EENET asia Newsletters : Third issue November 2006 Contents

Knowing How to Teach

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the first day of school, she told the children something that was not true. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she liked them all. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Karma.

Ms. Choeden had watched Karma the year before and noticed that he did not play well with other children and that his gho was messy. In addition, Karma could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Ms. Choeden would actually take delight in marking his papers with a thick red pen, making bold Xs and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.
At the school where Ms. Choeden taught, it was required to review each child’s past records. She put Karma’s off until the very end. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Karma’s first grade teacher wrote: “Karma is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. … He is a joy to have around”. His second grade teacher wrote: “Karma is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.” His third grade teacher wrote: “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if no steps are taken.” Karma’s fourth grade teacher wrote: “Karma is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.”

By now, Ms. Choeden realized the problem and felt extremely uneasy and ashamed of her self. She felt even worse when her students brought her Losar presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Karma. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he probably found somewhere lying around. Ms. Choeden took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when inside she found a bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one half full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how petty the bracelet was while putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Karma stayed after school that day just long enough to say: “Ms. Choeden today you smelled just like my mom used to.”

After the children left, she cried. On that very day she decided to stop just teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Ms. Choeden decided to try to understand her children as individuals and as she did so she became a different person. She talked and joked with them and in particular applauded Karma’s achievements. She spent time talking to him and soon he began to respond to her loving care. By the end of the year, Karma had become a confident learner.

A year later she found a note under her door from Karma telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had.

Six years went by before she got yet another note from Karma. He wrote that he had finished high school, stood third in his class and she was still his best teacher. Four years after that, she got yet another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he had held on and would soon graduate from college in India with the highest honors. Ms. Choeden was still his best teacher!

Then four years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his Bachelors degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Karma Wangchuk M.D.

The story does not end there. You see, there was another letter that spring. Karma said he met a girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Ms. Choeden might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course Ms. Choeden did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several stones missing. Moreover she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Karma remembered his mother wearing on their last Losar together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Wangchuk whispered in Ms. Choeden’s ear, “Thank you, Ms. Choeden for believing in me. Thank you for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

Ms. Choeden with tears in her eyes whispered back, “Karma, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I did not know how to teach until I met you.

EENET asia Newsletters : Third issue November 2006 Contents