By Mary Asujo
Peter Oumo was a student in primary six but had a bad perception about maths as a subject and those who taught it. His teacher turned out to be very tough to the extent that no child would dare ask about anything because he would even scold them. Many of the students began to fear him.
Peter’s assumption was quantified when his class were given a maths test and half of the class failed. He was among the failures. He began to worry because he was excelling in other subjects. One of his friends hatched a plan to meet with the subject teacher after class. To their shock, the teacher shouted at them and told them never to bother him after class because he has no time for pupils like them.
To make matters worse, more students continued underperforming in maths until the Director of Studies called them in his office for a one-on-one with him.
There are several children who are similar situations and end up failing because they dread the teacher but below are some of the ways through which you can get them to love your subject.
Mr Ronald Isabirye, the Director of Studies for Shimoni Demonstration School in Kira says, like any other career, one’s teaching style cannot be suitable for every student. Remember not every child will like you much as you are good. You can’t please everybody. However, if you are not the kind who is looking for love from the learners, you need to rethink your profession.
Isabirye explains that as a teacher, you need to be loved by everyone around you; so, be the kind who is approachable and is reliable especially in situations where the learners want clarity in some areas, and you will be loved by the pupils.
Here are some of the tips to help you become a teacher students love
1. Come to class prepared
Learners can be hard sometimes. if you come to class ill-prepared, they can challenge you and if you are a short-tempered person, you could get angry. If your class is full of stubborn children, you have to plan ahead and know how to control them so as not disrupt your lesson. Prepare them to an effective memorable lesson that will always motivate them to look forward to your class.
2. Make jokes
Isabirye says sometimes teachers need to stop being very serious in what they teach because at the end of the day, life has to go on. Children get bored with theories and they will enjoy a lesson with some jokes around. Instead of being serious all the time, crack sensible jokes. This will help them love and appreciate the subject. If you are the boring kind, they will tell. Change your teaching tactics and bring in some funny stories or interesting experiences to make them laugh as this will ease their learning.
3. Be artistic
Some pupils dread lengthy lessons and others prefer to attend for just an hour. Design your lesson in different ways; use illustrations or more pictures than theory. You could also make short games and this will make the subject more interesting and the lessons will stick in their minds.
4. Be persistent.
Their brains and process of absorption works like machines. They take in every information; they will listen and try to analyze. If the concepts taught makes sense, then they will learn to interact with it at once. You could consider explaining it over and over just to test them and see if they really understood the concept.
5. Show them you care
This is not blaming but make an impression. If you have been very tough and unreliable, try to soften with a smile as you chat with them. If you don’t know, this might be the most critical part of your job as a teacher. Ensure you pay attention to whatever issues they are raising and watch their body language. You will notice the ones who have got the concept and those struggling, and be there for them when they need your support.
Why some students shun certain subjects
Rudeness
Adrian Luuka, a former student of Nkoowe Secondary School in Gayaza, says the character of the teacher can lead some students/pupils to shun certain subjects. Most pupils want a teacher who is a friend not a scaring character. They want one who will listen to them and attend to their issues. Being rude is uncalled for; remember you are dealing with young people who look up to you as second to their parents. When you begin to scare them away, the will never learn whatever you teach because they are emotionally uncomfortable.
“Joan loved Social Studies but she almost gave up until when a new teacher joined her school. He gave her more time to interact and ask questions which was not the case with the previous one. He was open for any clarification and was willing to be challenged, and that is how she understood most of the things taught” Adrian said referring to her own daughter Joan.
Change of attitude
Some teachers believe that every student should understand what’s being taught so easily and if you have a problem understanding, they will tell you are in a wrong place and should find your level.
“This happens especially when a teacher is running very fast and you politely ask him to slow down, they will question how you came to this school,” Abel Magumba a student said. This is one example of a rude character that can make you a bad teacher whose subject will never be loved by students.
