Abang.
That was how his classmates called him and from the nickname, I knew he was the
oldest student in that class, VII-2. There was no something made him so special
instead of others. Obviously, there were still many smarter students than him.
However, when I was thinking about “What and who to be witten”, I decided to
write about a student who was overly successful made me fiery in teaching. I
dedicate this short writing to him, Ari Setiawan.
August
9th, 2014. It was the second day I taught that class and became the
day when I knew him for the first time. I knew him as a student who merely
submitted his assignment without answering even one question. I directly wrote
his name as the most foolish and the most lazy student in that class.
He
was tall. He was the tallest student in that class. He was well built. His skin
was brownish and his hair was short and curly. He sat on the back side of the
class. At a glance, his figure made everybody thought he was a naughty student
who liked disturbing his friends, making noise and disregarding teachers. Yet,
he broke my approximations through his attitude. He was absolutely different
from what I guessed at first.
Ari
had soft voice. His appearance was always neat.He spoke patiently both to the
teachers and to the students. When his friends walked around the class during
the lesson and made noise, he sat quietly on his chair. When many of his
fellows were sentenced because they did not bring dictionary, he was ready read
his small dictionary. It was always in his grasp. Even though he did not know
how to read a dictionary correctly yet, but he always opened it to find out the
meaning of a word he did not know. When
all his classmates had understood toward the lesson, he was the only student
who sat quietly and stared straight showing he did not understand yet.
Everyday, every meeting, I had to pay more attention to him, told him the
lesson in really slow mode. Even to the simplest lesson like “Greeting”, I had
to tell him repeatedly until he got what I meant. When all his classmates had
finished doing the exercises, he has always been the most late. Incredibly, he
always did what I asked the students to do although he did not understand it.
It
was a pricelss chance to know a student like him. For me, he was really
special. I extremely paid more attention to all my students. I watched their
development and felt fiery when I got increase of their ability. And one of a
student who shown me sharp improvement was Ari. When Irealized he was too slow
in catching the lesson, I became fiery to stimulate him, not to be smart rather
to be active and to be interested in English.
I
was so glad every time he came to my desk and asked me what he did not
understand yet while others were pretending understandand felt shame to ask. I
was too proud of myself when I saw he was really fiery to do the assignment. It
was because it meant I had been successful made him interested in English. I
did not want he considered himself as a stupid student. That was why I always
praised him for a little improvement he made. I could catch his happiness form
his white teeth when I said his answer was right. He always tried to do the
assignments by himself although it took time.
Finally,
he surprised me by making a perfect portfolio assignment. I asked the students
to write their identity on a paper and decorate it as creative as they can. His
work shown he was fervent to make it. I always hope, all the teachers in that
school understand his lack, pay more attention to him and be ready to teach him
in extra slow mode. In the end, I got a
lesson that there is no stupid student, there are only lazy students. Every
student has different capability in catching the lesson and teachers should be
able to handle it. Ari, thanks to teach me
this priceless lesson.
