All she could hear was the rustling of papers, the scratching of pens across the sheet to form that almost perfect answer and the shuffling of feet underneath the tables, all arranged neatly in rows and stretched from one end to the other. The look of concentration on their faces always amazed her. For in that one single moment every child in the room was determined to show what they were finally made of. These brilliant beings who had slaved away for weeks to remember all that had been taught. To prove that, yes, if I can get through this paper, I can go through anything else ahead of me.
Where did it all begin? How did it come to this? After years of teaching it never quite hit her at times that she was partly responsible for turning young, aimless students into these mature, hopeful and able people who can do anything if they set their mind to it. And in that moment too she began to feel grateful for the other influences in their lives that led them to that. The supportive parents, the helpful friend, the caring teacher, the Grace of the Almighty and the countless little things that made them into these superior beings.
Yes, they were superior to her in that one single moment. It didn't matter if they were going to give a flawed answer to the questions thrown at them. What mattered is that they showed up. They did their best. And hopefully, they become humbled by the experience in the end.
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