“Why would you forgive him after what he did to you last week?”
This was a funny question a young girl asked me a few weeks back. This is how it all started.
I was employed as an assistant Primary Six teacher in March of this year. It felt like a miracle and, at the same time, an opportunity I wouldn’t take for granted because the way it happened literally swept me off my feet. I was also surprised, especially after hearing a shocking statement from one of those who got employed with me.
I was taken to my section where I met four other class teachers who had their different classes, from Primary Six A to D. My job was to assist them with their work. This meant I wouldn’t be sitting for long unless there wasn’t any work from the classes. I would always be moving from one class to another, helping wherever I was needed.
On one of those days, a teacher wasn’t around, which made the pupils start making noise and disturbing other classes, even the entire school environment. I was told to go there and control the children.
That was just my second week, and I was still trying to observe and understand their teaching methods. I noticed that the teachers didn’t usually mark notes in the stressful way many people would expect. They had a simple method that made the whole thing easier.
Once a topic had been taught, especially Mathematics and English, and practice work had been given, the pupils would take turns solving the corrections on the board while the teacher watched keenly for errors.
After that, they exchanged their notes and marked them themselves. Then they corrected their mistakes while the teacher checked the final corrections.
That morning, the teacher went out briefly, and I entered the class. I noticed they were already done with their practice work and were ready for corrections. As I looked through the examples on the board to understand how to help them, while also using my own knowledge of the topic to guide them, I stepped forward to the board.
From the pupils’ expressions, I could tell they were surprised to see a new teacher come to handle the corrections. I actually liked them. They cooperated with me, and as I picked up the marker to start working, I heard one of them say, “Don’t come and teach us rubbish oo.”
I pretended not to hear and continued. Immediately, many of them attacked him verbally and defended me. I could see from the boy’s face that he already knew he was in trouble because some pupils had already run out of the class to report him.
He was dealt with, and I continued the corrections. They were happy afterwards. Some even came to hug me to thank me, while others apologised for what happened. I told them it was nothing.
It happened on a Friday.
The following week, on Monday, as we resumed school, I entered the class and asked for the boy who made that statement on Friday. He raised his hand with a sober face.
“My friend, how are you?” I greeted him with a smile.
Immediately, his face brightened because he realised I wasn’t there to confront him.
Then, a girl stood up and asked, “Aunty, your friend? How is he your friend despite what he did to you last week Friday?”
I smiled again and replied, “That is long gone. Although what he did was wrong, I have forgiven him.”
“Why would you forgive him after what he did to you last week?” she asked again, with surprise written all over her face.
I had to explain to her that we are not meant to keep grudges, even as children. They should learn to forgive quickly and become friends again instead of holding onto the offence.
After passing my message across, the whole class became quiet, and that ended the conversation.
Life moves on, but that incident will always ring a bell in my mind whenever I remember it. Not because I still feel embarrassed about what happened, but because it became an opportunity to pass a beautiful message about forgiveness to children their age.
