As a teacher you get to see the bad and the ugly, but also you get to see the most beautiful things. I want to share a beautiful story with you about a student that I admire and support.I will call her Aduh.
This is a real student that has really inspired me as a teacher. Most of all, this student has been an example to all students for her absolute dedication and hard works regarding her life situation.
I remember the beginning of this year when I received my girls. On the first day of class I was looking into exciting and shy new faces. Some of these faces where also worried and some just quiet. I was lucky to have received group 3 and 4, because they are one of the best groups and they can speak English fairly well. I knew that my job will be easier to do. While the girls were introducing themselves to the rest of the class, one girl stood out. Her name was Aduh. She couldn't introduce herself, because she couldn't speak English. My first thought was "How did she end up here in group 3 and 4?" Little I knew that this girl was going to be admired by many teachers.
Unlike most girls, Aduh was older. Her face was darker, more rougher to the eyes. She had a classic Bedouin look. Very plain, natural and tough to the eye. Most of all that took me back was that she was very pregnant.
She was 5 months pregnant and very plain. A lot of girls didn't talk to her, because they thought that she didn't know English and she was older. So, she was a loner and was a very quiet students.
One day after school, Aduh came to me and asked me in broken English. "Teacher, I study this home. Tomorrow I read for you." I took my glasses off and looked at her with admiration. She was pointing at the dialog we did today and all she wanted to do, was to go and study for it so that she isn't embarrassed by reading it in class in front of all the other girls. I said to her "yes, Aduh, you can do that." I was really impressed by her own impulse of learning. Like she said, she went home and studied the dialog. The next day she came to class and I asked her. "Aduh can you read Dialog 1 for us please." She got up from her seat, stood in class with a very pregnant belly and started reading. Even though it was slow, with a few struggles here and there, she still succeeded. I looked at her and asked "Aduh you did this all by yourself? Mashallah, good job."
All the other girls were as shocked as I was. The quiet woman in class was a little gem.
Aduh never missed a day of class. Even though she was very pregnant and looked like she was about to give birth at any moment, she still came to class. She never made excuses, never gave me or any other teacher problems about her attendance. She always used to come to class, greeted me with a lovely smile and sat at her usual place. She would never speak, always busy writing notes down and kept to herself. Not once, did she ever give me or any other teacher problems. I was curious about her. Her age, her quietness, her pregnancy spiked a tremendous admiration towards her. One afternoon, she came to me to ask for another reading practice. I finally got the opportunity to ask her "Aduh, how many months?" and I pointed to her stomach. She didn't know how to say it to me. So she just showed me with her fingers. 6 months! I asked her "baby number 1?" She said "la (no). baby number 4." My eyes stretched open. I couldn't help myself and said "Bismillah Rahmanir Raheem, baby number 4????" She looked at me "yes teacher." I was shocked, surprised, curious and just dumb struck." How could this woman come to school with four babies and another one on the way? How did she do this? How did her husband say "Yes" to this idea? In broken English with some Arabic she told me that her husband brought her to school every day. He supported her to go to school and learn something. I was so happy about this. I said to her "May Allah reward and bless you Aduh for you are strong. May Allah reward your husband too for helping you to do something so good in your life. "
From that day, I watched Aduh learn and grow into a wonderful lady. She was never superficial, never lame, always just coy, a loner and admirable.
When the girls wrote their first quiz, I was very nervous about her. I didn't know how well she would perform, since her level of English was below the class average. However, she didn't make a fuss. She came to school, wrote a test and scored a 67%. Now, for a lot of you a 67% isn't a great mark. For me it was FANTASTIC!! I didn't think she would even reach 50%, but she even went higher. A lot of the girls actually failed that exam, because they take English for granted. As for Aduh, she worked so hard, studied hard, asked questions when she was confused and she shocked me. A woman, who couldn't even put two sentences together, who had 4 kids at home and still carrying one in her belly, scored a good mark for her test! I told her that I was very proud of her and that I would support her the whole way.
