That was part of the statement made to my teacher trainees and was one of the few things that I will never forget. I was tasked with taking my trainees to a debate competition. It was an inter-varsity competition and I was the head coach for the debating team. When I arrived, I quickly realized how outmatched my trainees were. For one, the topics were generally on politics and law, as such, most of the participants were either students on politics related subjects or law students. 

We were in the third round and were up against a group of law students. During the debate, my students mentioned how as a teacher, a more humanistic approach should be employed and the solution suggested by the other team was ineffective. This resulted in the other team making the following statement:

<center>*"Of course you would make such a statement. You are merely a teacher and teachers are useless people where no one cares what you think. That's because when you graduate, you will be sent to a very rural area and no one will ever care or hear what you have to say."*</center>

<center>![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWMgZ1JEnqtwskTPm2HmcWmhwPpmcR3XNZLTEyNd2Uiqc/image.png)
*[Image source](http://www.2oceansvibe.com/2015/02/06/are-you-sitting-down-anc-admits-to-broken-promises-infographic/)</center>

There were other statements made but that was the gist of what that student said. To be frank, I do not blame him for thinking so, many people I know share similar thoughts. I am sure this may not apply to the teaching profession in your country. However, there is still a certain perception attached to the profession here. For one, most think that teachers become teachers because they have no other choice. Furthermore, they also feel that it is a profession that is not as "prestigious" when compared to the other professions there. 

However, understanding why he made such a statement does not mean that I condone. Far from it, I know I should let my students fight their own battles, but there was this little part of me that wanted to have a chat with him. As such, after the match was over, I had a nice 'chat' with him. 

### **My response**
I reminded that dear student that while the teaching profession may not seem appealing for him, he was once taught by a teacher. No matter how previous teachers have taught him, he is who he is because someone took up the job to teach him. 

![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXor3BPuunV833UX24UQMqboKNASVduXF83cFt7JhoUZk/image.png)

I reminded him that one day, his children and children's children would be taught by a teacher too. A teacher that will guide and impart life lessons that they will remember for life. I reminded him that the people in the rural areas may not have been given the same opportunity as he was. However, it is because of these teachers that the students in the rural areas have an opportunity to see the world. In addition, they will also have a chance to improve their living standards. 

I ended by saying that if he thought that teachers were that incompetent, he should have no problems taking over the teachers' job and welcomed him to take up the challenge of teaching for a week. He did apologize and at the end of the tournament, I sat my students down. That is because I wanted this to be a lesson that they can learn from. 

### **Lessons for my students**

I started by stating that as teachers, there are times we will come across people who think that teachers are incompetent. I pointed out that the best way to put such statements to rest is to do a great job and love the students in the class. It is true that there are some in our ranks who have given the public a bad impression. However, there are many who selflessly spend their money, time and energy for the students. 

Some may not see the effort we put in, but others do and they take notice. I told them to be the change that they want to see. I am happy that they have been the change they want to see after all these years. I am glad that every school that they have been to so far, they are well loved by the students. That is because they put so much effort to make learning fun and I am proud of them.

<center>![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXrGTPFzA5bnzpmT4PcHVi4xdp8V5q664ZNtWqvFxqtX7/image.png)
[Image source](https://www.quora.com/You-must-be-the-change-you-wish-to-see-in-the-world-What-is-your-change)</center>

### **Looking ahead**
This story came to mind because I just met with them for dinner and I am happy that they are doing well. There are mornings that I get up and I just am not able to bring myself to teach. Many reasons are attributed to this, I could have had a bad week or the time when Jon Snow died. &#128539;

However, it is these incidents that make me continue doing what I do and these are the stories that I will use to inspire the next generation of teachers. To all you teachers out there, keep on doing what you do, you are an inspiration! 

To all my fellow Steemians, I hope you enjoyed the story. I do apologize if you clicked on this looking for something else. I am conducting a research that will help new Steemians. If you are interested to help out, do check out this [link](https://steemit.com/sndbox/@alvinauh/a-project-that-will-benefit-all-who-are-new-to-steemit). Your response may just help a new Steemians break through that steep learning curve on Steemit quicker. 

<hr>

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