Narrative / Fiction

Text 2 - Fiction
The Teacher & The Stolen Watch

An old man meets a young man who asks:

“Do you remember me?”

And the old man says no. The young man then tells him that he was his student, and the teacher
asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers: “Well, I became a teacher.”

“Ah, like me” says the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man how he decided to become a teacher. And the young
man tells him the following story:

“One day, a fellow student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it and I was able
to steal it from him when he took it off and placed it on his desk. Shortly after, my friend noticed it
was gone and alerted our teacher, you, who immediately addressed the class: ‘This student’s watch
has been taken during class today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn’t give it back because I didn’t want to. Then you closed the door and told us all to get up and
that you were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found. But you told us to
close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed. So we did,
and you went from student to student, and had them empty their pockets. When I emptied mine, you
found the watch and took it.

You kept checking everyone’s pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We
have the watch.’ You didn’t say anything to me and you never mentioned the episode. You never
said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It could have been the most
shameful day of my life. I decided right there and then that I would never do anything like that again.
You said nothing to me, nor even scolded me or took me aside to give me a moral lesson.

Nonetheless I had received your message clearly. And thanks to you, I understood what a real
educator needs to do. Do you remember this episode, professor?

And the professor answers: ‘I remember the situation, the stolen watch, which I was looking for in
everyone’s pocket, but I didn’t remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:

“If to correct you must humiliate; you don’t know how to teach “

Credit: Unknown Author

https://englishvillageeu.wordpress.com/2020/10/07/the-teacher-the-stolen-watch/
 Narrative / Fiction

Activity 1 ( Sequencing )

Arrange these sequence of events from the story. The first sentence has been done for you.

15 The young man reflects on the profound lesson he learned

from the teacher's actions.
17 The teacher responds that he remembers the situation but not
the young man, as he also closed his eyes during the search.
13 After finding the watch, the teacher declares that they have the
watch.
14 The teacher does not scold the young man or reveal his
identity as the thief.
2 The old man responds that he does not remember the young
man.
9 The young man decides not to return the watch, and the
teacher decides to search everyone's pockets.
12 The teacher successfully finds the stolen watch in the young
man's pocket.
10 The teacher instructs the class to close their eyes while he
searches their pockets.
6 The young man describes how he stole a watch from a fellow
student.
5 The young man begins to narrate the story of a stolen watch
from his school days.
8 The teacher addresses the class and asks for the return of the
stolen watch.
7 The young man's friend notices the missing watch and informs
the teacher (the old man).
4 The old man expresses his surprise and curiosity about the
young man's decision to become a teacher.
3 The young man reveals that he became a teacher because of
the old man's inspiration.
1 The young man meets the old man and asks if he remembers
him.
11 The teacher continues to search other students' pockets.

16 The young man asks the teacher if he remembers this episode.

Activity 2 (Inferencing)

1. What is he lesson or the message the young man learned from the story.

He lessons the young man learned from the story that the educators play in important roles.
Not to stole
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2. Discuss what the teacher’s action symbolize and how they relate to the theme of education.
 Narrative / Fiction

The teacher’s action symbolize opportunity and this relate to right view of education is
important for a student and affect them.
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Activity 3 (Drawing Conclusions)

1. What conclusion can you draw about the impact of the teacher’s actions on the young
learner character?
The teacher’s action affects the student to let him become a good student
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2. How did this incident shape the young man’s decision to become a teacher?
He wants to teach his student like his teacher
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3. What values did he gain from it?

He regrets and inspired by his teacher. Therefore, he become a teacher
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Activity 4 (Identifying Cause and Effect)

1. What do you think was the cause and effect that led to the young man’s decision in
becoming a teacher. Discuss how one event led to another.

I think that the cause that led to the young man’s decision in becoming a teacher is the
teacher’s attitudes and behaviours. Because of the teacher also close the eyes. Therefore, I
think that this behaviour will protect the young man from suspicion.
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Activity 5 (Summarizing)

1. With your partner, write a brief summary of the story, focusing on the key events and the
central message or lesson. You may include details such as the characters, setting, problem,
and resolution

The story is about a student inspired by his teacher. He stole his friend watch. Then, his
teacher tries to ask the thief to return the watch to his friend but he did not do so. After that,
the teacher asks the class to close their eyes and he search their pocket. The teacher found
that the watch and return to his friend. When the student met his teacher again in a few
years later, he asks the teacher if he remembers this episode. The teacher says “yes”, but
he did not know the student that stole the watch is he. The story told us a teacher should be
positive so he can affect his students.
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 Narrative / Fiction

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Activity 6 (Evaluating)

1. Evaluate of the teacher's actions.

a. Was the teacher's approach effective?
b. Did it achieve its intended outcome?

I think the actions of teacher is right to lead the young man to become a good person but the
old man didn't use the method to less on the young man. I think the ending of story didn't
achieve its intended outcome due to the young man has been told out the incident and he
Tell the teacher truthfully
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Express your opinions and justify your views.

In my opinions, I think the behaviors of teacher was right, because if the teacher didn't let the
student close the eyes when he searches the student's pocket, the young man will exclude
by his classmate. Another than that, the young man will punish by school or drop out
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