The Worst Student

Who is the worst student I have ever taught? You may guess he or she must be my secondary students. Then, you are wrong.

The worst student I have ever taught is an in-service teacher. I bet he is middle-aged and he teaches in a Band 1 boy school on Hong Kong Island. Why do I say he is my worst student? Last year, I was responsible to teach a professional development course. I remember the schedule of that cohort was on Saturday mornings. Most students tried to be punctual to the class. Most of them were polite and attentive in class except one. During the first session, this in-service teacher rushed into the classroom and asked me whether he could just sign in and quitted. I replied, ‘But I haven’t even started the session’. He then angrily sat down and read his SCMP. When almost all the participants arrived, I started the session by asking them to talk about their expectations of the course. Five minutes later, I invited a few students to share what they had discussed. When I walked near this male in-service teacher, he loudly told the whole class, ‘Well, I don't have any expectation. What I want is to go home.’ Guess what. I felt very calm and gave him a reply, ‘Yes, you may go home at any time.’ From my observation, his answers surprised a lot of his group mates instead of me. Few young lady teachers even stared at him. Needless to say, he was very inattentive during the class such as chatting to his colleague who works in the same school or reading his newspaper.

What do you think? You may say he is not the worst in comparison with some ‘active’ students in your school. I would say if kids are naughty and impolite to me, I can teach them or talk to them when they calm down. Surely, sometimes I am angry with these naughty students, but I tell myself they are still young. How about this in-service teacher? He is not young anymore. He is an adult. You can’t change him. What I really feel sorry about is not him but his students.