Short story: THE WAY OF A TEACHER

The story begins in an academic institution offering Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The department had a total strength of 14 full time teachers, and a head of the department who reports to the Chief Facilitator (CF) of the college, Mr.Armand. The college runs with 120 students, who praise highly about their college and are a major source of admissions.

The students of Fourth semester MBA batch are all set for an examination, which none in the class had attempted ever before. The CF, Mr.Armand stepped in to the class with an OMR sheet, which carried the names of all teachers and a set of performance evaluation criteria. The performance evaluation criteria were to be submitted to a higher rank department of Master of Business Administration in Kuala Lumpur, that will enable the MBA in Sabah to continue to function and receive funding from the higher ups. The news spread in the department and every teacher wore a strained look with the exception of a young Assistant Professor, Mr.Randon who continued with his research work unabated.

Teachers gathered together for an informal discussions started on how their students would rate them. As the gossiping progressed a teacher noticed Mr.Randon, who kept doing his research without interfering in the discussion, which is of common interest. Mr.Randon happened to be the most unabashedly ‘Strict Teacher’ in the department, with not even a single student speaking good about his behaviour, yet loved and deeply respected for his quality of classes.

Mr.Randon is a selfless perfectionist who upholds highest of values and is ethical in all dimensions as a teacher. He would go to any extent to help his students mould themselves into professionals. His mere glances are more than enough for the class to keep quiet and focus. Mr.Randon’s stringency in terms is inversely proportional to the semester in which a student is in, which makes him even more dangerous to first year students. However he never holds personal grudge with students and all his deeds are intended towards shaping students’ behaviour.

Once, Mr.Randon found a student using mobile phone in his class, which he confiscated and was not returned even after the request of parents. This story is very infamous in the college. There is another incident in the life of Mr.Randon, when he showed his real character as a teacher to students. A young lady teacher once seized a mobile phone from a first year student named James, when he was found using it in her class. To her surprise, James were watching pornography. She saw Mr.Randon passing by and requested him if he can come to the class. Mr.Randon entered and he didn’t speak even a single word to James and took him to the staff room and it was pin drop silence in the class.

James was half dead with fright by then and Mr.Randon took him to his office and closed the door. James couldn’t resist his angst and he immediately fell on the feet of Mr.Randon and apologized for his mistake. Mr.Randon quoted examples from his personal life and made him understand the importance good ethics. Mr.Randon made him understand the gravity of his misbehaviour. This incident made James render an unconditional ‘straight from the heart’ apology to the teacher and this highly accentuated his respect for Mr.Randon.

The next day, The results of the performance evaluation turned out to be a bit puzzling for the management and teachers. Eventhough Mr.Randon came second on the overall evaluation, Mr.Randon scored poorly only on the question: “The teacher behaves in a friendly manner to students” with every student ticking the ‘STRONGLY DISAGREE’ box. The evaluation results were taken very seriously by the management and appropriate corrective actions were being discussed.

Worried that it will have an effect on the institution especially in the aspect of funding, the Chief Facilitator (CF), Mr. Armand decided to terminate the teacher who came last in the evaluation as a corrective measure. Those teachers who scored less in evaluation were working under stress and started generating insecurity of jobs. This ended up in teachers adopting a very liberal and passive approach towards students with the only objective of getting into the good books of students. Delayed assignments were entertained; unprepared presentations were welcomed and low marks in test papers were offered moderation. Except for Mr.Randon, who followed what he was doing until then.

Because of that, The Chief Facilitator (CF), decided to ordered Mr.Randon to discuss the answer of all the answer in the exam hall. This preposterous act was to gain higher grades of students in their exam. Mr.Randon furiously refuse and immedietly wrote his resignation letter and proceeded to Mr.Armand’s office. He got a call on his way and it was his wife informing that his son met with an accident while playing and has multiple fractures in his right hand. This needed an urgent surgery and he was not covered by any medical insurance. He immediately tore off the resignation letter with tears and he rushed to hospital after informing the CF.

This put Mr.Randon into further trouble as he cannot even think of resigning from the college given his financial instability. The surgery was successfully over and on the same night itself he updated his resume and started sending it across to different colleges, knowing that his job is not secure anymore in the MBA. The next day, while Mr.Randon were in charge of the exam hall, Mr.Armand came to the class and ordered Mr.Randon to discuss the answer. The students did not react to the words of Mr.Armand as they are very sure that Mr.Randon won’t do it. Mr.Armand told Mr.Randon in a soft voice that he cannot afford to lose his job and forced him to do as instructed. Mr.Randon with a heavy heart and watery eyes agreed to it and with intense emotions and strong feelings, he discussed the answers in the class without looking at the eyes of students.

This incident had an irreparable effect on Mr.Randon and he applied for a long leave stating that he cannot even look into the eyes of students anymore. Mr.Armand clearly understood his situation and granted him a resignation. Mr.Randon with a heavy heart joined Sabah Institute of Social Sciences (SISS) as a faculty member.

Years went by, Mr.Randon were conducting his research in a prison by interviewing prisoner to understand their problems and challenges. Mr.Randon and his team were informed that a prisoner had volunteered to be interviewed. Next, the prisoner came to the designated area to proceed the interview session. The moment he stepped in, Mr.Randon gazed at him and stood up shell shocked. It was his old student James, whom he taught the ethical and moral principles of life in a totally different outfit. James looked very calm even after noticing the shock on the face of Mr.Randon. He looked at the eyes of Mr.Randon in vengeance for a moment and swapped his attention to other team members. The interview was successfully over and James end the session with a statement that confused every one. He said: “You never know the consequences of your deeds, unless you witness it unveil right in front of you; you reap what you sow.”

That night Mr.Randon could not even close his eyes, and spent the night reflecting where did he do wrong that may cause his former student to be a prisoner. In the morning, came a letter from James to him. James unveiled his story:

“I saw a real teacher in you when I joined for my MBA. You were not just a teacher to me; you were an idol I worshipped, your principles of life influenced me more than anything else. I respected you more than anyone else in this world. As you have once said in the class, ‘every teacher is a lesson in your life’; you have been the best lesson I’ve ever had until the 24th February 2011, the date of our exam. The moment you insisted us write down the answers that you exposed in the examination hall; Mr.Randon, my teacher died. This incident changed my life; I dropped my studies at that point and went back to a world of darkness. It was you Mr. Randon, who is to be blamed for killing my hopes, beliefs and aspirations in my student life”.

Mr.Randon stood up and said “enough is enough” and walked back with these questions haunting him. He wanted to apologize to his student, but realised that it would make no difference. He left the hotel and later a circular in SISS read “Mr.Randon left irretrievably to eternity leaving behind his wife and son. The teaching fraternity of SISS express deep condolences over his untimely demise.”

The suicide note of Mr.Randon read:

“A teacher fails when his students fail in life and a teacher dies when you know that you are the reason for their failure.”