A teacher is the most important person in the world that shapes and prunes people into being what he or she wants. I think many will agree with me that a teacher can either save or kill one’s mind. 

All the great men — gone, existing, bad or good — sat in class and drunk their teachers’ ‘syrup’ without even questioning most of the time. And that syrup is what transformed most people into what they are. Although the role of teachers in one’s life is rarely recognised, it is right to argue that a big percentage of what we exercise today was taught or influenced by a teacher. 

Today, teachers are not only teachers but also parents since they spend more time with our children (nine months). It is no easy task taking care of four kids at home, so you can imagine watching over 50 children from different backgrounds, identity and culture. 

Teachers are our hope for the future generation because they have the power to build or destroy our tomorrow. Although beautiful, it is a delicate gift that can easily be broken and unable to be mended if you play with it. 

So how can a teacher be effective in their work?

A teacher should be proactive not reactive. A pro-active person is a person whose choices are guided by values and is solution-centred. He or she must always aim for the best but also ready to take responsibility for their actions, achievements and failures. If a teacher is pro-active, he will not blame the school library for the poor performance of his students. Instead, he will look for ways to help his students by improvising or borrowing books and other resources important for their success. 

A teacher should uphold his values and endeavour to have his actions guided by his values. Teachers face many challenges that can easily land them in hot water especially if they lack values that they cannot go against. For instance if you are explaining something to the students and they are not paying keen attention, it is easy to shout and insult them if you don’t strongly cherish those values and made them part of you. But if you have already uttered the harmful statements, say sorry to the class/student in order to mend fences. Remember, humility breeds respect. Such a gesture will make students realise how wrong they have been and how good you are. Therefore, you will have taught them a very important lesson in life.

The other tip is to begin with an end in mind. A teacher should always know what he wants from his students and hence plan according to his goals. A teacher can only be effective if he plans ahead. If you want to give your students the best, make research early and find out out what material will help the students reach their goal. Do not be the kind that remembers he has class when the bell rings. Most of the things we shelve as not urgent come back to haunt us at the last minute. It is advisable to do your scheme of work and lesson plan much earlier to avoid being disorganised. 

Change your notes. If you are still using your favourite teachers’ notes, then your results will always be the same. Flexibility is one of the characteristics of an effective teacher and one should not always stick to the past. Embrace new technology to learn the latest methods in your subject of specialisation and updated resources.

Go for a win-win. It is well known that teachers are not the best paid and this reason has on many occasions been given to explain poor performance by students. But this is only true for a teacher who is not pro-active but reactive. I have seen teachers drive themselves and live comfortable lives simply because they chose to be self-motivated and work according to their deep plans. 

A win-win situation for a teacher is when he looks at his work as a stepping stone to something bigger. When he is in class or in his house panning for tomorrow’s lesson, he does it with the conviction that it will benefit both him and the student. He gives content that will enable that student to perform excellently in order to receive a share of the praises.

A teacher whose students pass highly will always be on high demand. It is no wonder that some teachers are paid much higher than their colleagues despite having the same qualifications. The problem is not to aim high and miss but to aim low and hit. 

Teachers who are highly effective as individuals will also create a highly effective generation of people from the top to the smallest village in the country and world. Being highly effective as a teacher means having highly effective citizens. Who wouldn’t love that.  

The author is a teacher at Essa Nyarugunga