snippets from my .txt diary on my computer

09:33 AM 20/04/2026

after so many weird incidents this school year, i am rethingking my entire philosophy as a teacher. i used to believe that i should offer my help to students whenever they are in need and no matter what the problem is (regular life problems or study problems). now, i am starting to feel limited and unabale to help (especially with the kind of probelms i keep hearing). i am just too weak and too short-handed at the moment. i have zero ressources and zero eneergy to go search and look for the solution. anyways, i am just rambling here.

10:16 PM 04/04/2026

the eyes, chiko, in exams, just like in love… they never lie.

in a test, if you want to catch who is cheating with his phone, look at the students' eyes.

11:37 PM 26/03/2026
some students' problems are too big to even acknowledge. what power does a simple english teacher have? what influence? it feels frustrating sometimes. the system is failing so many students and i feel like nothing can be done about it.

11:34 PM 26/03/2026
sometimes one small event right before the begining of a class - a student asking for his place back from another, a sudden unfiltred laugh from a class corner, or even a tasteless question - can affect my mood tremendously and make me shift from being extremly egger to start the lesson to being completly burned out and frustrated.

20:30. 18/02/2026
on apologizing to a student.

i apologized to a student today in class and it felt.. amazing!?. i got into my usual 5 pm class. right awya, i noticed a student changing her usual place (arranged for her by me) and i immediately shook my head in her direction signaling that she should not do it. she obyed with no complaints. couple of minutes go by and we were deep into the session; students were busy copying the lesson into their copybooks and i was doing my usual strolls along the rows and the tables checking if all was well. as i passed next to the her table, i told her that she should have asked for my permission before changing places; and that's when the unexpected happened. she immediately replied with a serious look upon her face and said something along the lines that another student never asks for permission. i replied (half-thinking tbh) that the student she complained about is special (weird choice of words but that's what i came up with at the time). i said my reply in a calm and playful manner. i did not escalate (which i would have done previously) i did not reply harshly. i joked about it and moved on. however, i saw she was very serious and she really felt like i mistreated her. the rest of the session was just me thinking about what i should do in the end of the session. should i scold her for questioning my decisions as a teacher? should i put her in her place and show her that i do what i do because i know best as the teacher of the class, as the all-knowing? i really was not sure about how to approach the matter. when the session was about to end, i came to a conclusion. i realized that the student i was dealing with had issues in the past with the admin for being aggressive and reactive. she probably fought with so many people in the past including family, friends, and admin. me scolding her would be just another incident in her long list of incidents where an adult scolds her for doing something wrong. i thought to my self maybe i should break this cycle. maybe it would do her more good if i deescalated rather than seek emotional revenge. i also noticed that my own ego was very inflated and could not handle any other outcome where she is not scolded for not knowing her place as a student. it was then when i made up my mind to actually apologize. i thought that would serve two purposes; 1. it would break the cycle and show her that not all her actions lead to violent confrontations and 2. it would break my own ego and be a good exercise in humility. and that's what i did. "i am sorry" i said. and her face lit up. i was utterly happy. i felt like i managed to heal a small little part of that student broken self. anyways, this happened and i thought i should write it down in this teacher journal.

21:40. 17/02/2026
on songs in english classrooms.

i have just realized that during my entire career as a teacher so far i have only played three songs for my students in class. i often hear other people say that they never forgot the songs their english teachers played for them way back in middle school or high school and i feel like i should be giving my own students those kinds of memories. i, too, have not forgotten the songs Ms. Hanan played for us back in high school. i listen regularly to "World, Hold On" by Bob Sinclar, "Lemon Tree" by Fools Garden, and my favorite of them all, "In My High School" by Blain Larsen. i tried a song yesterday with one of my classes and it was amazing. the song was "Lost in Babylon" by Anwar. it was used to introduce the themes of patriotism, immigration, and homesickness. students really liked it. below is a playlist that i will update regularly with all the songs that i play in class.

13:22. 06/12/2025

on handling embarrassing situations in class

when a students is put in an embarrassing situation in class (fell as he was walking towards the board, made an unconscious body noise, etc.) always step up and follow up immediately telling a story about how you yourself were in the same embarrassing situation (stress how embarrassing it was and make sure you exaggerate it so that it seems way worse than what happened to the student). this is very useful in redirecting the spot light from the embarrassed student to the teacher. does not seem that important but for teenagers public awkward situations can affect their confidence long term.

21:53. 03/12/2025

i think teaching is just like doing stand-up comedy. there you are as a teacher/performer in front of crowds, some of which can be very tough and hard to reach. hecklers—students—all around you trying to throw you off. you've got opening lines/jokes and material you spend hours developing. some of us even use props/visual aids during the performances.

a trainer (prof. Mouhdi from ENS 2017) once told us that teaching is like giving a show and a good teacher should have good showmanship. you were dead right prof.

13:23 18/11/2025

just realized that being proactive is the most important skill a teacher can have. reactions are the enemy. most problems come from bad or ill timed reactions in class.

11:29 AM 20/06/2025

this year was a bit strange. learned a lot. it felt like i am back at year0 teaching for the very first time. i have started to forget that feeling of stepping into a class and feeling like stepping into a whole new universe governed by unique laws. it was both good and difficult. here, below, are some of the main things that i learned this year:

prefacing every session with a video can do wonders to students' attention spans and degree of interest in the lesson.
staying calm is key.
the hardest sessions to handle are usually the last sessions of the day (mainly afternoon sessions).
Bathroom passes for students worked like a charm (mainly with younger students).
using interactive worksheets save so much time during the correction phase of an activity.
using the hidden countries game as a warm up works great with both beginers and advanced learners (students loved it).

