The teacher and the student

Greetings!

I'm among those that believe that anyone can be taught to understand a subject, no matter how dull their brain may seem. In school, I encountered difficult topics that appeared to be meant only for a special kind of student to understand. However, when I met someone who could break it down for me in a way that I could grasp, I found it easy to understand and eventually considered it one of the simplest subjects in school.

I have also had the experience of teaching in school, though only for a year. In my class, there were both sharp and “dull” students (as they’re often referred to). Despite my best efforts to carry everyone along, the class still divided naturally. Some students were blank, while the sharp students followed along with ease. Once I noticed this, I realized that the “dull” students struggled to understand the lessons because of their poor foundation in mathematics. So, I organized an extra hour—and sometimes even 30 minutes—to reinforce these basics. In the end, this approach worked. Although there was still a difference between the sharp students and others, the “dull” students understood the topic, and that was enough for me.

So, the question arises: Who is to be blamed if students are not performing well in school? In my view, it’s primarily the teachers’ responsibility. The fact remains that not all teachers are passionate about their jobs. Many are there solely for the salary, indifferent to whether or not their students are keeping up with the teachings. They simply count the days and weeks until payday, considering their job done as long as they showed up in the classroom.

On the other hand, there are also good teachers who genuinely care about imparting knowledge and will go the extra mile to ensure that students understand the subject. I encountered both types of teachers during my education, and I know the impact each had on me. This problem is particularly severe in tertiary institutions, where some educators label their teaching style as “lecturing” instead of genuinely teaching.

To this day, I still have a weak foundation in chemistry, even though I took science classes. This largely stems from the lack of dedication displayed by the teachers we had for chemistry. There was no consistency, as the school kept hiring temporary teachers to come and teach us. These teachers were mainly interested in their pay and not in helping us learn. In contrast, we had a consistent and dedicated physics teacher, whom we considered the best teacher in the school because of how well he taught and ensured that everyone understood the material. That’s why I have a strong background in physics. Even when people say that chemistry is simpler than physics, I tend to disagree because of my own experience.

It’s similar to how cryptocurrency concepts can intimidate many people. However, there are teachers out there who, once they explain something to you, make the idea stay with you forever. I’ve taught many people how to do peer-to-peer transactions in crypto, and I always ensure that I break everything down. We even go as far as sharing screens, and by the end, they’ve mastered it. This brings me great joy.

Thanks for reading.

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