It is said that the truth got tired and fed up of being a visible, exposed woman without any clothing to cover her, which made people avoid her and not like to sit with her, which hurt her a lot and made her feel lonely, so she decided to complain about it to the Sultan, so she went as she was, and could not enter through the gates, so she wore shabby clothes that made her look poor, then the guards prevented her and expelled her harshly, so she thought of what she could do to be accepted by people, so she changed her clothes and wore an extremely luxurious outfit, and headed to the Sultan's palace, but no one asked her: Who are you? Until she reached the door of the minister, who met her with a smiling face, and said to her, with the utmost respect: Would you please tell me, my lady, who you are? So that the Sultan may ask permission for you, so she said to him: I am “the illusions” so he asked permission for her, and after a while he brought her into his council, and he asked her: What do you want, my lady? I realized then that the truth is that people prefer it wrapped in illusions so that it can enter their councils, including the Sultan, and they do not want it to be the truth without clothing, as it should be, and that what matters to people is its outward appearance, and not its inside, as long as the appearance is good and beautiful. “The Naked Truth” is a story from Chinese heritage that warns of the state that the truth should be in a deeply symbolic way.
I begin my article with it to be an introduction for us to think together about the facts around us, as not everything we see apparent in front of us is real and realistic, as facts hide behind various fashions that cover them, which may be fallacies, illusions, or social courtesies, or the truth changes and gets lost between the known, the common and the familiar, facts are of many types, the truth of the person and who he really is, the truth of the situation, the truth of the opinion... But from the platform of the Teacher’s Mail and the point of view of its editor-in-chief, what is the truth of the distinguished teacher and who is he?
Isn't the truth hidden from the teacher who believes he is doing his job when he explains his lesson in a traditional narrative manner, without using any aids that attract the children's attention and help them understand?
What if he really looked at what his students were learning, really observed their learning styles and approaches to knowledge, and began explaining his lesson based on what he saw unfolding before him? What if he explained his lesson in a different, more innovative way, one that would better understand the children? What if he considered their actual needs in the present and the skills that would prepare them for the future? What would the situation be like?
And the one who thinks that he disciplines his students by intimidation and shouting, and believes that their silence and obedience to him is the height of good manners and morals, is he not considered ignorant of the truth of what he taught them: the unjust use of power and the desire to control those who are weaker than him?
As for the teacher who believes there is no hope for the negligent and disruptive student, and ends up getting rid of him and removing him from the classroom, is that better for him and the rest of the students? What if he hadn't succumbed to this illusion and instead used his senses and inner insight, never losing hope in him, putting him on the right path to success? What would have happened?
What does the truth hold for a stage supervisor when he believes that any shortcoming or negligence on the part of the student is the sole responsibility of the parents, while parents, on the other hand, imagine that the school is the one that builds their children's minds, and that they have no role in that?
The truth has become so accustomed to hiding from us that anyone who truly wants to know it must make an effort to see it. I know that good intentions exist, and that everyone wants to do their part in a way that pleases God, but without striving to discover the truth and casting off the illusions it conceals, it will be difficult for us to achieve this.
In my opinion, an outstanding teacher is one who truly understands their students' personalities, believes in their talents, is aware of their abilities, and knows where to lead them. The truth cannot be hidden from him. Such a teacher creates a lifelong memory that will be a source of gratitude. He deserves to be prayed for: May God reward you on our behalf with all good, and may there be more like you.