IT is my dream to watch students running happily to school. Parents also hope for the same. However, it is not like before.
Why expect students to be happy in school when the teachers are not treating their students the way they deserve? Teachers who vent their anger and humiliate students in front of their peers cause extreme embarrassment to the students.
Last year, a friend was mortified by his English teacher who accused my friend for doing something he did not do.
The teacher reprimanded him in front of his friends and without any hesitation, and used derogatory words such as idiot, stupid, and useless.
It is better to use diplomatic means with to the students rather than go on the offensive.
Surprisingly, this does not only happen in the public schools but in private ones as well.
Perhaps some teachers acted this way because they are bringing their domestic problems to school.
Unable to solve their own problems, they take it out on the students.
Others may be exhausted because there is too much syllabus to cover or too much of marking to do.
At the same time, they have to prepare worksheets for several classes and it is not a small responsibility. In such cases, blaming the teacher will not solve the problem.
As the school is every student's "house of knowledge", the teachers play the role of parents in schools.
As soon as the parents drop the students off in front of the school gate, they are putting their trust on the teachers to take care of their children.
Being fair is another issue. I feel the teachers should treat every student the same way, without favour.
Some teachers have their favourite students, treating them like angels. Why do we let this to happen, while the other students are made to feel left out.
They are not allowed to show their capabilities in class and this will hurt their self-esteem and confidence level which may lead to depression.
There was a story about a teacher who gave a particular student in his class more attention than the rest. The student got to join every competition and was the "apple of the teacher's eye". It turned out that the student was taking tuition with the teacher.
Who does not want to be a teacher's favourite? I am sure many do, but it is unfair for a teacher neglect the other students.
The was an incident in Johor Baru where a teacher began grading the students examination papers even before the exam had begun.
It would be nice to have an 'A' , but what if the grade turned out to be an 'E' instead?
Playing with a student's emotion is not a good idea. There have been many cases of students trying to commit suicide because of the problems they face in school.
Some students try very hard to make an impression; some who have problems at home pretend that everything is fine.
Teachers have to be understanding because the school is a second home to students.
There is a story behind every human being. A child could be abused at home and find joy at school.
The school is an escape from the yelling and nagging at home.
A student, who was mentally tortured in class, confronted his teacher after school and they got into a fist fight. Every single word matters. Even a small joke can hurt someone's feeling.
A person with the widest smile may not have the best in life.
To some, name calling is just for laughs but in reality, others may not find it funny at all.
In the words of Marva Collins, an American educator and author of many manuals, books and motivational tracts said: "The good teacher makes the poor students good, and the good student superior."
Nurain Zulkifli, 16, is a student at Tenby Setia Eco Gardens International School in Johor Baru.