06/03/2026
When Teaching Becomes a Lesson for the Teacher
Life has given me the opportunity of currently serving as a Primary Five Class teacher in a small Catholic Missionary School. Over the past months, the classroom has quietly become a place of deep reflection for me.
One of the early things that struck me most (not quite shocking, but owing to the history of Catholic Schools) was discovering that some primary five pupils are still far behind in very basic academic foundations. Some struggle to clearly articulate letters of the alphabet. Others cannot confidently write the alphabets or even the numbers from 1 to 20. At first, I found this very difficult to understand. In moments of frustration, I caught myself wondering: How did they pass through the previous classes? How did they reach Primary Five like this?
Sometimes, comparing their situation with how I grew up and the academic environment I experienced made me angry and impatient. In my mind, a Primary Five pupil should already know these things. My expectations were shaped by my own childhood experience.
But then something always calms my frustration.
I remember my own primary school teachers—especially a remarkable woman who shaped many of us: Sr. Judith Nwango FMDM, a Franciscan religious sister from Zambia who patiently taught us with extraordinary dedication. Beyond the regular school hours, Sister organized special evening lessons for us. She used very interesting songs, captivating signs/symbols, easy to remember gestures and different learning materials to help us understand. Many of those materials even came from her personal generosity. I remember how someone like myself continuously received preferential treatment in terms of taking me into the convent to eat sumptuous meals and fruits while encountering its serene environment.
Looking back today, I realize that many of us, Sr. Judith's former pupils are doing well academically in various levels and professions courtesy of her quiet sacrifices and dedication.
Remembering this softens my heart. My anger/frustration gradually turns into gratitude and responsibility.
At the same time, the formation I received within the Augustinian spiritual tradition often comes back, reminding me of that "the role of a teacher is not simply to deliver information, but to patiently accompany every learner—especially those who struggle, until understanding begins to grow". In his reflections on Christian teaching, Augustine emphasizes that teachers must never lose patience with slow learners, because love must guide the process of education.
And so I write this reflection especially to teachers who may encounter this post.
Sometimes in the classroom we may feel discouraged when students do not meet our expectations. Sometimes we may feel tempted to label them as slow, unserious, or incapable. But often the truth is simpler and more human: many children simply need someone patient enough to walk with them a little longer. The difference between a struggling pupil and a confident one is sometimes not intelligence, but 'the patience of a teacher who refuses to give up on them'.
To all teachers reading this: the work you do is deeper than you may realize. A child who struggles today may one day stand tall because you chose patience over frustration (I am a living testimony). Many of these children are not unintelligent. They are simply children who may never have had someone sit patiently with them long enough.
So as a teacher, remind yourself each day: somewhere among these children may be a future teacher, leader, priest, doctor, or community builder—waiting for someone to believe in them long enough.
And maybe, just maybe, the greatest lesson in all these is that "before we teach children, life first teaches us how to love them".
