Othisha—Kungani Sibadinga?
“Usuku olulodwa nothisha onekhono lungcono kuneziyinkulungwane zokufunda ngenkuthalo.”—Isaga sesiJapane.
UYAMKHUMBULA uthisha owayekuchaza ngempela esikoleni? Noma uma usengumfundi, ingabe ukhona uthisha omthanda kakhulu? Uma kunjalo, kungani?
Uthisha onekhono ukwenza uzethembe futhi wenza ukufunda kube inselele ejabulisayo. Umlisa mumbe waseNgilandi oneminyaka engu-70 ubudala uyajabula uma ekhumbula uthisha wakhe wesiNgisi wasesikoleni eBirmingham. “UThish’ uClewley wangenza ngaqaphela amakhono engangingazi ukuthi nginawo. Nganginamahloni futhi ngingumuntu othule, kodwa wangiqeqeshela ukuba ngibe semncintiswaneni womdlalo wesikole waseshashalazini. Onyakeni wami wokugcina, ngathola umklomelo emdlalweni waseshashalazini. Ngangingeke ngikwenze ukuba akazange angikhuthaze. Ngokudabukisayo, eminyakeni engemva kwalokho angiphindanga ngambona ukuze ngimbonge ngokuzinikela kwakhe kubafundi bakhe.”
UMargit, owesifazane othandekayo osevile eminyakeni engu-50, waseMunich, eJalimane, uthi: “Kunothisha oyedwa engangimthanda kakhulu. Wayekwazi ukuchaza izinto ezilukhuni ngendlela elula. Wayesikhuthaza ukuba sibuze imibuzo uma kukhona esingakuqondi. Wayengasibukeli phansi, kunalokho wayenobungane. Lokho kwakwenza izifundo zithakazelise kakhulu.”
UPeter wase-Australia ukhumbula uthisha wezibalo, athi ngaye, “wasisiza ukuba sibone ukubaluleka kwalokho esasikufunda ngokusinika izibonelo ezingokoqobo. Lapho sifunda ngonxantathu (trigonometry), wasibonisa indlela yokukala ukuphakama kwesakhiwo ngaphandle kokusithinta, ngokusebenzisa nje izimiso zonxantathu. Ngikhumbula ngithi, ‘Kuyathakazelisa ngempela-ke lokho!’”
UPauline, wasenyakatho yeNgilandi, wavuma kuthisha wakhe: “Ziyangihlula izibalo.” Uthisha wabuza: “Ungathanda ukuthuthuka? Ngingakusiza.” UPauline uyaqhubeka: “Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezalandela wagxila kakhulu kimi, engisiza ngisho noma isikole sesiphumile. Ngangazi ukuthi wayefuna ngiphumelele—ukuthi wayengikhathalela. Ukwazi lokhu kwangenza ngazikhandla, futhi ngathuthuka.”
U-Angie, waseScotland, manje osevile eminyakeni engu-30 ubudala, ukhumbula uMnu. Graham, uthisha wakhe wezomlando. “Wenza ezomlando zathakazelisa kakhulu! Wayezixoxela nje uma elandisa izenzakalo futhi enomdlandla endabeni ngayinye. Wayeyenza iphile.” Futhi uyajabula uma ekhumbula uNksz. Hewitt, uthisha wakhe osekhulile owayemfundisa ngonyaka angena ngawo esikoleni. “Wayenomusa futhi ekhathalela. Ngolunye usuku ekilasini, ngaya kuye ngambuza umbuzo. Wangiqukula wangigona. Wangenza ngezwa ukuthi uyangikhathalela ngempela.”
UTimothy, waseningizimu yeGreece, wazwakalisa ukwazisa kwakhe. “Ngisamkhumbula uthisha wami wesayensi. Wayishintsha ngokuphelele indlela engangibheka ngayo izwe elingizungezile nokuphila. Wayesifaka umoya wokuhlonipha nokumangala ekilasini. Wagxilisa kithi ukulangazelela ulwazi nokuthanda ukuqonda.”
URamona, waseCalifornia, e-U.S.A., ungesinye isibonelo. Uyabhala: “Uthisha wami wasesikoleni esiphakeme wayesithanda isiNgisi. Intshiseko yakhe yayingeve ithelelwana! Wayenza ngisho nezingxenye ezilukhuni zibonakale zilula.”
UJane waseCanada, wakhuluma ngentshiseko ngothisha wakhe wezokuzivivinya “owayehlale enemiqondo emisha yokungcebeleka nokufunda. Wasikhipha futhi wasibonisa ukushishiliza eqhweni nokudoba emanzini ambozwe yiqhwa. Saze sabhaka ngisho ne-bannock, uhlobo oluthile lwesinkwa samaNdiya, emlilweni esasiwubase thina phansi. Konke lokhu kwakuthakazelisa kakhulu entombazaneni ejwayele ukuba sendlini ihlalele izincwadi!”
UHelen uyintokazi enamahloni eyazalelwa eShanghai futhi yafunda eHong Kong. Uyakhumbula: “Ebangeni lesithathu nganginoThish’ uChan, owayesifundisa ukuzivivinya umzimba nokudweba. Ngangimncane ngomzimba futhi ngangingayidlali kahle i-volleyball ne-basketball. Wayengangiphoxi. Wayengidlalisa i-badminton neminye imidlalo engangiyidlala kangcono. Wayecabangela futhi enomusa.
“Ngokufanayo nokudweba—ngangingenalo ikhono lokudweba izinto nabantu. Ngakho wayethi mangidwebe imiklamo, engangiyingcweti kuyo. Ngenxa yokuthi ngangimncane kunabanye abafundi, wangikholisa ukuba ngiphinde lelo kilasi ngonyaka owalandela. Leso kwaba yisikhathi soshintsho ekufundeni kwami. Ngazethemba futhi ngathuthuka. Ngiyohlale ngimbonga njalo.”
Yibaphi othisha ababonakala benethonya elikhulu? UWilliam Ayers uyaphendula encwadini yakhe ethi To Teach—The Journey of a Teacher: “Ukufundisa okuphumelelayo kudinga ngokuyinhloko uthisha ocabangelayo nokhathalelayo ozinikele ekuphileni kwabafundi. . . . Ukufundisa kahle akudingi nje kuphela amasu noma izindlela, amacebo noma izenzo ezithile eziqondile. . . . Ukufundisa ngokuyinhloko kudinga uthando.” Ngakho yimuphi uthisha ophumelela kakhulu? Uthi: “Uthisha owathinta inhliziyo yakho, uthisha owayekuqonda noma owayekukhathalela njengomuntu, uthisha ontshiseko yakhe ngokuthile—umculo, izibalo, isiLatini, ama-kite—yayithelelwana futhi ikufaka umdlandla.”
Akungabazeki ukuthi othisha abaningi baye bathola amazwi okwazisa avela kubafundi ngisho nakubazali futhi ngaleyo ndlela baye bakhuthazeka ukuba baqhubeke befundisa naphezu kwezithiyo. Imbangela evamile kwamaningi amazwi okwazisa isithakazelo esiqotho nomusa esiboniswa uthisha kumfundi.
Yiqiniso, akubona bonke othisha ababonisa isithakazelo esihle kanjalo. Kanti futhi othisha nabo bavame ukubhekana nezingcindezi eziningi ezithiya lokho abangase bakwenzele abafundi babo. Lokhu kusiholela embuzweni othi, Kungani abantu bekhetha umkhakha onzima kangaka?
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
“Ukufundisa ngokuyinhloko kudinga uthando”