Unforgettable advice from retiring teacher

By Lee Eung-tae

Yesterday, during the end-of-term party attended by all faculty members, there was a humble ceremony for a teacher retiring after a 35-year career.

Remaining in my heart and provoking a guilty feeling is the confessional advice he gave us instead of a formal farewell address. In the course of his time in teaching, he spent many years as a third grade high school homeroom teacher.

Once, there was a mediocre student, actually the worst in the class. Consequently, he was ignored by both teachers and classmates. Prior to graduation he couldn’t apply for any except the remotest, most inferior college. While filling out his application, this teacher told the student, "You are a really good boy. You can achieve anything if you do your best.”

Now the teacher confessed to us, what he said at that time was just passing rhetoric totally lacking in sincerity. However, this empty compliment worked miracles, changing the student’s life forever. He later told his teacher that it was the first compliment ever given to him as he had a troubled family background.

Poor at study, he was neglected by his own marginalized family, his classmates and his neighbors. Then these encouraging words became a guiding light. He kept his teacher’s praise deep in his heart. Faced with overwhelming obstacles, he could wrestle with them, inspired by his teacher’s words.

Once, when he was doing his military service, there was a great fire in his barracks and he nearly burnt to death. When unconscious, his fellow soldiers covered him with a cloth, like a corpse. With his life hanging in the balance, his teacher’s voice awoke him: "You can do whatever you want if you do your best.” He regained consciousness. Everyone around him was surprised by his resilience.

Later he became a father of two. With burn scars all over the body, he is still doing his best for himself and his family. He frequently calls his old teacher, and they meet for lunch or dinner. Interestingly, when the student graduated high school, there were many academically excellent students who entered the most prestigious universities.

Yet no one calls the teacher up other than he who had been neglected by others. Finishing his story, the old teacher said that he regretted not having done his best for all students.

Students are in a critical period of life, most vulnerable and sensitive to outside influences, so that even passing small talk can be a turning point sufficient to affect their lives forever. Nowadays, teenage crime is one of the most serious social problems.

According to a report, more than 1 million teenagers are diagnosed with psychological disorders in Korea. Unable to endure the heavy burden of study as well as peer-group pressure, many students are taking extreme measures such as dropping out, or even committing suicide. Delinquent acts perpetrated by teenagers who run away from home have become serious social problems.

For all the measures taken to cure these criminal problems, the vicious cycle doesn’t seem to have abated. But what if somebody like the old teacher comes up and embraces students with sincere affection? What if that somebody were me?

For this reason, I also feel ashamed for having neglected my divine duty as a teacher. How many teenagers in my teaching career have gone astray for the lack of an encouraging word from me? How many teenagers have grown to be cold-hearted people who are ungrateful to others because my teaching focused only on the college entrance exam?

The writer is a teacher at Gimhae Girls' High School in South Gyeongsang Province. His email address is eungtae@gmail.com.