Muhammad Naeem

I have a front row seat to our education system as a substitute teacher and I am sad to say that our education system is in decline. Now, some would argue that I only have a partial view to the system, because a substitute teacher is not a real teacher, and I agree, that I am not a real teacher.

“Drop by drop, a river is made.” I remember these words from a wise old man who was teaching me about strength in numbers. “Brick by brick, a building is made,” that was a corollary, implying the same meanings.

Animals! Pure and simple. That is the only word that I can use to describe the students that I came across at a local, not so prestigious middle school here in Hemet. Any other words that I am thinking of using, cannot be printed in this space.

Definition of the word “hero” usually involves courage and sacrifice above and beyond the normal threshold. Classic meaning of hero is a “warrior that lives and dies in the pursuit of honor,” and fights with “brilliancy, efficiency, and ingenuity.”

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” This is a famous line from George Bernard Shaw’s play Man and Superman, and some people often use it to denigrate the profession of teaching.