Being a Smart-ass Brat

During my high school life, and junior school as well (elementary? maybe..) I used to be the type of smart-ass brat, the one who raised the hand and trying to amuse the teacher (lately I realized that I was just trying to amuse myself) I entered lots of english competition: speech, debate, storytelling, etc... and brought the trophies to school with pride. I was the teacher's pet (especially in english), and ignored my friends who were sickened by my behaviour. They were just jealous, I thought. And I kept bragging about myself and won some other competitions...

Then I entered college still with humongous pride, I got the PMDK, I don't have to suffer from day and night study to solve SPMB's puzzling test. I started the early campus life still as the one who raised her hand in any question she could answer. I did very well in presentation as an fresh man, and I never had any serious problem when it deals with paper writing. And then I met this girl, another smart-ass brat. Then the rivalry begun.

She raises her hand more often then I do. She elaborates the question and her opinion too much, adding her recent research as evidence to support her arguments in the subject. She was just like me. Yet, she the type of student who tries to look "stupid' among her fellow. But when it comes to kissing teachers' ass, she's the best. I don't care about that. But her stinginess in knowledge that kills me.

When I asked her about something i didn't understand, she refuses to explain. Trying to convince us dramatically that she doesn't understand as well (I really don't understand, I'm hopeless about that, I'm very clueless, I don't know... ya da ya da ya da...). But when the lecturer asks the same question in the class, there she goes again, raises her hand and answers the question in a very well mannered and elaborated speech. I hated her for this, and kept my hands on the table more often because I don't wanna be like her. One day the lecturer noticed this. It was Miss Haru, the grammarian (Grammar class lecturer) She said in the class, that we don't have to be stingy when it comes to knowledge, we have to help other fellow students and not keeping the knowledge to ourselves. Knowledge is not money, you don't have to be stingy about knowledge, knowledge gak bisa abis, not like money, she said.

I was a smart-ass who tried to amuse myself. But during my campus life, I raised my hand only when I'm really curious about something and when I believe that I need to pop my opinion in the class. No, I don't do that to amuse teachers. I love when my friends asked me to explain something they don't understand and have a light discussion about the matter. And I asked my friends to help me as well... I've changed, I've matured.

Then I became an elementary teacher in Tarakanita Barito, just for a year (2006-2007). And I have the Hermione (Harry Potter's) kinda students... (Two out of fifteen students) who always excitedly raises her/his hand... bragging "Me miss... me! me! me!... please... me!" with a very innocent face of an 11-year old.

I guess, being a smart-ass brat is just another phase in life... he he...