Ever since, her confidence grew, she started answering questions in class and started to speak a little. Still till this day, she comes after class and asks me "teacher I study dialog home, I read tomorrow".
During the mid-term exams she was very pregnant, almost about to pop at any day. When she didn't come for her Math exam, I knew that she was giving birth. However, two days later, she came to write her IT(Computer Science) exam. She still had bandages from her birth and couldn't even walk properly, but she still came. On this particular day, she was very stressed. The exams are in English and she couldn't understand the exam paper. She started crying quietly, because she was overwhelmed. I called the IT teacher to come quickly to explain the exam for her. IT teacher came and helped her to release some stress. While this was going on, I started crying myself. I thought to myself "This isn't fair.How is she suppose to do this? She just gave birth for crying out loud!" I remember just praying in my heart that Allah helps her to understand the tet. However, she did it with no fuss and no sweat. She finished her exam and went home. I sat in my empty class and realized how much my students have taught me things that as a teacher you won't learn in university.
When exams were over, Aduh didn't come to class for a week. I started stressing out. I didn't want this woman to give up. I wanted to see her succeed in what she was doing. She was doing a good thing. Soon, one of my students told me that Aduh was nursing her child and that she would be back the next week. I was pretty relieved to hear this. On this day one of my students said to me "Teacher, you really like Aduh and all the other teacher do too." I looked at my girls and I told them to put their pens down and to close their books. I took of my glasses and shared something with them. I said to them "Ladies, I want to tell you something. You don't know how much as a teacher I care for each and every one of you. When I see you are worried, I get worried too. When I see you happy, I get happy too. As a teacher I have met many students. Good students and bad students, but I ALWAYS remember my students in a good way. Now, Aduh is a student that I want you to learn from. Look at her and learn from her. She isn't the same level as you in English and she knows that, but you know what? She is working hard every single day. She comes to school even pregnant, leaving 4 other children at home. Her husband brings her here, because she wants to learn. She never complains, she never makes problems. Even though this can be hard for her, she is always humble and ready to work. I admire her, because she carries more on her shoulders than what I can carry. I admire her, because she doesn't give up. I admire her, because she is herself and still learns. Ladies, educations is so important and Aduh understands that. I will say it again : Ladies, look at Aduh and learn from her character. She has an amazing character. Mashallah." From that day, the girls started talking to her, they started learning with her. They also cheered her on and help her. This is what I like to see in my class, the strong helping the weaker ones.
Two days ago, the girls did their English exam and they had a speaking exam too. Aduh came, and she spoke beautifully. She used all the words she knew and she did a good job. Every day at the teachers room, the teachers are sharing their admiration of this young woman. While these teachers were talking, I was thinking of how the last day would be with Aduh. I was thinking, what can I say and give her to thank her for being a wonderful student and to encourage her to continue to be so good? These thoughts gave me tears and my heart was actually sore. For the first time I was crying over a student that I would lose. I told myself "This is the down side of being a teacher, saying goodbye to really good students,"
By far, I will never forget Aduh in my life. I will always remember her small eyes, a rough skin.scorched by the sun, her belly pregnant and her simplicity in life. I will never forget her humble nature and her overcoming difficult things. I will never forget the day she cried when the load on her shoulders was to heavy to carry.
Most of all, I will never forget her silence that filled the class with comfort.
I write about this young lady, because she is remarkable. She taught me things that I didn't even know. She has shown me what wisdom and strength is all about. She taught me that women are special, we can do things beyond our own imagination. She has proven the theory "if you have a child you kiss education goodbye " wrong!!
I dedicate this blog to her. For she will reach the stars and even if she falls, it will be OK, she will fall between the stars and taste the pleasures of humility. She has made her world, regardless of how different or difficult it may be her oyster.
Aduh I am sincerely proud of you for accomplishing so much.
Your teacher
Miss Zimkitha
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