There are various factors to be considered when one is contemplating the standard of education in our beloved motherland. 
However, the truth is that it all boils down to two pillars: the TEACHER and the STUDENT. Students do not know how to think about a subject matter in such a way that they really understand it, and most teachers lack the quality needed to attract the attention of the students. I go from school to school and teach students how to learn in the most natural way possible, and I reveal to teachers how to open the mind and heart of a pupil. How can we expect learners to understand a subject, if their hearts and minds are closed? These articles contain exercises designed to give teachers a certain “extra touch”. They will enrich the personality of any teacher who is willing to improve. We do not entertain fancy theories. These are concrete tools shaped by real classroom experience. I invite you to Google my previous articles for a better understanding.

The last article dealt with the significance of becoming a servant to our students. To be humble is a virtue. It is a tool that prevents us from feeling superior to others. The teacher must avoid looking down on the students. It will signal to his/her students that the teacher is there to teach them, as opposed to oppressing them. Students will perform better, when they know that the teacher is a human being after all. 

For this week’s exercise, we shall look at the role of respect in education. To respect somebody is to hold that person in high regards. This is especially the case, when that particular person has achieved something considerable in life or his/her personality is of such nature that it automatically demands respect. The most common practice is to respect those that have high positions at work. It is quite interesting to notice that we mostly respect people, who we consider better than us. That attitude is the source of a serious problem; WE DON’T RESPECT THOSE THAT ARE BELOW US. That problem can be easily solved. Respect has got nothing to do with the level of achievement. It is a faulty habit of thinking to believe that respect must be earned and that it does not come by itself. Respect is our natural right. To respect somebody is to acknowledge the existence of that person. We must remember that we were all created to fulfil our divine assignment, which only the most high creator knows. We can flip this and say: if I don’t respect the other person, I don’t respect the creator within that person. Dear teacher, your students were all created in the image of God. Nobody knows what might become of them one day. There might be a genius amongst your students. That student, who does not seem to care about school, might be our next president. Respect that, which you cannot see, yet. You will notice a change.

Exercise
Remind yourself constantly of the following words: my students might be younger than I am and they certainly know less than I do, but I know that God has sent them on an assignment and my task is to equip them with the right knowledge. The atmosphere of mutual respect accelerates the learning process.
*Shapumba Ya Shapumba is the founder of Natural Learning Education Consultancy. He teaches how to obtain a+ in any subject (students) and the secret to extraordinary teaching (teachers). For booking: shapumbashapumba@yahoo.com or 0812786925