I would see Him everyday. Dark complexion, curly hair, eyes unfixed, hands fidgeting, mouth blabbering. I wonder when did it all start? The dislike for me!
Was it something I said or did to call such hatred and anger towards me?
Everyone around me said that He's not a nice person. They all judged Him and I won't deny I did that too. And then one day, while I was busy doing the usual stuff at the workplace, I came to know that He wanted to kill me.
I am an elementary school teacher and He is my six year old student. How can a six year old have such strong feelings of rage towards his teacher? I was devastated to know this because all I had ever heard in my teaching career was- 'I love you teacher'.
We did everything that we could to know what brought him to this! Took him to the Principal, called up his parents to school, counselled him and questioned him. I wasn't ready to accept the fact that a child as naive as him could hate me so much to kill me.
He has acute Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is a regular term in school settings these days and commonly referred to as ADHD. I went straight up to him and asked him why he felt that and he said that he hates the subject I teach. I was devastated again, since being a Mathematics teacher, the least I can expect out of myself is to help my students not be afraid of this subject.
I asked him what he wants and he replied- 'to cut you into pieces'. I was literally taken aback. His thoughts had a lot to do with what he watched on the television, without being supervised. His ADHD made him lose control over his actions and emotions.
From that day, I never tried changing him but changed my ways for him. And I can proudly say that I could succeed in making him like Mathematics. I was elated to know that he not only likes to study it but also makes an effort to put his best behavior in front of me, if not in front of others.
One step at a time, but I am trying to make him deal with this. Let's try to empathize with these little ones. The struggle that they go through, each day, dealing with these disorders, is hard enough. Let us not make it even harder for them but help them evolve.
Let us nurture these ADHDs into 'Affection Deserving Happy Disciples'.
Was it something I said or did to call such hatred and anger towards me?
Everyone around me said that He's not a nice person. They all judged Him and I won't deny I did that too. And then one day, while I was busy doing the usual stuff at the workplace, I came to know that He wanted to kill me.
I am an elementary school teacher and He is my six year old student. How can a six year old have such strong feelings of rage towards his teacher? I was devastated to know this because all I had ever heard in my teaching career was- 'I love you teacher'.
We did everything that we could to know what brought him to this! Took him to the Principal, called up his parents to school, counselled him and questioned him. I wasn't ready to accept the fact that a child as naive as him could hate me so much to kill me.
He has acute Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is a regular term in school settings these days and commonly referred to as ADHD. I went straight up to him and asked him why he felt that and he said that he hates the subject I teach. I was devastated again, since being a Mathematics teacher, the least I can expect out of myself is to help my students not be afraid of this subject.
I asked him what he wants and he replied- 'to cut you into pieces'. I was literally taken aback. His thoughts had a lot to do with what he watched on the television, without being supervised. His ADHD made him lose control over his actions and emotions.
From that day, I never tried changing him but changed my ways for him. And I can proudly say that I could succeed in making him like Mathematics. I was elated to know that he not only likes to study it but also makes an effort to put his best behavior in front of me, if not in front of others.
One step at a time, but I am trying to make him deal with this. Let's try to empathize with these little ones. The struggle that they go through, each day, dealing with these disorders, is hard enough. Let us not make it even harder for them but help them evolve.
Let us nurture these ADHDs into 'Affection Deserving Happy Disciples'.
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