Teacher's Legacy
(memories of being a high school teacher)
An American educator Henry Adams once said, “A teacher affects eternity, no one can tell where his/her influence stops.” I never dreamed being a teacher; nor I never thought that I would be productive in that field because I think I do not possess the qualities of being a teacher. I remember a friend who used to teach high school students. She wanted to throw her students outside the window, because her students are pain in the ass and gave her much trouble inside the school. I could never see myself in the same position that my friend saw herself in. However, it seems that God is so good that He wanted to test this “dream” when my Rector sent me to teach High School at Miriam Adult Education . Most of these guys are working as household help, or a mechanic, or those who wanted to continue thier studies after a long period of time. Some of them are of my age, but most of them are far more advanced which means they have already grandchildren. I was dumbfounded (thinking teaching was not a thing for me). I consider myself as an average formand compared to the great intellectuals of my batch, I am not a “genius” in the real sense of the word, I was even struggling in my studies and here I am, assigned as teacher (oh boy!). However, bound by obedience, it was Him who asked me "to go wherever there is a greater need". having thought of it my perspective have changed. I prepared myself for this new adventure that was given to me.
The first time I walked into the halls ofMiriam College
As soon as the bell rung, I went to the room assigned to me. It was first year level high school, I have 33 students most of them are age 21 and above, the oldest is 46. I am tasked to teach CLE which is the Sacraments. Before I entered, a teacher passing by aided to my counsel: “be careful with those students, they are so unruly.” I shrugged and with an innocent look said to her "what have got myself into?" She posed a mischevious smile and said "you will see..." And true enough, as soon I opened the door I was shocked when I saw them. Most of them were standing; others were throwing crumpled paper to each other, and most of them were talking to their seatmates. The same scene you will see when you go to a market. I watched them as I stood in front of the black board. They knew that I was the new teacher for this year but they did not stop from what they were doing, until I shouted: “SIT DOWN!” and I slammed the door. They were shocked. They quickly ran to their seats and laughed at each other. I introduced myself, I wrote my name on the board. I could hear that time that someone was talking at my back. I faced them and a student said, “step aside sir! I am copying something” I felt that moment my whole body changed; eyebrows raised, eyes wide open, my biceps grown big, I thought my chest burst out and transform into the Incredible Hulk. I stood firm and sharply looked on them [they called scary stare]. I shouted as I told them my rules in the class. The writ of hebeas corpus was suspended, no one was allowed to talk until I said so, no one was allowed to move unless I said so, it was Che Guevarra+Hitler on the rise. One of the styles I learned from old teachers there… be “astig”.
Scuba divers said while they are in any depth of an ocean “it’s a different world down there.” Skydivers while up in the sky would say, “it’s a different world up there”. Being a high school teacher, I could only say, “it’s a different world at the teacher’s table.” Different. Far different. For a student, it is hard to think why it is that teachers are so irritated whenever they hear a noise. Being a teacher, I find it hard to think a student would die if they did not make any noise. I could hear anything, even the slightest whisper, it seemed that I have acquired a powerful sonar device.
After the succeeding weeks, it was my first time to experience staying up late to prepare for my teaching class. I realized that time that it is really hard to be a teacher. You have to plan every lesson, at the same time you need to study. Whatever you learned from the past also changes and whatever you have learned in the past needs to be enhanced. Your class is like your family; they are your kids and you are the parent. The problem of a student is also your problem. Whatever affects their studies will affect the way that you teach. If ever you lack in some other areas, you will be accountable to your boss – the Principal.
An American educator Henry Adams once said, “A teacher affects eternity, no one can tell where his/her influence stops.” I never dreamed being a teacher; nor I never thought that I would be productive in that field because I think I do not possess the qualities of being a teacher. I remember a friend who used to teach high school students. She wanted to throw her students outside the window, because her students are pain in the ass and gave her much trouble inside the school. I could never see myself in the same position that my friend saw herself in. However, it seems that God is so good that He wanted to test this “dream” when my Rector sent me to teach High School at Miriam Adult Education . Most of these guys are working as household help, or a mechanic, or those who wanted to continue thier studies after a long period of time. Some of them are of my age, but most of them are far more advanced which means they have already grandchildren. I was dumbfounded (thinking teaching was not a thing for me). I consider myself as an average formand compared to the great intellectuals of my batch, I am not a “genius” in the real sense of the word, I was even struggling in my studies and here I am, assigned as teacher (oh boy!). However, bound by obedience, it was Him who asked me "to go wherever there is a greater need". having thought of it my perspective have changed. I prepared myself for this new adventure that was given to me.
