TEACHER'S REWARD

Teaching is, indeed, a noble profession. It’s not every time that teachers have to wait to get their reward in heaven, as the saying goes. They do, often, get their reward right here on earth; not just in cash, but in kind as well. 

It was really gratifying when, the other day, I stumbled on an ex-student of mine who really made me think teaching is worthwhile. I had driven into a Petrol Station when another car drove right after me. A guy who looked familiar came out beaming from ear to ear. He stretched out his hand and said, “Malam Ahmad, isn’t it? My English teacher?”. I couldn’t recollect in which school I taught him, until he reminded me. 

It turned out he was one of my brightest students at Government Day Secondary School(GDSS), Malumfashi, Katsina State. I was the Head of English Department in the school between 1990 and 1991. He even recalled having scored the highest marks in one of the tests I once gave them on Adverbial Clause (Wow! Do I even remember what an adverbial clause is?) 😃.

Well, the encounter gave me a hell of a bang and I once again became proud of the teaching profession.

Every now and then I bump into some of my ex-students, some of whom have become successful like this guy I met. He told me he was now a senior officer in the department of water supply and sanitation at Malumfashi Local Government. After secondary school, he had proceeded to the National Institute for Water Resources, Mando Road, Kaduna, where he studied Water Resources. 

I once received a phone call from one of my ex-students, who told me he was now a Ph.D and a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria. There are other lecturers at some Colleges of Education also whom I had taught in secondary school. Even the current Education Secretary in my locality, Sanusi TSiga, is my Ex-student. Then, there was another ex-student I ran into, who is now a distinguished lawyer at Katsina State Ministry of Justice and a female banker, Sherifat Sade Suleiman...

May Teachers' Reward be not only in heaven, but here on earth as well.