By Salma Regragui, Mohammed V University of Rabat, Morocco.
Published under CC BY license.
Since the beginning of my educational journey, one experience has always deeply amazed me. Even today, I still find it difficult to believe how one person can completely transform a child’s life. That person was my French teacher when I was in fourth grade of primary school.
At that time, my academic level was extremely low. After moving to a new city, I had to change schools. In my new school, the principal asked me to take a placement test. I still remember being asked to write my name and a sentence in French. I wrote “Lalma” instead of “Salma.” As for the sentence, I wrote it in Arabic, and even then, it contained mistakes. The principal immediately decided that I had to repeat the school year.
I felt different from the other students, especially because their level in French was much more advanced than mine. I was extremely shy and afraid to speak in class. Even when I knew the answer, I stayed silent because I feared being judged or laughed at.
But the year that seemed like a failure became the beginning of everything.
We had a French teacher who was incredibly kind and patient. He never made me feel inferior to the other students. Instead, he constantly encouraged me to participate and believe in myself. Little by little, I began to enjoy learning. I improved my grammar, reading, writing, and speaking skills. For the first time, I was no longer afraid of making mistakes.
In only one school year, my academic level changed completely. I became one of the best students in the class. In the following years, I was often ranked first or second. I still keep the gifts and awards I received from school for my academic achievements. In sixth grade, I earned one of the highest scores in Salé El Jadida, near Rabat, on the national Moroccan exam and was invited to a ceremony celebrating the city’s top students.
What amazes me most is not only my academic success, but the fact that one teacher changed my confidence, my personality, and even my future.
During school vacations, this teacher gave us stories, newspapers, and small books to read. One day, I received a children’s science book about volcanoes, earthquakes, precious stones, oceans, and the hidden world beneath the sea. It was the first time I discovered Earth sciences, and I was fascinated. That book awakened a curiosity that never left me.
Over time, this curiosity became a passion. I continued my studies in geosciences, completed a master’s degree, and today I am a third-year PhD student in geosciences.
I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had never met that teacher. Perhaps I would never have gained confidence in myself or discovered the field that I love today.
This experience taught me that education is not only about programs, grades, or exams. Sometimes, a simple word of encouragement can completely change the direction of a child’s life. A good teacher does not only teach lessons; a good teacher can transform an entire future.
A few years ago, I learned that this teacher had become seriously ill with cancer and had to leave the school. I have never forgotten him, and I never will. I sincerely hope that he is healthy today and knows how deeply he changed my life.
