The Teaching Profession

When I was in elementary, I was definitely not used to write on notebooks. My books were always highlighted and for me, taking down notes was the lousiest part of being a student. There was a time when my teacher instructed us to fall in line, in front, because she wanted to check our notes. She wrote two things on the board, two consequences which I had already known I would get before it was even my turn to have my notebooks checked:

1. A ruler slapped on my wrist and the left sideburn pulled up;
2. A letter to the parent.

The physical punishment was not the painful part of it; it was being told off by my parents without due justifications from my part. Until now, I can cite reasons for not taking down notes during that year. In sheer diffidence I just have to point this out: I was a consistent honor student in elementary, and I didn’t take down notes; I knew I didn’t have to. It frustrated me, that I was forced to do something which was not my style of learning. First, I highlighted important details in my textbooks, which according to my teachers that time was very “messy and disorganized.” Second, everything that was discussed was already on the books and the process of rewriting the textbook content on notebooks would be redundant and obviously unnecessary because no additional information was even discussed. Third, my notebooks only had assignments in it, because all the lessons that I needed were in the books. Fourth, I was never motivated to be THAT diligent in that class. It’s a shame that it was an English class, when I was in fifth grade.

Fast forward to the time that I was on my fourth year high school—I learned from the best teacher I had met back then. Every time I would see her, even until now, it’s like I’m barred from speaking the English language, not because she intimidates me, but because she effaces that idea that I know all that I need to know about English. She inevitably makes me feel modest, without even doing anything. Yes, she’s that good, and the best part about it is, she doesn’t brag—well, she doesn’t have to; it just shows. She became my English teacher during my fourth year. She taught us everything she knew about thesis writing, she educated us about grammar (what we know and should have known long before), she gave me a lot of opportunities to compete in and out of the campus, and the most wonderful thing about it was, she inspired me to be like her. Surprisingly, she graduated from the same university that I’m in right now. She was even a Cum Laude.

By and by I was pushed by my parents to take up nursing, but I ended up taking education because I have always wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to change things. It may sound radical these days for a teacher to say that she wants to change billions of lives but I know that it’s still possible. Dr. Hicarte was my high school teacher’s professor when she was still in PLM. My high school teacher said she was also inspired by Dr. Hicarte. With the way the influence was passed on, I can’t see the impossibility and the superficiality of changing youth’s lives.

A year from now, I’ll start teaching. Hopefully, I’ll be given a jumpstart in a special public institution. When I heard that the first task in “Teaching Profession” was an essay on personal philosophies of teaching, I felt great, not because I knew what to write, but because I had to know what to write. I thought, for three consecutive years, I have always known what philosophy pragmatically means.

First, although there are other reasons for a student to flunk a subject, the teacher still has a major part in the blame. At the end of the day, a teacher can say “well, that student is not really good and I can’t do anything about it”, but to me, there will always be guilt—a feeling that I have not really achieved my goal. That’s why when I teach I always make sure that everyone understands the lesson. This leads to my second philosophy.

Patience is really a virtue. Sometimes no matter how repetitive the lessons have been taught, the students still can’t understand every word of it, and your part is to discover ways to teach and re-teach the lessons. Impatience breaks a lot of abilities in a teacher. It breaks creativity, interest in teaching and relationship with students. It’s sad that when a teacher snaps a nerve, she does the unthinkable like throwing books, giving unjust deductions and such, but sometimes, under reasonable circumstances I know that a teacher should always try to keep her composure.
Third, I firmly believe that the bigger part of learning in the class should be for the students. Everything should be geared towards their improvement. In my mock teaching during a class with Dr. Hicarte, I used to talk a lot then I realized that my students should do the major talking. Same goes when I already move out of PLM. I know that my class should be student-centered and I just have to motivate them to talk and freely express themselves.

