Angels In Classroom… deepens teachers labour of love

The American author, Ever Garrison, is known for his platitude, which says: “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

This mantra is reflective in Angels In Classroom.

Written by Kaltume Akubo, the story centres on teacher-student relationship.

With themes of love, sacrifice, attention and resoluteness, the book tells how a teacher can, through love, care and the right teaching technique motivate a student to build self-confidence, put in his/her best in his/her studies and excel, not only in his/her studies, but generally in life.

Starting with Maryam’s school days, the book recalls how she is ridiculed for her poor performance in school before Mrs Okeke, one of her form teachers, changes the narrative.

Okeke’s firm believe that all students are unique, engages Maryam and the female student no one thinks can amount to anything good in her studies, begins to be amount the prime students in her class. She moves from the rear to be among the best.

Humbling herself, Maryam accepts her mentor’s advice and comes out tops in both her internal and external examinations and as well, progresses in life. Aside from this, the virtues she garners from her tutor spurs her to become a notable figure people trust to lead them.

With this, she braces for the position of leadership and finally becomes the first female president of her country; a country known for its wealth and might in the African continent. Aside from this, she becomes the first person from her school, New Era High School, to emerge in a national light. Her story is a true turnaround of things from ugly to beauty.

The 93-page booklet published this year, 2022, by the Gift for Love Charity Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that aims at encouraging reading culture and supports the less privileged, especially indigent orphans, women, youths to be better persons.

Using Mrs Okeke, the author shows that humanity does not need all the might of political leaders to be the best.

Okeke, who stands as a teacher’s teach shows dignity in labour and even when her mentee is the hard type she persists, believing that things will improve and indeed, her product turns out to be the better for it.

Proud of her teaching profession, Okeke continues work till her retirement and even after retiring, at the age 67, she counsels her daughter, Beauty, to take up teaching, a profession many dare to go into because of their poor take-home pay and little regards society accord them.

This captivating story is a must-read for students, teachers and caregivers.

However, simple the presentation may look, some of the scenes, especially Chapters 1, 9, 10, 22 and 22 would be best done outdoors, while others can hold indoors.

The story ends nicely with Maryam recognising her teacher’s effort and appreciating her.