A teacher who’s been sleeping on the classroom floor, as a result of not being paid, was given a heartwarming surprise from his students.
Being a teacher is an incredibly hard – and at times thankless – profession. It never really begins or ends after the first and last school bell.
Being a substitute is perhaps even harder as you’re required to take on students who, most of the time, won’t always have the same level of respect they have for their normal teacher.
Which is what makes this story about a supply teacher from the Balbina Viana Arrais state-school in Brejo Santo, Brazil, much more heartwarming.
28-year-old Bruno Rafael Paiva had only been working at the school for two months, but appears to have already struck a tight bond with his class.
A music teacher by trade, he was called in as emergency cover after another member of staff fell seriously ill.
Unfortunately, due to complications in his contract, Bruno has been locked in a battle with the government to receive the first three months of his salary.
This put him in a dire financial situation, forcing him to sleep in his own classroom.
Bruno states he’s ‘only ever wanted to be a teacher’, and when his students found out about his tough situation, they held a raffle to raise money for him.
They managed to raise R$400 (Which adds up to two-thirds of Bruno’s salary).They surprised their teacher by writing out apologies and praising him for his dedication to the class.
When he arrived ready to teach the class, his students prompted him to go around the room and find the papers so he could read them out loud. The final note instructed him to open the box left on his desk.
When he saw the money he began to cry, and at that moment, his class came over to hug him.
In a Facebook post he wrote:
Teacher life is not easy. When I saw that I was not going to receive a month and a half’s salary, I saw everything going black.
I sank into depression, worried and lost, without knowing how to pay the bills and help my family.
Ironically the class is also his most misbehaved. However, it’s also his ‘sweetest’ according to Good News Network.
He continued:
The kids I teach are the future that I want to always believe in.
I have many rooms that I have loved in my heart as a teacher, but no room has ever shown such love, help and affection for my teacher’s work as the class did today.
They are students, like me, who still believe in the education of the country; believe in the love of others; and in the compassion of putting oneself in the place of others.
Last month (June 26) saw another teacher honoured for her efforts to educate young people.
Having dedicated 30 years to teaching, Tammy Waddell from Forsyth, Georgia, sadly passed away on June 9, at the age of 58 after battling cancer.
Her final wishes were fitting with the way she lived her life, and have since moved even those who’d never met her.
Before her death, Tammy requested, rather than traditional flowers, mourners bring backpacks full of school supplies to her funeral service.
A picture of the service, with backpacks propped up in the pews, went viral after being tweeted by her cousin, Dr Brad Johnson:
My cousin’s final request at her funeral was Backpacks full of supplies for needy students instead of flowers. A teacher to the end.
He later added:
She had a servants heart of gold.
Dr Johnson also tweeted an emotional picture of some of the 100 honorary pallbearers attending the service with backpacks at their feet.
They’d all been teachers who’d worked alongside Tammy during her worthy career.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk.
