adminMorris Mtisi
I HAVE the honour and privilege to re-introduce this students’ favourite corner for 2016. I welcome you back to Students Speak as I hereby invite you to contribute your thoughts and ideas, sentiments and feelings or attitudes about your core business: Learning.
My first guest is Gamuchirai Mvundura. She will not reveal the name of the school she goes to. Thy will be done Gamu. But here is your story:
Bitter Roots, Sweet Fruits
One great man in ancient times once said, “When you approach goals in the same manner, you end up with a much better chance of achieving success.” That was Vic Johnson.
December holiday often comes with so much excitement. Christmas fever is always high. The atmosphere is colourful and full of joy and fun. Students feel vibes of joy all over and easily forget that schools will soon open again.
The joy of December holidays means that another year is about to begin and that year’s candidates are awed. Life is all about sacrifices and making choices. It is indeed about wisely choosing what you want and what path to follow. As they say, “Success does not come on a silver platter. You have to sweat for it.”
What a scary truth!
Some of us endured the bitter roots of ignoring the loud bravado of December festivity.
We chose to study, seek more wisdom through holiday lessons. Thanks to our parents who sacrificed their stretched budgets to allow us to learn during the holidays.
Certainly some students are tempted to laugh at the idea. But it is better to be a laughing stock now and only now than to be a laughing stock for the rest of one’s life.
I remember a year ago after my O-Level results were out. People asked me what combination I wanted to opt for.
The truth of the matter is I was not sure, but in the joy of my confusion I wanted Literature in English to be one of my subjects.
I loved this subject but what I did not realise was that I only knew very little about it at the time.
Now in A-level I now know the joys of its challenges.
It is a beautiful subject whose beauty is in its provision for independent analysis, thought and comprehension.
I now know Literature is an exploration of real life, communication between writer and reader and a test of personal response based on personal depth of sensitivity to issues of life brought out in poetry, novels passages and plays.
Forgetting Christmas joy and festive niceties I must confess was not easy. But I realised the bitter roots today might produce sweet fruit tomorrow.
Luckily for me, I met individuals who thought alike: Lorrete Chiro (Kriste Mambo), Keith Madotsa (same school as me), and Tafadzwa of Alpha Institute in Mutare.
Together we met a man whom I can proudly call a literature guru, Mr Mtisi of the famous MM brand, a household name with The Manica Post.
He immediately introduced us to his world of literature which we had only heard of but never knew.
We met him humbly shallow but he pushed us into the right corner and soon we began to see Literature as, according to him, a piece of onion with various layers that can and must be peeled carefully one by one to come to issues both obvious and hidden.
Most of all and what I adored most about Mr Mtisi is, he teaches and shapes character.
He is so evidently concerned about character building and no doubt believes character shapes intellect.
He believes discipline facilitates learning and reminds you all the time.
He strongly believes many students fail because they lack self-discipline and what he describes as “seriousness of purpose” and says so in your face.
He makes you feel he is teaching a precious daughter, his own daughter or son, and you feel you are in the safe and good hands of a loving, highly knowledgeable and caring father.
Of course I liked Literature back at school but after this stint of experience with this man, I suddenly fell in love with it and enjoyed it to the limit.
Now the Christmas euphoria was soon forgotten as the joy of Literature took over.
Mr Mtisi taught us effective approaches to Practical Criticism, including his favourite, stage-by-stage PC key, which quickly and easily unlocks meanings of unseen passages or pieces, an examination diet every literature student must eat at some stage.
He has a lot of that feed. I now enjoy engaging the examiner/ marker while intelligently proving I am enjoying what I am presenting in my essay.
He emphasized this skill with amazing ease. You must work hard not to grasp what he emphasises.
His exposure of the literature tree, which is precisely a guideline into all the issues to be investigated and identified, was an eye opener. I am glad I met this man.
With 2016 around the corner, I want to say to all students sitting for final examinations, the sky is not even the limit.
There is more and more and more out there to learn.
Mr Mtisi says, and, “Serious students are ever hungry for new ideas and skills to perfect what they are already good at.”
I say to all my literature friends and colleagues, “Advanced Level is a game changer, a destiny decider and hard work is consequently not negotiable.”
I end with the wise words I learnt from my literature godfather, Mr Mtisi, “The roots may be bitter, but the fruits will be sweet.”
Online Reporter