Fourth, I believe in reinforcements, but not in verbal and physical retributions. Bruner is right when he said most of the time, something stimulates a person to act or react depending on the situation. In a class, a student would do better and would always strive to get better grades if he gets praised for having a good performance at school. Now if it goes the other way around, I believe in subtle reinforcements like pairing the student with the top of the class, or giving him second chances during recitations. Punishments would only cut the student’s remaining interest with the subject. Likewise, I have always believed that intimidation will never do a student any good.

Finally, the learning environment should stimulate the interest among the students. Imagine being inside the room with an air-conditioning unit turned OFF. Imagine having to fan yourself for the whole sixty minutes of the class. Think of a public high school scenario like this: 2 of the 4 fluorescent lights blinking, almost about go out, no curtains to block the raging heat of the sun and no decorations for students to look at. At first I kept on telling myself, being a class adviser will be the last thing that I’d want when I become a teacher, but every time I picture that same scene in my head, I’d always rebut myself.

Just this morning on my way to school I was a signage on another jeepney that says: “I never said it was easy. I said it was worth it.”

Indeed, teaching has always been a difficult profession through the years, but I know, hard work will always be paid off in more than a thousand ways. With these philosophies in mind, I know I can push through, and hard work will always be compensated through my students.

AMIS I Love (Happy Teachers' Day!)

My dear Mrs. Josephine Dasco (Cooperating Teacher)
and Reevan (Partner ST from UST)

The AMIS Teachers
and the STs, of course.
(Timed Shot)

The Student Teachers of UST and PLM
(Photo taken by Ali)

AMIS I LOVE

Nauubusan ako ng pera dahil sa visual aids.
Nangangati ako sa chalk dust ng 'dustless' chalk.
Nauubusan ako ng ideas para sa mga lesson ko.
Nahihirapan ako umuwi pag tanghali.
Naiinis ako kapag di nila ginagawa yung assignments nila.
Nahihirapan akong tapusin yung lesson pag mabagal silang gumawa ng activity.
Natatabangan ako sa pagkain ng canteen.
Nahihirapan akong magsalita kapag sumasabay sila.
Nalulungkot ako kapag maingay sila habang nagdadasal yung mga kaklase nila.

Pero

Mahal ko silang mga studyante ko.
Masaya akong tinuturuan sila.
At masaya akong maging guro.

Ang mga Estudyante Ko ay Hindi Bobo

Every system operates like a machine. Push the right button and it will start. Use the right controls and it will move the way you expect it to. Overuse it and it'll break down. Carefully and strategically design it and it'll be voted as one of the greatest inventions ever made. Our systems are like machines, subtly controlled by one of the most important facets of life: reality.

We know that something is real when we experience it. We define reality by consolidation of people's ideas and perceptions of what they see, hear, feel, taste and observe. Technically, everything, even the darkest, most negative aspects of humanity, is real.

From an educational perspective, it is a feat for student teachers to be aware of the real secondary school scenario: poor facilities, unruly students, underachievers, insufficiency of learning, unconducive environments and incompetent teachers. This consciousness leads to the openness that the profession which they will soon take is a serious task. This reality brings forth thousands of ideals which may sound too noble, too optimistic or perhaps, even too impossible to deliver.

Slowly, carefully, we are all entering this phase in which we have to use this system to bring changes. With this comes a sad fact which I discovered and felt so disgusted with when I realized it. Our minds have been filled with educational philosophies by the same institution which ironically hired a teacher who does not want us to teach in public schools. I cannot believe this reality.

I cannot believe I am being taught by my own professor never to stay in a secondary school just because the students stink, just because the washrooms are filthy, just because the rooms have no fans--just because of these lame reasons that my own students deal with every single day.
I cannot believe my teacher calls my public high school students BOBO. This degradation is not just addressed to the students, but to the teachers as well. This arrogance is so blearing, it makes me lose my sense of sight and respect towards the "authority" that speaks of filth in front of me.

No, my students and other high school students are not bobo. I can cite a lot of reasons that will prove her wrong but I prefer to say this in full confidence without further explaining everything: No, my students are not bobo.

