A Day as a Teacher
Some days begin with enthusiasm.
Others begin with coffee and courage.
That day was the latter.
I was having a rocky morning one of those days when the zeal to show up at work was sitting comfortably at 0.0%. But then again, a girl has to grind. So I dragged myself to school, walked into the classroom, greeted my students as usual, and introduced the topic for the day.
Teacher mode: activated.
Energy level: questionable.
https://stamma.org/your-voice/my-first-day-teacher
A Normal Lesson on an Un Normal Day
We started with a comprehension passage, and as part of the lesson, we picked out a few words to find their synonyms:
- Abundant
- Marriage
- Emulate
- Intelligent
The students responded one after the other, trying their best. It was going smoothly—nothing dramatic, nothing out of the ordinary.
Then something happened.
The hilarious hour.
A new student stood up to answer the next question.
You could tell how bold he was just by looking at his face—serious, determined, and confident. No shaking. No hesitation. Just vibes.
I asked,
“What is a synonym of the word intelligent?”
Without blinking, he replied:
“You know book.”{nigerian pidgin english }
For a split second, the room was silent.
Then the entire class erupted in laughter. 😄
Students laughed.
I laughed.
The walls probably laughed too.
But the funniest part?
He didn’t laugh.
He stood there, still serious, clearly confused about why everyone found his answer so hilarious. To him, it made perfect sense. After all, an intelligent person is someone who “knows book.”
And honestly?
Was he wrong? 🤷🏽♀️
My inner monologue.
In my head, I thought:
For every time English wants to stress us, use pidgin, nwannem. After all, no be our language. 😒
That one sentence you know book did what motivation quotes couldn’t do. It rolled the rock right off my day. My bad mood disappeared. My energy returned. Laughter filled the room, and suddenly, teaching felt light again.
The big lesson.
That moment reminded me why I love the classroom.
Beyond lesson notes, schemes of work, and objectives, teaching is full of unexpected joy. Sometimes, it’s the innocence of a child. Sometimes, it’s the bold confidence to answer even if the English isn’t “correct.”
But the meaning?
Perfectly delivered.
Why I’ll always remember this day.
By the end of the lesson, my rocky morning had completely faded. One student, one answer, one laugh therapy complete.
Teaching will stress you.
But it will also heal you.
so, I look forward to it every new working day.
