A Mr Ephraim's story

This is true life story about Abo Aondofa Ephraim, someone i have seen very different from today's people that make me believe that people can live their lives differently. My teacher who is popularly known as Mr. Ephraim is someone i have come across and will never forget, in fact i want you to know about it and my children should learn about his story too.

He live in a suburban area of the city and spent most his time teaching, and i can say i was so lucky to learn from him and i must confess that he is the greatest teacher i have met. Anytime i think about him i could remember him clear, he is an old-school in his young age who obviously do not have time for anybody else but for his work and his students which includes i myself. As a student i took my time observing the life style of Mr. Ephraim, and i can remember clearly on my first day of seen him. A well dressed gentleman, "I thought" he has excellent vocabulary skills in English Grammar with a native accent.

We admired his life style and teaching methods and we all love having him around, we hardly see him upset except when we distract his classes. I remember him vividly and his activities, as there were only two things he loved doing, which includes, going to church and teaching us in the school on working days.

Mr. Ephraim would always asked us the Muslim students if we have been observing our prayers. One day i told him no that i could not go for my prayers and he promised to call my parents to find out. He live in the school and could always be seen in his office and at the school premises.

I remember one of his quotes " if you cannot help people, do not try to hurt them." He said this to us when we asked why he would never punish us for disturbing his classes? He could smile at us and say many things to get our attention.

Sometimes he would allowed us to tell stories in class while he listened. When i asked him to tell me why he like listening to every details, he asked me "what makes a good scientist?" "Do you know any youth who have the makings of becoming a good scientist? Yes, i know that you don't know because you are the one!" It was this day that i finally knew this Oldman's secret. He want all of his students to become scientists. We used to call him old man because of the characters he possess, and i heard on many occasions his colleagues and friends calling him Professor. He mentioned all the qualities of a scientist to us, he began, "Regardless of the image you have of a scientist, what are the characteristic of a good scientist?"

"Curious. Scientists are curious about their world. They want to know why things happen and how things work.

Patient. Scientists are patient as they repeat experiments multiple times to verify results.

Courageous. Scientists work to discover answers often times for years and with numerous failures. They recognize that failed experiments provide answers as often as successful ones.

Detail-oriented. In science, answers are built upon observations and collected data. Close attention to details is important in the development of science theories. Detailed observations in one experiment could also lead to answers in another.

Creative. Contrary to popular opinion, scientists must be creative, able to think outside the box and envision things that cannot be seen.

Persistent. Scientists recognize their work may take decades, and that their approach may be wrong and their work could be proven false by future scientists.

Communicative. Scientists need good communication skills. They may need to work as part of a team, share information with the public or collaborate with colleagues around the world.

Open-minded and free of bias. Scientists need to suspend judgment so they can continue to observe and collect data while searching for the best possible solution. Even though they're working with a hypothesis in mind, they must remember there are many more hypotheses.

Critical thinkers and problem-solvers. Scientists need to analyze information and make critical decisions to solve experimental problems or world problems.

While not every scientist has all these characteristics, these are the traits that help build good scientists. Think about the youth in your life. Do you have the characteristics of a good scientist?"

We didn't say a word when he was describing all this characteristics to us. And after he was done i asked if he would like us to be scientists, " yes that's it boy" answered in a way that shows he was pleased with my question. " I wish other teachers were like Mr. Ephraim" one of the students whispered. Just then the school bell rang and we all went home.

The next day the school reopen and i was the first person to resume in the class. And as usual i have to greet Mr. Ephraim. I went close to him and said good morning to him and as it was always his character, he demanded that i should hand in his assignments. This is one of the most annoying thing that we found about him, he never want us idle and we dislike it because we always want to have more time to play but unfortunately we were wrong in this case.

Mr. Ephraim would easily spank us when we go against the rule, especially during his lessons, but on many occasions he would ignore us except during classes. One day he spanked a year three student for spelling his name wrongly, and when we asked him he said "nothing is more important than our names." And when we asked him if he had loved the year three students he said " any time i see my students, in my mind the class has started." 'and the only thing i want to display to them is my level of understand, i love this students and i want them to have positive behavior.

We had social studies and i asked him to tell us qualities of a good leader too because we saw him as some one we admired much and he began " i want you all to have this qualities because you are the leaders of tomorrow, i will list all the qualities for you to know and you should never forget.

Integrity

The importance of integrity should be obvious. Though it may not necessarily be a metric in employee evaluations, integrity is essential for the individual and the organization. It's especially important for top-level executives who are charting the organization's course and making countless other significant decisions. Our research shows that integrity may actually be a potential blind spot for organizations. Make sure your organization reinforces the importance of integrity to leaders at various levels.

Ability to Delegate

Delegating is one of the core responsibilities of a leader, but it can be tricky to delegate effectively. The goal isn't just to free yourself up — it's also to enable your direct reports, facilitate teamwork, provide autonomy, lead to better decision-making, and help your direct reports grow. In order to delegate well, you also need to build trust with your team.

Communication

Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined. You need to be able to communicate in a variety of ways, from transmitting information to coaching your people. And you must be able to listen to, and communicate with, a wide range of people across roles, social identities, and more. The quality and effectiveness of communication across your organization directly affect the success of your business strategy, too. Learn how better conversations can actually improve your organizational culture.

Self-Awareness

While this is a more inwardly focused skill, self-awareness is paramount for leadership. The better you understand yourself, the more effective you can be.

Gratitude

Being thankful can make you a better leader. Gratitude can lead to higher self-esteem, reduced depression and anxiety, and even better sleep. Few people regularly say "thank you" at work, even though most people say they'd be willing to work harder for an appreciative boss. This is the reason i we are teaching you all this kind manners in the school.

Learning Agility

Learning agility is the ability to know what to do when you don't know what to do. If you're a "quick study" or are able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, you might already be learning agile. But anybody can foster learning agility through practice, experience, and effort. Explore how great leaders are great learners, with strong learning agility to get started.

Influence

For some people, "influence" feels like a dirty word. But being able to convince people through logical, emotional, or cooperative appeals is a component of being an inspiring, effective leader. Influence is quite different from manipulation, and it needs to be done authentically and transparently. It requires emotional intelligence and trust. Learn more about how effective influencing can be a game-changer.

Empathy

Empathy is correlated with job performance and is a critical part of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. If you show more inclusive leadership and empathetic behaviors towards your direct reports, our research shows you're more likely to be viewed as a better performer by your boss. Plus, empathy and inclusion are imperatives for improving workplace conditions for those around you. Your behaviors in classroom in your case can demonstrate all this signs too.

Courage

It can be hard to speak up sometimes, whether you want to voice a new idea, provide feedback to a direct report, or flag a concern for someone above you. That's part of the reason courage is a key skill for good leaders. Rather than avoiding problems or allowing conflicts to fester, courage enables leaders to step up and move things in the right direction. A workplace with high levels of psychological safety and a strong coaching culture will further support truth and courage.

Respect

Treating people with respect on a daily basis is one of the most important things a leader can do. It will ease tensions and conflict, create trust, and improve effectiveness. Respect is more than the absence of disrespect, and it can be shown in many different ways. Explore how you can cultivate a climate of respect at work or learn more about becoming an ally to others." Oh, so Mr. Ephraim was modeling us to become leaders tomorrow? Not just leaders but great leaders!

The reality is that whoever come across Mr. Ephraim as their teacher will always be grateful because there are chances you could learn outside the classroom too.

There is more to come about Mr. Ephraim.