2:18 PM 5/9/2024 (from the LOG.txt file)

does experience and time spent in a class dull the emotions?

9:22 12/12/2024

okay, i admit it. some classes are worth leaving as soon as possible. i hate to say it, but some classes are actually a delight to say goodbye to.

7:48 27/10/2024

just read something amazing written by a math teacher and it hit close home:

Let me see if I have this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. Not only that, but I am also to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify disruptive behavior, and observe them for signs of abuse.

I am to fight the war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for guns and knives, and raise their self-esteem. I am to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play; how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of potential antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others, and, oh yes, teach, always making sure that I give the girls in my class 50% of my attention.

I am required by my contract to work on my own time (summers and evenings) and at my own expense toward additional certification and a master's degree, to sponsor the cheerleaders or the sophomore class (my choice); and after school, I am to attend committee and faculty meetings, and participate in staff development training.

I am to be a paragon of virtue, such that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority. I am to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a bulletin board, and a few books (some of which I may have to purchase myself). And for doing this, I am to be paid a starting salary that, in some states, qualifies my family for food stamps.

Is that all?

David Pleacher

7:00 22/09/2024

last year was tough. come to think of it, the entirety of the last few years was challenging. I think doing a PhD, teaching at different schools, and handling the monotony of life, all at once, comes with a cost. I managed to end the last school year with no major mistakes. let's hope i manage to do the same this year also. i am more motivated this year and i have energy to try new techniques in my class. i will try to make my classes fun once more. i will also try to be more practical and more efficient in my teaching. i have learned a lot and i am ready to put what i have learned to the test.

9:43 PM 12/1/2023

it hurts. teaching really hurts. i have always given my 100% doing this job. i went far and beyond during every session. i was not perfect but i was always trying to be my best for my students. i made sure not to leave a single student behind. when i had full classes (43+), i printed more colored worksheets. when my students had a bad day/night/life, i made sure to make at least one hour of their day feel good. i gifted. i comforted. and i listened. i did all this and never sought any recognition/rewards. i did it for my students. because i loved my students.

9:01 PM 18/11/2023

i miss my students.

ON MOROCCAN EDUCATION
9:01 PM 10/10/2023

multiple strikes are going on at the moment all over Morocco. all teacher-related. i am participating this time. as a teacher, i have always believed that we are not paid enough. what we get, what i get, compared to the effort i put into this job is ridiculously unbalanced. i truly believe that we cannot enhance the educational system without increasing the salaries of teachers (who do their job as it is supposed to). nothing will change if the financial situation of the teachers is this miserable. there will be no incentive for the betterment of class practices if the teacher can barely survive the month. of course, there are other issues that need to be addressed as well. but first, give me more money.

ON GOODBYES AT THE OF THE YEAR
10:03 AM 5/18/2023

and just like that the school year has ended. very prematurely if you ask me. but no one listens. they all just want to finish the year. they must hate their jobs because i can't understand how someone can await the end of the year with such eagerness. i struggle and dread the end very much. i hate the goodbyes it brings. i feel betrayed. i feel cheated. i spend a year giving all myself to my dear students only to see them detach from me at the end and go far away to another place, to another teacher. this year was especially difficult. so many great students and so many happy souls. i will forever hold pieces of them in my heart and i hope they do the same. i am glad i met them. i hope to see some of them later in life, in some other setting, in some other space.

Beloved farewell messages

in the end of the 2023 school year
i provided a sarahah link to my 1BAC classes and asked them to share with me how they feel about the class. All messages were positive and filled with so many happy thoughts. I will await your emails and messages in the future with a hopeful heart.

a class to remember

on the 16th of May 2023
today, i said goodbye to one of my favorite classes of this year. it was extremely painful. i hate goodbyes. i hate this job for making me say goodbye every year to souls i have gotten so attached to. they brought me the nicest gift. their words and their tears will forever be remembered. i will be looking forward to your emails 10 years from now where you tell me all about your successes. see you in another place, dearest students.

A Surprise gift 💌

on the 6th of April 2023
A couple of students from TCS2 surprised me with an unexpected gift. A beautiful Coran set with prayer beads and a heart-warming letter. Despite the spelling mistakes, this letter will forever hold a special place in my heart because it is clearly coming from the pure hearts of students who have put so much thought into making their teacher smile. If only they knew how happy this gift has made me feel. THANK YOU!

A sorry note 🙏

on the 9th of March 2023

TCS1 class is an amazing class that I enjoy teaching. We have been having so much fun. Recently, a little mishap took place. I came to class to find this little cute message on the board. I was not even mad at them to begin with. They melted my heart!

capturing dreams.. on a white board ✨

on April 13th of 2023

i did an activity with my 1bs2 students. i asked them to write down or draw where they see themselves in five years. the result was outstanding. the finale product is a mosaic of dreams and hopes of students who have everything to discover ahead of them. i made sure to write my own dreams on the board in hopes of catching some accidental luck. i hope all of these dreams come true, to all of my students.

a tearful week

on the 25th of May 2022

I spent two years with my 1bs1 students. i watched them grow from cc to 1st bac. and in return they were there to see me grow as a teacher. a misunderstanding happened at the end of the school year that disrupted our joyous 2-year journey. i was really overwhelmed. thank god all was sorted out before the end of the year. i walked one heavy morning to find the perfect gift and an envelope on my desk. i wish them all the best.

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