Nothing Funny About Being Lazy

Star Q

i.  Pertandingan Melukis Banner Sempena Maulidur Rasul

ii.  Lunch Box #3 - Spaghetti and Meatballs

The teacher took a long long, deep look at me, as if waiting for some kind of logical response to his predicament.  He had earlier on vented out his frustration to me; not at me.  He had told me how frustrated he was with his students.

He had always thought teaching would be a fulfilling profession where teaching the students and disseminating knowledge was concerned.  Little did he realize, when he first enrolled into the Teachers Training College, he was actually getting into more than what he had bargained for.

Anyway back to the students.  This teacher was 'unlucky' enough to be given the responsibility of teaching 'lazy' students (according to the proponents of Neuro Linguistic Programming, there is no such thing as stupid students!)  For more than a quarter of a century he has been trying to put up with these students and doing every thing he possibly could to get them involved in learning.

You name it, he did it.  If the students did not bring their textbooks, he would give them time to borrow them.  If they did not bring their exercise books (like Essay exercise books), he would allow them to do their work in other books (like Literature note books for example) or worse come to worse, he would even provide them with foolscap paper (which would finally end up crumpled on the floor!) and if they did not bring their stationery (yes, most of them don't!) he would bring in pencils for them to use (which they would eventually lose!)  However, no amount of tolerance could coax them into learning.

For all his teaching years, this teacher has noticed that 'lazy' students seem to be getting lazier and lazier and it is taking a lot more effort, energy and time to get their attention to learn in class (albeit unsuccessfully), compared to students, say, ten years ago.  These students seem to be losing their interest in learning.  Why?  That's a discussion planned for a future entry!

The funny thing is, these students still come to school!  However, funny here does not mean that the teacher is laughing!