Smile, Silence, and the Answer is No Longer Yes

Tangerang, 5 Mei 2025 - Being a teacher is not just about teaching. It’s also about feeling, understanding, and sometimes, being confused. Today, I want to tell you about a student of mine who I used to be very proud of—let’s call her Naya.

Naya was one of my students who used to be very outstanding. From the beginning, she showed extraordinary enthusiasm in learning to read. While her friends were still struggling to spell two or three syllable words, Naya had already progressed smoothly to four syllable words. She was diligent, quickly grasped lessons, and what I liked the most: she was always enthusiastic when I assigned her to read at home. “Yes, Mom!” she said firmly every time I gave her reading homework.

But for some reason, since entering the five syllable stage, that enthusiasm has slowly faded.

Now, every time I ask her to read, her response is no longer enthusiastic. Sometimes she just grins. Sometimes she stays silent. Once, she even said frankly, “I don’t want to read, Mom. I’d rather play on my phone.” I was stunned. Not because I was angry—but more like… confused.

I know, kids can get bored. But I’m also worried. Next June, Naya will be entering elementary school. Meanwhile, it's already May, and she's not yet fully fluent in reading five syllables. Time is running out, and I feel like I'm chasing a train that's almost gone.

As a teacher, of course I wonder. What's wrong? What's changed? Is it because it's too difficult? Too boring? Or maybe there's an influence from the environment?

I want Naya to be like she used to be—diligent, enthusiastic, and loves reading. But I also realize that maybe it's time for me as a teacher to make some changes. Maybe, my teaching method needs to change. Maybe, a more fun approach needs to be tried. Maybe, I need to approach Naura more not only as a teacher, but also as her little friend.