The taste of your own medicine…

You are in good form and you keep going.  There is total intensity and you start to believe that you are one of the coolest teacher ever on this planet-but suddenly out of nowhere you see some teens in you class smirking and finding witty words in the middle of your intense delivery which you feel is brutally unwelcoming at such juncture yet you try to go easy upon it because you too were-once-twice like that. 

“Face off isn’t good for all…let it be…kids are not bad they are little more restless-that’s all.” You  shy away and stick to overhauling them back to the lesson.

Your class has to be interesting; you know your class cannot be one way traffic-so you throw them some questions to make them stay with you-you honestly believe in having very interactive classes. So you roll your sleeves and jostle through.

But all your brainstorming and probing tactics get muddled up because of some clever acting kids who has got all the answers in the world. They start picking at you with amusing remarks that somehow relates to your lesson but never helps you to fulfill your lesson objectives. 

 So here you are-In a flash, all your rhythm starts to fade  and you have no flow whatsoever because you find your kids chuckling and now you know you have lost your entire grip over them.  Your kids indeed had interesting class but you-certainly not!

“Oye! Oye! Am I becoming some sort a laughing stock here?” You are forced to be self conscious. Your nervousness clearly hangs on your face and since you are teacher you feel intimidated and that's where your ego gets battered. You feel provoked and now instinctively you transform into a devil like.  You eyes pop out and goodness me!  You are one perfect Dorjee Drolo!

 “Let me show them who is the boss here!”

You lash out. “Do it again and you are a dead man walking!”  Then you turn over to the rest, “ And here on, no body talks! No body laughs! I say “Talk”,  you “talk”,  I say “Laugh!” you “Laugh!” or else it WARRRRRRRRRRRR!”

Your kids are surely jolted-now everything seems sound and settled.  You hate silent classes but today you need it.  You know they have screwed it up and so you did!  Your class goes on and you know it’s not normal.  The bell rings, you collect all your stuffs and you stare at the dandies and then you walk out muttering to yourself.

“Pests! I will get you all one day!”

And I believe you had a very good taste of your own medicine…

Some kids they really don’t seem to deserve any criticism…

Sometimes you fail to hold back yourself knowingly that you have to be calm and collected.  You try hard to summon yourself and start telling to yourself, “Buddy you got to be positive-don’t ever think of it-they are just kids-they will grow man. Patience-keep faith and keep working. Remember you are teacher-a very good teacher!”  

It is my sixth year in teaching and I have always talked to myself positively when I have one of those off days in my English classes.  Moreover, I also pump up myself by listening and watching to motivational videos and speeches which can be instantly downloaded from the YouTube. Talking good to yourself helps immensely and so does with motivational videos and speeches. 

Despite the fact that I have such reinforcements, Sometimes you lose it all-can’t seem to hold back- Instantly you burst out at them, “What is happening with you guys huh?  Are you all planning to tag me as an under performing teacher this year? Is this what you want me to be at the end? Is this how you are going to pay back to me for teaching all the good things in life?” Emotional blackmailing takes the center stage.

“No Sir…” The response would be very feeble which would further emphasize my irritation.  Madness would run all over me and my voice would thunder, “Say something! Am I talking to the walls here huh? Am I?”

“No Sir!” This time the respondents would be loud and clear-all in one unison.

Twitching my face to reveal sheer disgust I would wildly look around and keep throwing all pots and pans, “Look at your English-my goodness! Subject Verb agreement has received no respect from you all and now it seems you have let it go down the toilet-look at your handwriting-your spellings-you don’t want to be educated-you want to be like Wild animals. You all will fail at the end and I will laugh at your failure!” 

“No Sir!”  A girl would get up, “You can pin point to those- I don’t accept what you are saying and I am not going to fail! I am going to make you cry by passing.” there would be flare-confidence and sweet innocence which instantaneously melted away all my grievances. 

“Obviously I wasn’t referring to you.” I would be stunned and think why is she so serious when I am not even talking about her.

“But Sir you said-you all” she would smile, look bit anxious and still unconvinced-still apprehensive.

Unable to make up myself, I would scramble for words, “I meant it for few of our friends here-you are a fine student-"

“What about me Sir-am I not a good student?” one more kid will get up and then another-then another…

“What about me Sir? What about me Sir?...”  the uproar would ring inside out to add on to my helplessness…

“Okay guys! Let’s stop it.  I am saying this again-I meant it only for some-not all-you understand now? Not-all!” I would be forced to stress on the last two words of my statement.

“If you were not referring to all then Sir you have to reveal the names of those with whom you are not happy.”

Some kids would lower their heads and blush-feeling extremely uneasy.  I know I have to decide here but  Before I could decide upon my response-

“Please Sir-name it-please!” pleading would be so intense. Their heighten curiosity to know who are in my hit list would be explicitly exhibited in their whines and groans.

Then realizing  I have fifteen minutes left for my lesson-I would play “You fool! What were you all thinking huh? How can I name the students –it is impossible!”

They would look at each other in sheer confusion.

Then wearing wide smile all over my face, confidently I would continue, “Yes! It-is-impossible-for-me-to reveal-the-names because this-I said it to some of your friends here in class ten early this morning.  So there is nothing wrong with class six here”

“Sir has made it up! No Sir!” There would be kind of harmless jeering for brief seconds.

"You Have to tell!" 

"Too much of negativity Sonam-Not good-not good!" I would tell to myself and shake it off.

“Shall we start our lesson then?” turning towards the green board I would signal my gateway.  

Inculcating Positive Discipline through Youth-Police partnership

Advocacy of laws to the students and motivating them to partner with police and other stakeholders can be one more step towards propagating of positive discipline among our students. Such awareness campaign led by Police experts or law makers have the ability to authenticate and established a firm credibility among the youth about the entire mechanism of laws.


Nature of such holistic campaign is certain to reinforce our youth about their roles toward complying with the laws and moreover it helps to dispel their exhibition of ignorance and naivety pertaining to the laws. Therefore, when the students are well informed about the implications of coming in conflict with the laws-they tend to recognize their civic roles-held themselves accountable for civic engagement with laws and its stakeholders.

Today, at a school, all the schools need to have a serious law Club to help kids understand the system of laws and its implications. Media and other information centers needs to cater towards youth about laws in much more amiable ways-in fact all the concerned bodies need be more charismatic-empowering our youth can be best done by ensuring to educate them about laws.

Cementing Law literacy among the youth is a masterstroke and it helps youth to understand Laws and Police in much more friendly attitude, and further helps to draw youth towards stable community building.  Thus, it gives shape to positive discipline.
Many juvenile crimes are rampant but with such robust advocacy movement of RBP backed by teachers, parents and communities with various agencies-we can surely help our youth to retire from committing unlawful acts. Lets us all make our kids conscious towards law and help them to realize their roles with the laws. This movement needs to vibrate far and wide.