I cannot believe that my teacher wants me to serve "sophisticated", private institutions sheltering people who look down on those who make their businesses successful. I can't believe that she wants me to fight effortlessly in a pay-high school when in fact, the real battle is in a public school.

I am not a teacher, at least not yet. I am just starting to become a part of a system. Sometimes, I get discouraged when I feel that I should have taught more, I could have offered more to these students of mine; but the more I remember those words from her, the more I feel like a button pushed. I feel insulted. This insult, ergo, makes me want to go further. It's through those sad facts that I realize I really have to continue what I have started; otherwise, my students will be left to a teacher like her, who speaks ill of a profession she has been practicing for almost half of her life.

I do not wish to sugarcoat reality. I plan to reconstruct it. I plan to give students the things they rightfully deserve: recognition, joy in learning and hope. Like a machine, I believe I am pushed the right way and I am going to look at the educational reality with the same philosophies that I have been primarily equipped with. No, my teacher, apparently, you have not enlightened me with your weak and pathetic pieces of advice.

I just want to repeat this:
My students are not bobo.

Practice Teaching Blues

After months of waiting, my practice teaching started last Monday. I had my first time to be introduced as a student teacher at Antonio Maceda Integrated School. I used to fear the students thinking that they don't give due respect to teachers. Until now, I have the same fear.

In the morning there are 4 student teachers, namely: Mariz, Jem, Janerey and of course, me. We all have to start our duty at 7 and stay in the campus until 1 in the afternoon. Just last Tuesday, we were given the opportunity to have our own cooperating teachers. Jem was given to Mrs. Tangal, a first year English Teacher. Janerey was given to Mrs. Maranan, who teaches in the second year level. Mariz was given to Mrs. Valerio, who teaches third year. I was so happy to be supervised by Mrs. Dasco, a fourth year English Teacher. I thought everything would be alright.

I was wrong.

It was Wednesday when my cooperating teacher decided to let me take over three classes in the fourth year level. It was pretty simple, since I just had to give a spelling test and to facilitate a silent reading activity. I felt so pleased because I can feel the students' warmth and acceptance. I was looking forward to having more classes with them.

Later in the afternoon, I asked Ma'am Dasco if I needed to do something for the students, like class records and school register records whatnot.

She said, I would have to wait until December to teach.

Why on earth do I have to wait until December?

Maybe she doesn't trust me enough; or maybe she doesn't want me to ruin her lesson plans.

Whatever her personal reasons maybe, let me give you my own reasons as to why I should not let that happen.

1.) All my groupmates have already started teaching. I am not in the right position to compare my status to theirs but the point is I'm left behind. My other classmates already know how to use the class record and school register and I still don't.

2.) I envy them because they are making their stay at Maceda a worthwhile experience. If you look at my situation, you'd think my cooperating teacher (CT) is mad at me. That sucks bigtime. I try my best to be friendly but I guess it still doesn't work.

3.) I had two semesters for field observation. According to the student teacher's handbook, I can only have two weeks for orientation then I'd have 13 weeks for teaching. I just hope she'll give me that opportunity.

I just want to teach and learn. I just want to experience being loved by the students. I know that there's always a time for everything, but I won't compromise the rest of the time that I have with sleeping, staring at people and doing nothing.

If you look at the system that the school has, you'd say it's not enough. Students are dying to get out of the campus. Guards tolerate the students' bad habit of cutting classes. Teachers shout at students so they would shut up. Implementation of rules is not strict enough. Life there just gets so pretty boring sometimes.

Still, I stick to what I want. This system is just a challenge to face and a problem to solve. We keep on complaining about something we don't like, and complaining is the only thing that we like to do. What's worse is, we complain but in times of action, we hide and spare ourselves from all the trouble.

As I mentioned in a comment for a friend's blog entry, we should never let ourselves be eaten by the spoilage of the system. If ideals are the only things we can hold on to while avoiding educational prejudices, then we must protect these ideals by all means. As teachers, that's what we must do. That's what we should have been doing all this time.

Anyway.

I look at my students' faces everyday and I'm glad they're slowly taking my fears away.