Teaching is a great profession. As a trainer of teachers, I have the pleasure of training the teachers who would go on to make a difference in the lives of many children. Every year, I would get a group of 18 year olds who would sign up to be teachers. As much as we were promised the best students to train to be our future teachers. 'Best' is often subjective.
This brings me to to my dilemma of how to deal with difficult teacher trainees. As a trainer, many of us are humanistic in our teaching approach. This is especially the case if they are adults. It is just not feasible to discipline an 18 year old like a 7 year old. Thus, I normally would speak with these young adults about their consequences of their actions. However, there are some students who can be rather difficult.
The Student
One of these many students shall be named Arthur in this post. Arthur is a very streetwise student who discovered one of the many loopholes to the system. Arthur being one of my students in teacher training had received a full scholarship. However, Arthur was not interested in teaching and was forced into the program by his parents. As such, from the very start of the program, he decided that he was just going to sail through and achieve only the bear minimum to graduate.
Arthur knew that if he were to quit, he would be required to pay 30,000 US dollars as a penalty for breaching of contract. However, the contract did not say anything about attitude nor skipping classes. Thus, Arthur went about skipping as many classes as he could but still had enough credit to sit for the exams. He did the same too during the exams, striving to only achieve the minimum passing grade, just enough to sail through the program. Over time, his actions became bolder and bolder.
The Incident
I think students in their early twenties are old enough to think for themselves. You can choose to do anything you want as long as it does not affect the profession or the lives of others. This brings us to the incident. The students were out for their teaching internship and Arthur was placed under my supervision.
Arthur seemed cooperative, he did come to class late on occasion, but there was nothing serious. At least, that was my assumption. I arrived at school earlier than usual and I found Arthur sleeping. Arthur was slumped on the table in the middle of the teacher's staff room. As all the other teachers were going about their morning routine, preparing for classes, Arthur laid there on his desk.
Creative thoughts came through my head. Many of the thoughts were violent and would have Arthur at the receiving end of it. However, saner heads prevailed and I placed my hand on Arthur's shoulder. He bolted up and he felt no guilt at all, asking what is the problem and that sleeping is perfectly fine when one is tired. He even went as far as to point out that many teachers do it and so it shouldn't be a problem. I wasn't happy with his attitude, but rather than to stay on and display the true extent of my displeasure towards him, I stood up and left.
The Punishment
I ordered Arthur to see me the following day and handed him a signed copy of a letter to the ministry of education. The letter was to recommend Arthur to be expelled from the program, stripping him off his scholarship and the privilege to continue the course with immediate effect. As Arthur looked at the form, I informed him of my dilemma.
As a teacher trainer, I am responsible in producing teachers who would be a positive impact to students. Students who will go on to be doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs. One of these students could also be my child. I told Arthur that if I were to allow him to graduate, he would be toxic and may possibly ruin the lives of the students he comes in contact with. I gave him a choice. He could start by producing stellar results and start acting like a teacher or he could leave, paying back the allowance and tuition fees that he has received thus far.
Arthur changed after that, he has left the college and went on to be a teacher. However, there are times when I do wonder how would things have turned out if I were to fail him. I hope that I won't open the newspapers one day, only to find Arthur's face on the front page, having committed something that is bad for the teaching profession. That being said, I do think everyone deserves a second chance. I hope he uses that chance well.
How about you? Would you have given Arthur a second chance? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.