free to share their burdens with you. No matter how you beat them or punish them, they won’t heed to what you are telling them or understand what you are teaching them, instead it will only make matters worse, turn them into angry kids. I know the saying “Spare the rod and spoil the child” is true, but the rod doesn’t necessarily connote “rod”. Words can be used as rods. There are ways you speak to a child that he feels sober and sorry.  

However, one needs to be careful of the type of words spoken too. Words can help and sometimes it destroys. Also, you need to understand your kids or students well. The same word spoken to A might have a positive effect while on B it might have a reverse effect. Words are so powerful, once spoken they cannot be retracted. Encouraging words can help change lives while words spoken harshly can create lasting damage on whosoever it is spoken to. We have to be careful of how we speak, especially when angry. Control your anger and choose your word carefully. As a friend of mine love saying- “Speak in anger, and give the best speech you will forever regret”

Thanks for Reading! ✍💚✍