TO BE A RETIRED TEACHER

One will ask what is required to retire
…as a teacher
It requires wearing resilience as an attire
Living like a pillar of strength
…and a fountain of sorrow
It requires eating disrespect
…and commanding respect
It requires dancing to the whims and caprices of students
And facing the judgements of colleagues
It requires talking, watching and listening
…like a god who is always on duty
It requires endurance and assurance like a priest listening to confessions
It requires strictness and love
…like a parent determined to make great adults out of childlike youngsters
It requires suffering and a lot of giving
It requires empathy and gold-like hearts
It requires the toughness to smile through personal storms in classrooms
…and a personality for modelling
It requires truths and white lies
It requires sanitation and teamwork
It requires the skill of delegation
And the maturity of taking responsibility for subordinates
It requires a closed mouth in front of wired superiors
…and emotional intelligence in front of egos which can easily be bruised
It requires change and constant learning
It requires giving and receiving love
…and receiving and repelling hatred
It requires living through insults and unpleasant nicknames
It requires boldness and a high level shamelessness to withstand teasing and ridicules
It requires great knowledge of human psychology
…to detect manipulations and temptations
It requires living and bruising and healing and many many many more
To retire as a teacher
So be on your feet for a moment
…clapping your hands like cheer leaders
Whenever you see a retired teacher
For they’ve been through all these and more
…and have triumphed through it all
Bless their hearts
Because they’ve lived through tantrums
…and excelled in inculcating humanity
…into learning beings
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © August 18, 2024