The first time I walked into the halls of
As soon as the bell rung, I went to the room assigned to me. It was first year level high school, I have 33 students most of them are age 21 and above, the oldest is 46. I am tasked to teach CLE which is the Sacraments. Before I entered, a teacher passing by aided to my counsel: “be careful with those students, they are so unruly.” I shrugged and with an innocent look said to her "what have got myself into?" She posed a mischevious smile and said "you will see..." And true enough, as soon I opened the door I was shocked when I saw them. Most of them were standing; others were throwing crumpled paper to each other, and most of them were talking to their seatmates. The same scene you will see when you go to a market. I watched them as I stood in front of the black board. They knew that I was the new teacher for this year but they did not stop from what they were doing, until I shouted: “SIT DOWN!” and I slammed the door. They were shocked. They quickly ran to their seats and laughed at each other. I introduced myself, I wrote my name on the board. I could hear that time that someone was talking at my back. I faced them and a student said, “step aside sir! I am copying something” I felt that moment my whole body changed; eyebrows raised, eyes wide open, my biceps grown big, I thought my chest burst out and transform into the Incredible Hulk. I stood firm and sharply looked on them [they called scary stare]. I shouted as I told them my rules in the class. The writ of hebeas corpus was suspended, no one was allowed to talk until I said so, no one was allowed to move unless I said so, it was Che Guevarra+Hitler on the rise. One of the styles I learned from old teachers there… be “astig”.
Scuba divers said while they are in any depth of an ocean “it’s a different world down there.” Skydivers while up in the sky would say, “it’s a different world up there”. Being a high school teacher, I could only say, “it’s a different world at the teacher’s table.” Different. Far different. For a student, it is hard to think why it is that teachers are so irritated whenever they hear a noise. Being a teacher, I find it hard to think a student would die if they did not make any noise. I could hear anything, even the slightest whisper, it seemed that I have acquired a powerful sonar device.
After the succeeding weeks, it was my first time to experience staying up late to prepare for my teaching class. I realized that time that it is really hard to be a teacher. You have to plan every lesson, at the same time you need to study. Whatever you learned from the past also changes and whatever you have learned in the past needs to be enhanced. Your class is like your family; they are your kids and you are the parent. The problem of a student is also your problem. Whatever affects their studies will affect the way that you teach. If ever you lack in some other areas, you will be accountable to your boss – the Principal.
I don’t know if it's Stockholm Syndrome that I feel whenever I sit on the teacher’s chair but my respect had grown even higher for the said profession. I think teaching is the most sacred work in the world. After kids learn how to walk, their parents entrust them to the care of a teacher. A single teacher guides a class of fifty students. Fifty lives, fifty dreams, and fifty hope of the future. A teacher had an accountability how many from those fifty would lead the country, be an artist, be an illegal recruiter, be a killer, would discover an antidote to AIDS, be a tycoon or be another teacher.
A teacher affects eternity. Plato was a student of Socrates. Plato taught Aristotle. Aristotle became the teacher of Alexander the Great who became the King of Macedonia and is considered as the greatest military general in the history of humankind. After how many thousand years who would say that Socrates’ influence has stopped?
The teachers are the “new heroes” of this generation. However, they are not given that much recognition because they do not contribute to the financial aspect of the country unlike the OFW’s. Most of the teachers I knew before lived in small houses and struggling to survive for their everyday expenses. I got this notion from them that there is no money in teaching. If ever it has, you will not get rich with it. Domestic helpers outside the country have larger salaries than teachers do here. If you need money, do not teach. If you think that teaching is just work, you will experience many difficulties. This is a mission… a “vocation” just like what a friend teacher once told me.
There are many things that a teacher teaches to students unexpectedly; and there are many things that a student learns from his/her teacher without knowing it. “A teacher affects eternity; no one can tell where her/his influence stops.” For all those beautiful and ugly lessons that was not integrated in the lesson plan and that is not included in the miscellaneous fee I paid, I thank all my teachers and the teachers in the world.
posted by r a i m e n d o z a at 9:48 PM
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