Teacher Life: Why Teacher?

Teacher Life: Why Teacher?: I was only 7 years old, a Grade 1 pupil when I decided to become a teacher. Why a teacher? I hear people say, teaching is one...

Why Teacher?

I was only 7 years old, a Grade 1 pupil when I decided to become a teacher.

Why a teacher?

I hear people say, teaching is one of the noblest professions. That doesn't make sense at all when I was younger. But I'm sure there was a situation back then that turn my life career around and that's what I'm going to share to you now.

It was summer 1996 when I played "teacher-teacher" in our house. It's a game where someone pretends to be a teacher while the rest of the playmates will pretend to be students and parents. Our classroom was a room at the back of our mini-store. It's a good place to stay because it was fully-covered with walls and roof, and has a wide window.

Of course I am the teacher since I was the oldest in the group. I usually collected candy wrappers that served as our money, leaves, bond papers, colored papers,intermediate papers,used notebooks, pens, and pencils that served as our school materials.As a teacher, I make sure we have time to play, study, read, and write. Back then I can tell I was good in imitating teacher's gestures and her ways of motivating my classmates. 

Days past, we still worked on the same routines---Playing, singing, dancing, reading and writing. But honestly, I really find it hard to teach my pupils. Aside from being too young, my pupils were hard-headed, much more fond of playing rather than learning, and anticipating more on free snacks than the activities given to them. So stressful it is! but that moment came, the moment that change my life around.

During the time that I was assessing them, there's a pupil who was the youngest among the group. I differentiated her activity since she's the youngest. I asked her to familiarize the colors of the stuffs and leaves I hang in the corner and she really got it all wrong. I was frustrated. But then I relaxed myself for a while and try to feel positive. I felt challenged though. The next time, I motivated her again and give her extra snack if ever she'll get it all correct. I started with the leaves hanging with the colors brown, green, yellow, and orange. Slowly, she answered me in low voice with the fear of answering it incorrectly while I point a certain leaf. She answered correctly in the first two leaves! I sighed deeply and she smiled at me. I pointed the third leaf with the color yellow, and she said,"yy--y--y-ee--e--loo--w". I felt a sudden excitement! I clapped and told her, okay, one more! if you get this correctly, you'll get extra snacks. She sighed and I pointed the orange leaf. She said, I forgot the color. I opened my mouth pronouncing "O" then she followed saying, o--ooo--r-r-r-a-a-ann-nge, Orange! she shouted. My heart leaped and I was overwhelmed. We both jumped and clapped as I said, "VERY GOOD!"

After that moment, I felt a sudden prick in my heart. I felt really strange. My inside self was commending me. Like it was telling me that I did great! It made me feel I can be of difference if I am a teacher, I am helpful especially to children if I am a teacher, and I will be a good teacher like my other teachers. I can say, I found my purpose why I am alive. Have you felt or experienced it? It was truly fulfilling. 

I was just seven back then. 

And I thanked the Lord for that, and for everything I have, I am today.

These are photos from my first teaching job

My pupils in Rainbow of Angels Learning Center Inc. in Butuan City
Garde 5

These are there Atsarang papaya dish.

Caught in the act

As for me, it is always rewarding to become a teacher. 

Teachers may forget but children don't. You're once a child, and you still remember that teacher who inspires you, help you, nag at you,give impact at you or even change you. Teachers may not be good in everything but they are teaching you something. Reflect.

Be one of us now and be that teacher who not only touch lives but change lives.