A sense of fulfillment

Teaching gave me purpose. I had a huge responsibility to ensure that all my students were not only learning but more importantly, they enjoyed coming to my class. I endeavoured on a daily basis to foster positive relationships with them, and I soon discovered that this was the key to getting them to succeed in my class. Once they felt that they mattered and their opinions were valued, it was easy to teach. This alleviated any discipline issues because I was able to relate to them.

I never anticipated that as an educator, my job would also entail being a confidante. As far as I can remember, my teachers just came to class, taught the lesson and left. They did not go the extra mile to provide support or build relationships, so I supposed that this perspective was ingrained in me since this was how I was schooled. But times have changed and so too have the needs of our students. Some of them just need a listening ear and to know that they are understood and heard.

Teaching Spanish comes with its own challenges especially when students don't understand the value of learning a language. Although it was evident that I couldn't get everyone to like Spanish, I did my best to make them feel comfortable and happy in my class. I admired their willingness to try and their unrelenting tenacity. It was especially rewarding and fulfilling when the students wrote their final exams, and they performed extremely well with some of them even graduating with distinctions. I felt jubilation as I saw the gleaming smiles on their faces. Feeling that sense of satisfaction made my job so much more meaningful and worthwhile.