Teaching is supposed to be a very noble profession, since teachers are supposed to form the next generation. However, teaching can sometimes show us that learning can happen in very unusual places. Also, teachers can learn how to laugh at themselves sometimes. Here are some of the most awesome, or just plain funny, teaching stories.
It’s Good to Relate Catechesis to Pop Culture
The kids were being rowdy and one of my group mates got them to quiet down by promising he’d draw their favorite cartoons if they did. He threw about names of heroes and characters to gauge if they’d be down. He said ‘Batman’ and the kids began to quiet down but got excited. He said superman and the same thing happened. But when he said Naruto and the same thing happened I realized the connection.
Boy Waterhole
When the lesson resumed, I asked the kids if they were familiar with Naruto. This was during the part where they were having difficulty with understanding the lesson of the parable. I asked them why Naruto never gave up on Sasuke. One of the kids said in Tagalog that before Sasuke was an enemy of the village, to naruto he was firstly his friend. The kids got the parable after that.
Religion should not be about stuffy rules and regulations, since teaching religion can be related to anime (such as Naruto), or other pop culture phenomena. This is because religion expresses universal truths which are also present in everyday things like entertainment.
Be Prepared
Regular area session, when the students start murmuring about one of the kids. I catch some of the words “mabaho”, “kadiri”, etc., and figured out what happened. I tried to continue giving the lesson and ignoring the issue but one of the students suddenly asked me “Kuya, natae ba kayo?” (Kuya did you poop your pants?). The adviser of the class was inside at the time and overheard, she and I laughed. I think the kid was cleaned up after the session, but while retelling the story in the bus ride back, we suddenly came up with the nickname “Totoy Brown” to hide the kid’s real name.
Guro ni TB
Being a teacher means that you have to be ready for all eventualities, like a student not being able to make it to the bathroom in time. Anything can happen in the classroom, but the show must go on!
Teaching Creates Bonds
I handled twins, eventually got so close to them that they invited me to spend Christmas with their family[.]
another kid bit me the first day I tried handling their class. Not like playful bite, like a don’t come near me bite. But by the end of the year he wouldn’t want to be taught by anyone aside from me [.]
Master Teacher
Master Teachers are those who are able to create bonds with their students. Students are not just students, but should be like a teacher’s own children.
It’s Always Good to End With a Song
Whenever we sing Kuya Jess [An ACIL original song]
Bianca
When teaching kids, it’s always great to end the session with a song, since younglings are highly attuned to music. Also, memorable songs tend to help the lesson stick.
There is More to Teaching Than Just Dispensing Information
Teaching may seem like dispensing information or knowledge, but it is much more than that, for teaching is about learning. This learning does not necessarily happen due to the actual teaching, but anytime, for good teachers learn from their students, one way or another.
Dear teachers, what is your most memorable, or funny, teaching story?