The teacher who made a difference in my life

By Ingrid Patrick

Happy Teachers’ Day to all teachers, the unsung heroes who contribute greatly to shaping our future.

Allow me to celebrate this special day in memory of my beloved late Kiswahili teacher, Mr Pius Laizer, without whom I probably would not be where I am today.

While many teachers have made valuable contributions to my academic journey, Mr Laizer went the extra mile to ensure I got back on track when my academic performance started heading south.

Mr Laizer was so much more than just a teacher. He was a counselor, friend, mentor, and role model to many students at St Augustine Tagaste Secondary School in Dar es Salaam, who were privileged to know and meet him.

I had a chance to be taught by Mr Laizer from Form One to Form Four. He was the academic teacher at the time before he was promoted to discipline master. I did my A-level studies at the same school and therefore had one more chance to be with my favourite teacher, who returned to his Creator when I was in Form Six two years ago.

Mr Laizer was like a father to me. He immediately got concerned when my performance dropped, sat me down to find out what the problem was, and offered to tutor me after class hours. He did the same for whoever he thought needed assistance.

Best teacher ever

He helped me rise above my academic challenges and in a month, the difference started showing. He encouraged me to work hard in all the subjects. His efforts paid off, as my grades kept improving to the point of catching the attention of the other teachers, who congratulated me on the progress. Because of Mr Laizer’s kindness, I became a better student throughout my O-level years. He was a moral compass, and he would not hesitate to bring me back on track whenever I seemed to be running out of my path. Many students enjoyed being around him and felt comfortable sharing their fears and worries with him. He was a caring and compassionate person who would sacrifice his time to help us out whenever things were not working out.

Apart from the extra tuition, Mr Laizer helped me gain confidence, which I lacked. He helped me find a true friend, whom I hold dear to my heart to this day. He linked me up with Annette, who not only became my study partner but also my best friend.

As a discipline master, he always reminded me of the responsibilities I had toward my parents. He was always there for me, acting like a father any child would dream of and wish to have. He knew my strengths and weaknesses, and little did I know that he was modeling me to be the person I am today. I am where I am today because of his efforts, sacrifices, patience, and encouragement. I can proudly say that Mr Laizer was and will always be my best and favourite teacher.

Before I got the opportunity to know him, I thought he was a cruel and very strict teacher. Most of us feared him initially because he gave the most painful strokes. I knew him better after he got concerned about my poor performance in Kiswahili, the subject he taught.

Looking back, I wonder where I would be if Mr Laizer had not been kind enough to ensure I worked hard in my studies. He also encouraged me to be strong and always keep fighting no matter what storm life threw at me. He always told me that there is sunshine after the rain.

Touched the lives of many

Mr Laizer was a teacher who touched the lives of many students at St Augustine Tagaste. He made school life easy to deal with for many students because he was the guide for those who seemed to have lost their cause. He was a shoulder to lean on. He taught most of us how to make study timetables, plan, and manage our time. Whenever he had the chance to talk to any of us outside class, he would advise us on life after school, as he proudly shared the paths he wanted his children to follow in life.

Mr Laizer is and always will be the best teacher we got a chance to be with and were lucky enough to know during his lifetime. We may not remember every word he said to us, but we will always remember the way he made most of us feel special and loved. He opened our minds through his advice and the morals he instilled in us and our hearts by making each person, in their own way, feel important. He made our academic journey memorable by teaching us not only what we wanted to learn but also what we needed to learn about studies and life in general, as well as how to live with people in our surroundings.

I will never forget the day we learnt about his demise. It was really hard to believe he had died. We were preparing for our Form Six exams, and I thought it was a joke when a lady at the school broke the sad news. Since I did not want to believe it was true, I brushed off the thought and proceeded to do what I was doing.

Although it hadn’t been officially announced, the news spread around the school like wildfire. In a short time, everyone was talking about it, and it all started to make sense, especially after we realised it had been a while since we last saw Mr Laizer.

We had been too busy preparing for exams to notice his absence. The last time I saw and spoke to him was when we met in the corridor after parade, and he insisted that he wanted to talk to me. Little did I know that he would be gone in the blink of an eye.

I remember a month before he left us how he praised me in front of his beloved Form Two students as he tried to prove to them how hard work and perseverance pay.

I was heartbroken when the sad news was confirmed. The whole school mourned our beloved teacher. It was hard for quite some days, for it was really painful to lose a friend, father, and teacher that I adored and looked up to. It was even more painful when I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to him because we had exams on the day the rest of the school paid their final respects.

Mr Laizer, I’m sorry I never got the chance to tell you how you influenced my life and that of many others. I believe you already knew this but I really wish you had heard it from us.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye and let you go, yet I was sad because I didn’t get the chance to see you for the last time, bid you goodbye, and wish you a good journey as you went to rest in heaven. It was hard turning a new page knowing you wouldn’t be in it this time, but the story had to go on. It has been two years now since you passed, but the pain feels as raw as if it were yesterday when you left us. You will always be as near and dear to my life as yesterday.

Mr Laizer, on this special day of showing appreciation to our teachers, I would like to say thank you for having inspired me to do my best, for you saw my bigger capabilities even when I could not see them and always encouraged and helped me strive for my goals.

Thank you for showing me that a teacher is not a person we should be afraid of and who should only teach us; you showed me that a teacher is a person who guides, protects, educates, disciplines, and above all, is a friend that most of us never thought we could be friends with.

A teacher like you is hard to find, replace, and forget, for you have left a big mark on our lives by helping mold our tomorrows and helping us grow and mature into the people we are today.

Thank you for being a wonderful teacher, friend, and father. May the Almighty grant your soul eternal rest and let perpetual light shine upon you. Always loved, never forgotten, and forever missed, and heaven is so lucky to have you.