Wise Teacher in Nijam Village: A story for Teachers on Handling Troubled Classes

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This story happened in 1985.

When I was 25 years old I was very young and excited. I became a contract teacher at a private high school in the Nijam area. This area is located between Sopa and Mela Village in West Pahang. Nijam village is a hometown of warriors, many popular and legendary heroes were born there. This is where Lords and Champions settled.

Warrior is a name given by the Nijam community to a master of martial arts and the one who always wins in a fight. At the beginning of my teaching, I was assigned to teach grade 2. The class was "mastered" (controlled) by a student who was the leader of a very influential gang in Nijam. When I entered the classroom, only a few people answered my greetings. Half the class was engrossed in chatting, singing, and playing the guitar. I soon realized that I was being tested by the students. I remembered my mother's message, "When facing teenagers, we must always have a strategy. We should always try to start with their game and end with our game."

I tried to apply my mother's advice. I immediately took the initiative to mingle with them. I invited the student sitting in the front to sit back and sing along. The class was crowded and noisy. When one song finished, I shouted, "Again, one more song." The atmosphere was beginning to fall under my control by the third song. After that, I offered the festive class to have recreational events and sing and play the guitar as much as they wanted. It took about half an hour to master the class.
After that, I continued with the introductions. One by one I tried to get to know them, and I praised them. For example, praising the meaning of their good name, good looks, smile, attitude, guitar playing skills, or singing. I praised the leader of the gang, named Jason, as a quiet but charismatic person. In fact, I praised the students who liked to yell as reliable political candidates! The classroom atmosphere calmed.

My first day was a success.

I was warmly welcomed the second day. Only Jason seemed to be indifferent. However, I let it go, because the most important thing is not to interfere. Jason worked as a security guard at night. His face was cold and his eyes sharp. He once chased a teacher while holding up a machete when he was declared unsuccessful in the final exam. Many of his fellow gang members were scattered in other classes at the school.

The school is overwhelmed. In fact, the school board hired a martial arts teacher from the next village to train the teachers' in martial arts on the grounds of fortifying them against the possibility of being attacked by students and parents. These reasons make sense because a strange scene occurs when the report cards are passed out. Parents wearing martial arts with machetes at the waist roam at the school gates. I myself, as a young teacher who is still an idealist, do not agree with the way they are martial like that. I have principles, act with kindness, and believe we can capture the heart of the students. So it is with Jason. I have to conquer his heart. So when the second day ended, I politely asked Jason for his help because someone was threatening me. I created scenarios as if I am being threatened by people and need his help. Jason's response was extraordinary. He said, "I will help you, who dares to threaten you, I will kill him."
My fishing rod was successful. The very next day Jason acted. He went into all of the classrooms and told the students, "You can interfere with other teachers, but not with Mr. Romy. If you dare threaten Mr. Romy, you will deal with me."

I got a report from senior teachers, wondering how I conquered Jason.

My relationship with Jason became like a brother because we were only three years apart in age. I helped his learning difficulties until he could pass the final exam with his hard work. Jason once told me that he became a gang leader to protest his father. "My father's land takes a lot, sir, he works to sell the land, continues to marry other women, I hate him, I decided to live alone with the money in the market," said Jason. We chatted in a fried rice stall where I took him for a treat with my first paycheck. However, I lost quickly because he had already paid for my fried rice. The owner of the shop does not want to receive money from Jason for fear his security is threatened. However, I gestured to the stall owner to accept it. Who dares to hang with the leader of a gang, he thinks. That's it. For me, there is no reason for violence against students. With care and kindness, students can be conquered and embraced, no matter the difficult circumstances. It takes patience and strategy. "Start with their game, end with our game."

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From the story above, there are seven things we can do as a strategy in overcoming a problem class, namely:

1. Obtain information about the class situation before beginning your teaching activity.

2. Using the principle of "understand first to be understood".

3. Offer cooperation to understand each other.

4. Praise, with the understanding that every child has a superiority.

5. Give trust and recognition.

6. Establish a good relationship.

7. Maintaining good relationship.

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Best regards @seaworld

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This post has been edited by a member of the @blue-pencil team.

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