Heald annually 5th October is World Teachers day. At Life Child, we value education as it is one of our main focus areas.
To celebrate the work of teachers and the roles they play in the lives of children we asked one of our Life Child preschool teachers to tell us how he sees himself in the lives of the children he teaches.
Kingsley Juma is a preschool teacher at our Life Child Moyo preschool in Malawi that is located in Baluti village, situated in Blantyre district. This area is predominantly comprised of poor and disadvantaged families. The people of Baluti come from many different cultural backgrounds and generally face many challenges as a result of their cultural beliefs and level of poverty.
Kingsley about the role he plays in the lives of the children he is teaching. “Teaching is a profession that is usually underrated by many, but it is a very vital job that impacts many lives. It is a job that was supposed to be respected by many. Through my time as a teacher, I have came aware that the children listen to their teachers more than to their own parents in most situations.
Apart from general teaching, which is imparting knowledge to the children, I have learned of some roles which I as a teacher play in the lives of children.
I am a role model; most children believe their teachers more than their own parents. This should make a teacher be conscious of what behavior they are passing to the children.
I bring out the confidence in the children; A teacher needs to help a child to have self-confidence by being a good listener and act on each child’s individual needs and be able to assist them accordingly.
I need to be a good thinker; A teacher must think outside the box and create an exciting environment for the children, children tend to change needs quickly and the teacher must be able to read this and act accordingly.
I am also their protector; A teacher needs to intervene when they see bad behavior in a child. Acknowledging that the child is very likely to listen to their teacher. It is very easy to adhere to the advice given by the teacher. A child can be saved from the harm they could have found themselves in if they continued with that bad behavior.
In conclusion, a teacher must be one who brings a smile to the children. I need to be trustworthy because on average a child spends most of their time with me at the school. If a child feels unsafe and unhappy with me, their teacher, the child’s educational future can be at stake.”
– Kingsley Juma, a preschool teacher in Life Child Malawi preschool in Malawi.
If you wish to partner with Life Child to further improve education quality and meals in our preschools please click here or email us at info@lifechild.org.za
