Hamza was a clever seventh‑grader, but he was also a mischievous troublemaker. He often joked with his friends at school and never took the teachers’ words seriously. Whenever his math teacher, respected Mr. Tariq, told the class to pay attention and practice regularly, Hamza would listen half‑heartedly, hear one part and ignore the rest.
One day the teacher taught an important and tricky formula and told all the children, “Kids, practice this question well at home, because it will definitely appear in the next test.”
All the other students followed the teacher’s advice, but Hamza thought, “It’s so easy, I already know it. Why bother practicing?” So instead of studying that evening, he went out to play.
The following week a test was held at school. When the paper appeared, Hamza’s hands trembled. The question was exactly the one the teacher had explained on the board, but because he had not practiced, Hamza could not remember a crucial part of the formula. He sat there holding his head for a long time, and in the end his paper remained unfinished.
When the results came out, Hamza’s marks were the lowest in the class. He sat at his desk, head bowed in shame. He feared the teacher would scold him in front of everyone, but after the test Mr. Tariq called Hamza over gently.
Instead of scolding, the teacher kindly helped Hamza, gave him water, and explained the difficult question again in a simple way, using his own hands. Smiling, he said, “Hamza, a teacher is like a parent who always wants the best for you. If you ignore their advice, the loss is yours alone. Respecting teachers and following their words is the key to success.”
Seeing the teacher’s kindness, tears of regret filled Hamza’s eyes. He felt his mistake deeply, apologized sincerely to his respected teacher, and promised to always follow his instructions from now on.
From that day forward, Hamza not only made respecting teachers his motto, but he also worked hard and became the most polite and outstanding student in the class.