Table of 9

 

A lady teacher was conducting a Mathematics period in 5^th Grade class. She wrote down table of 9 on black board as below

9X1 = 9

9 X 2 = 18

9X3 = 27

9 X 4 = 36

9 X 5 = 45

9 X 6 = 54

9 X 7 = 63

9 X 8 = 72

9 X 9 = 81

9 X 10 = 80

As soon as she finished writing the table, she heard sounds of laughing, murmuring, low voice whispering amongst the students. ‘The teacher is stupid. She just doesn’t know simple table of 9. How can she teach us mathematics?’ She heard such sarcastic remarks. But she was unmoved, calm and quite. She turned her face towards the students and asked, ‘What is the matter? Why are you laughing?’

‘Teacher you are wrong.’ One smart girl replied.

‘MamS! 9X10 happens to be 90. You have written 80!’ Another over smart boy replied. His body language was suggesting that the teacher knew nothing about Mathematics.

‘Do you agree with him?’ The teacher asked

‘Yes!’ all the students replied in one voice.

‘So I have committed a mistake in the last line of the table, isn’t it?’ She asked

‘Yes! You are right teacher!’ All the students replied.

‘There are 10 lines in the table. 1 line is wrong but the remaining 9 lines are correct, am I right?’ The teacher asked.

All the students nodded ‘Yes’

‘So let us put it in the Mathematical Language. Out of 10 lines 9 lines are correct so I am 90% correct. Only 1 line is wrong means I am 10% wrong. Do you agree with me?’ The teacher asked.

‘Yes Mam!’ all the students replied.

‘You pointed out, rather happily, my 10% mistake. Some of you said that I am stupid, I don’t know table of 9, and I am incapable of teaching you Mathematics. But nobody said anything about 90% of my correct work. Why is it so?’ The teacher asked

‘What is there to be said? You are supposed to be perfect and 100% right. That’s why you are our teacher!’ The same over smart boy replied.

‘Now I am going to teach you an important lesson of life!’ The teacher said, ‘Always remember that there is nobody perfect in this world. Everybody commits mistakes knowingly or unknowingly. That’s why we say ‘To Err is human being’. We humans always learn through mistakes. But what we do? We always try to find out others mistakes, finding fault with others. Sometimes we spend our entire life or lot of valuable time in doing so.’

All the students were listening quietly but carefully

‘But also remember that nobody is 100% wrong. Many humans are 90% correct. Their thoughts, predictions, actions, language they use are 90% correct or accurate. We concentrate on their mistakes but forget to appreciate what right things they have done. It is ok to criticize them for their wrong doings, but at the same time we should appreciate what right things they are doing. If you develop this habit, your life will become much more meaningful than others! Do you agree with me?’ The teacher asked.

‘Yes!’ All the students agreed.

What is about you?