When I was about to dismiss class, “Teacher, may I ask you a personal question?” a bit afraid one of my best students who sat in the front row posed a question. It was two decades back while I was a high school teacher at Gofa village in Addis. Now he has become a teacher graduating from the then Kotebe Teachers’ Training College.

“No problem you go ahead!” I said.

As I used the democratic and humanistic approaches as well as started lessons from scratch while teaching Mathematics, which many students see as a difficult subject, relived from fear students actively participated in the teaching-learning process. Owing to this, even the grades of average students showed an upward trajectory. On not few occasions, I even witnessed slow and average learners who enjoyed support exhibiting excellence on par with the fast learners.

I owe the aforementioned skill to my best teachers all along the ladder starting from elementary school. Especially I picked the best teaching styles from my gifted Mathematics instructors at Arat Kilo Science Faculty.

“No one forgets a good teacher!” reads a poster I saw once posted on a wall at an international conference, held at ECA. True, I still remember my best teachers who had cut a cherished corner in my heart. My hat is blown for all of them.

By the way, I have noticed differences from one book to the other. I used to scour the shelves and read all the mathematics books in the library. I also adored buying some dog-eared books to prepare notes, I wished I had had while I was a student. Some authors make things vague, while others render it palatable. Some use retrieval ques and simplifying methods while others care not to give even an example.

Instructor Tekle who taught me Advanced Linear Algebra comes atop my short list of best teachers. Of all his teaching skills at Arat Kilo Science Faculty, I appreciate his method of starting from chapter zero.

“Chapter zero comprises preliminary issues and prerequisites that could help fill missing gaps! It as well helps to brush up previous lessons. I want all of you to be on board. A firm foundation is key for building things up. Above all, this chapter will serve an introductory period between you and me,” he introduced himself with beaming face the very day he started delivering Maths 320 course.

True, I found his chapter zero helpful in making up for gaps ascribable to the failure of previous instructors in covering topics well. A teacher I followed suit.

Also, the way he used to give lectures with a sense of humor used to dispel anxiety of students. So, most students find not the course that difficult.

“Applied Linear Algebra is handy in handling big projects like dispatching Airplanes. Attend the course with undivided attention! Who knows one of you will become a flight dispatcher, among others,” he enthused us often with moral boosts.

Dr.Yismaw is also on the top rows of the list “He delivers courses like Abstract Algebra and Number Theory keeping the logical flow of lectures and as much as possible making things down to earth to lucid.”

“I think you know this table from your high school courses on commutative, associative properties, and the like. This course on algebraically –embedded  functions builds on such topics,” he  often nodded his head up and down.

He was serious about attendance.

“How could I give grades to s/he who missed a piece in the jig saw puzzle?” he used to alert us.

A teacher-turned-journalist I stood a chance to have him a guest on The Ethiopian Herald. He was the 3rd president of the Ethiopian Mathematics Professional Association (EMPA).

“ Would you come to the blackboard and attack this problem?” he used this technique by way of a continuous assessment.

Professor Alemayehu, the first president of EMPA, too has a special place in my heart. His mien was similar to Einstein. While he used to give us a course on Set Theory, a recently developed brain-ranking course and meant to graduating class students, he used to transport us to a higher sphere. Always we became oblivious to our surroundings. He often taught us from 3Am to 1 Pm nonstop. It was only when reminded by a stomach pang we recalled the students’ lounge would be closed before we ate lunch. We had to knock on our chairs to remind him time was up.

Descending from the higher sphere and alighting on earth he smiled and joked “Is it for a loaf of bread you are doing that?” Bubbling with laughter, brushing sides with haste, we rushed into the lounge. Old cooks there greet us with frowning faces.

“Why don’t you come on time? Why do you always prefer the eleventh hour? Why don’t you come early as your friends?”

“Sorry!” we say.

Though vexed, mothers themselves, fed us well.

Of all the professor’s bits of advice “At least once in your life you must know this!” clicks a bell in my mind when I come across abstract concepts taken scientists’ domain.

To date, I am spellbound by the course Computer Graphics. “Using Matrix Algebra we shall translate, transform, and rotate a box. We shall develop a computer program to this effect,” Dr.Dida made us awe inspired. He was also a guest of Herald on the special Sunday Edition. My hat is blown for him too.

The soft-spoken and polite instructor Aklilu who taught us the Optimization technique was among my favorite teachers. “Optimization is all about maximizing profit and minimizing loss. Unlike Operational Research, we shall deal with it in a rigorous mathematical way,” he told us reminding us Mathematics demands proofs not only applications.

Dissimilar to all the instructors mentioned above, there was a certain instructor Mr.X who liked dressing down all students at least twice a period. “Of course, Grade 12th national examination might have been stolen how did you manage to pass Grade 8 national examination!” he glared at us walking to and fro.

“Your mid-semester result was disastrous,” he adored threatening us.

“The problem is not with you. It resides with those who gave you prerequisite courses. They are no better than you!”

Later I understood he used this approach to make students take the course with ducking heads thereby avoiding possible challenging questions from them. Why he became embittered and why he preferred threatening treatment is still a mystery for me.

From lower grades, I also appreciate teacher Eshete who taught me grade 8th science.

He used to change all the questions on the national exams prepared by the MoE into useful notes. Fortunately, back then, as all of the teachers assigned to us were good, I remember it was then I scored the highest grade in my educational pursuit.
When once asked my father “How was the teaching-learning process in your time?”
“Unlike now corporal punishment was enforced. If a student got 9 out of 10 the teacher showed no mercy for what the student lost. Standing on his toe he was sure to beat the student’s palm.”

Flipping back to the question my student raised at the opening of this piece,

“Go ahead pose your question!” I said to my student.

“Could a teacher fall in love with his student?”

“Well, you raised a good point; he must not do unfair things such as showing preferential treatment and giving her undue marks. He must avoid things that mar the teaching and learning process. But familiarization could open doors for affectionate bonds. One can’t fall in love with someone he doesn’t know or see!”’

“Have you read Fikre Eskemekabre (Love unto Death by the famous Ethiopian Novelist Addis Alemayehu). The love between Seblewengle and Bezabeh? Love between a tutor and a student.”

“I tuned to its narration on the radio. Of course, some female students fall in love with their teachers,” he cut in.

“Yes, more often than not that is conspicuous on the intelligent ones.”

“Later in life if the love persists, I see no reason why they couldn’t tie the knot! But as for me, a teacher is a father figure!”

On last epiphany, I crossed paths with that student of mine. Attired well with white costumes he and a lady with three children were tailing a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, heading Back to Saint Gebrel church around Gofa, blessing celebrants flanking it all sides singing and ululating. Youngsters were clearing roads ahead showcasing every sort of traditional dance. Ethiopia’s tricolor bedecked roads.

Days remain before the coming Epiphany, which the faithful and tourists eagerly look forward to.

After changing greetings “Was she your student?” I pointed to the lady. Blushing a bit he nodded in the affirmative. I think he remembers well that question he  once up on a time challenged me with.