Twenty eight years ago, I found a comfort zone and I stayed there, never knowing when to leave… when to step up. I found out that I had this gift in teaching, in dealing with various people and in communicating beyond the use of words, in understanding signs and gestures every time my students couldn’t find the right words to express how they felt or prefer to just hide their thoughts and emotions.Maybe they liked me, maybe they don’t. They often attempt to pull me into their small circle and try to keep me there. I would refuse to get entangled most of the time for some fears I suppose, but they are always open for me. Every time I think about pursuing a different career, to quit and to move on, God calls or something pulls me back to them. I also liked being with them… in the several faces I’ve met and in the various ages I’ve dealt with, I found a friend, a sister, a brother, a son, a daughter, a business partner, a follower and everything in between. They were not just my students… they were also my life.
Being a teacher was a job both easy and difficult. Easy when my students would prefer to talk about life and other stuff when they found sticking to the lessons too boring or confusing. Easy when they just want to eat their snacks or sing and dance away their worries. . Easy when the classes are off and I’d just play with them (I know it was being irresponsible of me, but I knew that they needed to have some time off the pressure of studying under their teachers’ watchful eyes. And they liked me for knowing when the pressure is too much to bear.) Easy when I’d just cancel class every time I had important things to do, felt lazy or felt sick and not hear them complain, they would always gladly accept me back even after days of being missing in action.
But there were rough times as well. It was sometimes difficult dealing with my students, especially when they fail my exams and my expectations. They had/have such a limited attention span, they acted like brats, and they would do other things they wanted to. They would beg for considerations even when it’s obviously impossible. And they’d never forget a promise. They’d bug me endlessly until I had no choice but to do something I never intended to do in the first place. (Lesson: Never lie to your students, and never keep promises you can’t keep; they have the sharpest memory.)
But there were rough times as well. It was sometimes difficult dealing with my students, especially when they fail my exams and my expectations. They had/have such a limited attention span, they acted like brats, and they would do other things they wanted to. They would beg for considerations even when it’s obviously impossible. And they’d never forget a promise. They’d bug me endlessly until I had no choice but to do something I never intended to do in the first place. (Lesson: Never lie to your students, and never keep promises you can’t keep; they have the sharpest memory.)It was difficult when parents would think I had the magical manararotoy ability to transform their kids into brilliant students and when they ignored the fact that the teacher factor in the total academic performance of their children, though significant, was not everything.
It was also a very fulfilling job except for the lack of recognition from higher-ups and the meager remunerations. Really fulfilling especially when I could see improvements… when finally my students could pass their exams convincingly or win in competitions... when they could successfully finish their work according to time and quality requirements… when they could analyze situations and synthesize their learnings…when they could come back and say thank you for all the efforts I had exerted… yes, when they could just look at me, smile and say “SIR”.
But it was also sad when some of them had to stop and leave for some heavy reasons, knowing that they were not coming back. It felt like they took a piece of my heart with them. I would shake my head and feel bad that I failed to prevent it. But then again, life had to go on.
It was also a very fulfilling job except for the lack of recognition from higher-ups and the meager remunerations. Really fulfilling especially when I could see improvements… when finally my students could pass their exams convincingly or win in competitions... when they could successfully finish their work according to time and quality requirements… when they could analyze situations and synthesize their learnings…when they could come back and say thank you for all the efforts I had exerted… yes, when they could just look at me, smile and say “SIR”.
But it was also sad when some of them had to stop and leave for some heavy reasons, knowing that they were not coming back. It felt like they took a piece of my heart with them. I would shake my head and feel bad that I failed to prevent it. But then again, life had to go on.
Life as a teacher had been fun, exciting and gratifying, but I had to make a decision… to expand my horizon and step into my courage zone…I have to see what the world has in store for me. I know that life has a lot more to offer. Even though I am still filled with fear, I am constantly reminded that I am made for greater things. Wait, what am I saying?
They say that: When you save a person's life, they call you a HERO. When you combine effort with caring, they call you an EXPERT. When you commit yourself to developing somebody’s competence, they call you a TRAINER. When you share your compassion, they call you a FRIEND. And when you do ALL these, they call you a TEACHER. TO ALL TEACHERS LIKE ME - Happy Teacher's Day! October 5, 2020 is World’s Teacher's Day!
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