My tuition teacher life

The time is about 1994 summer holiday just after come back from Mandalay. My sponsor uncle house is doing business with water trading in my home town. So I automatically was appointed for full time employee and help according to customer demand. We are pioneer to do such a kind of business in home town. Conventionally our town rely on seller who use water tank cart pulled by cows. But we do it by using water pump and conduit pipes. Make it easier and cheaper and so customer demands become big within a short period. So I am pretty busy from dawn to late night.
During I am focusing on that business my time, my high school student niece asked me to explain school exercise and suggest me to make a guide to her. Later she gathered some of her friends to become home tuition. It is the beginning of my tuition teacher. After I promised her to teach them, I again need to read my recent exercise books during my normal working time at water trading. I usually teach her and her friends at night time. Gradually people know about my tuition and started to ask for registration because my pupils are good at school. Their school-mates noticed about their progress and interested in joining them in my class. By this way, my tuition business become grow day by day. I was happy to teach them and happier to see my class full. Soon later I needed to open another class for 10th standard repeaters who requested me to open for them at school hours.
So I seperated two classes, one for fresher and one for repeater. Most of the repeater class students are my childhood friends. Nevertheless we do manage the good relationship of teacher and pupil during teaching hours. I imported a good method of teaching to my home town by using the best from Mandalay tuitions. I edit exercise before I teaching and gave them the simplest and easiest way so that thay can understand easily. Mostly I teach by poem, music and short-cut that can enhance their understandable. So pupils are happy with my methods and other students who are attending other tuitions also changed to my tuition. There are so many tuitions in my home town. Most of tuition teacher are my childhood teacher who taught me when I was primary to secondary student. So they used conventional method to teach their pupils.
As a result of my afford, I got a lot students during a few months. I teach English, Maths, Physic and Chemistry at the same time. At night time studying time, I guide them how to draw Biology figures and how to write essay in Myanmar subject. So can say I teach them all subjects. But I take only 100Ks for my all round services. At the time, other tuition charge about 200Ks for one subject. In term of economy, my classes are much affordable for needy parents. This probably be one of the reason some students change my classes. I make it cheap because I don't want some poor students unable to come my class just bcz of tuition fees. I, myself, suffered such a feeling when I was studying in Mandalay. Some relatives come and suggest me to increase my tuition fees but I keep it constant. Meanwhile I introduce my pupils the sense of serial exam and recording the winners. Moreover I held some fun activities once a month so that they are more familiar bwt classmate and reduce stress and happy study.
I created stick and carrot for my exam. Everbody needs to pay for exam fees to sit my weekly, monthly and chapterly exams. Then I collect that money and add another 100% amount and reward to first prize winner. If somebody alone can hit top prize for three consecutive times, I give special prize that cannot be found in my home town. I purposely buy some special things during my visit to Magway and Mandalay for that prize. So my pupils are always active and hard working students. Their competitive is so high and they even read notes on the way to my tuition. So parents are believing in my disposal and asked me to take care their childs.
I also very happy to see my pupils trying hard and getting top 3 in school. Some tuitions closed because of mine. They find it difficult to maintain their pupils moving to my tuition. Oneday even I got some sticks and stones that were thrown by other tuitions pupils who were asked by their teachers. There are more comparison between students of different tuitions. Some school teachers are also opening their own tuition and they become to give some lessons to my pupils by saying that they can't get score if they don't answer like he teach. It's really funny when my pupils told me again. Since we are preparing for govt control exam, it's nothing what they said as long as your method of calculation are correct. I answer them by consoling to don't bother internal exam result. I periodically went Mandalay and met with my teacher to upgrade my knowledge for new chapters and the item I still not master.
At that time, I want to give my best to my pupil and happy to teach them. My mind has changed a lot although I was 16 years old. My mum always see when I am teaching and she is happy to see pupils are shouting to respong my Q. My home is ever full of students not only day time but also night time. At night, it's my duty to return some female student after 11:00pm. So I usually able to sleep after 12:00pm/ mid-night. I need to prepare for tomorrow exercise and go to bed. Next morning first class begins on 6:00am and they usually arrive around 5:30am and wake me up happily. I felt that I have been some adapted childs in my life. Half of my students come from another village by bicycle or on foots. Their lifes are so pity, they have to walk some few kilometer to study at neighbour town. No choice for them if they want to study.
I announce my pupils that if there is some students who are not able to afford my tuition fees, pls bring and let them see me. I'll give them free tuition fees and even I can support in some stationery. I could support some during my tuition teacher life. I also open a stationery shop at my home and sell my students with less profit. I received some invitation letters to go and teach at neighbour township boarders. But I rejected their offers and plan to establish my own. After 1 and half years of my teaching, I was needed to go another town (Chauk) to study my engineering course. This is my another turning point to change my life style. My mum was full of tears not because of she miss me but she pity tearful my students. Everyday they come and go to and from my home. My home is always noisy and my mum is used to that. I think my mum don't want to lose that sense at my home. The night before I leave my home town for Chauk, she even asked me that "my son, can you break your plan to study at another town?" I surprisely respond her, "why mum". she said I am not happy to see your pupil's faces. But I have to go for my future mum, I'm sorry for that. She silence then. At that night, my pupils come my home as usual and do not go back their home the whole night. We make some foods and eat togher, some student play guitar and madalin and some are singing for my fair well ceremony. I cried several times but I make it out of their sight. When they gave me final respect by praying and presenting some goods, I gave them speech back and I can't control my mind and cry openly. They also cry and my mum console me by giving a towel.
The next early morning, my sister, mum and myself go to car-gate and they all accompanished with us. One of my pupils is car owner's son and he asked driver to depart later than usual. Other passengers are amazed to see my tearful pupils. I asked them to go back home but they refused my order. Finally they requested me to fulfil their desire that they wants to walk with me together untill bridge that is located outskirt of my home town. From car gate to that bride is far away exactly 1 mile (1.60 km). The driver asked me to agree with them so that the car can depart earlier and my mum also lure me. So I alight from car and walked together with them on the way to bridge. The car is slowly move behind us and we are walking with sorrowful. I console them one by one by saying that I'll come back and teach them if I got any holidays and don't worry about that. They revealed me that it's impossible for them to go another rival tuitions to continue their studies because the rivary is so heavy and hard to reconcile. They are crying when we approach the bridge and I also can't control my mind. When we got the bridge, they all sit down and pray me as final respect. Being a young man teacher, how can i prevent my innermost feeling? I heavily cry infront of them and the passengers on the car star us surprisely. I finally aboard the car and say them goodbye by raising my hands. The left far behind the car and I see them until they disappear from my eye view.
I call it the day I'll never forget in my life.
Do u have such a similar your own story???
If your answer is yes then you would understand my feeling better I think.
Thanks for your valuable time to read this article.
See you around.