Bona fide text
My philosophy of teaching
When I was in high school I was so puzzled of what I would be when I grow up. I can still remember the line of my English teacher then, "How are you going to foresee yourself ten years from now?" with a sweet smile, I replied, "I'd like to become a servant."
I couldn't think of a possible answer and the "servant" that I mentioned to her was the last thing I had in my mind during that time. Actually she gave me five minutes to think and to finalize my answer to the question she has thrown at me. I can't think of any possible and impossible then and there, I only thought of becoming a servant. In other words, I played safe with my answer.
When I finished my four-year degree in Management Accounting, I didn't see myself working in a bank or in an office where expertise in bookkeeping and doing some ledger works are being tested. Perhaps I was still puzzled then, and I was thinking, what if I'll try teaching as a profession? By all means, I took my Diploma in Teaching after getting a commerce degree. I enjoyed the time I spent in my education subjects and during my practice teaching as well. "This is where my heart is," I mentioned to myself after passing the LET. Undeniably, teaching really is for me.
Teaching is a no joke profession. It requires a lot of ingredients to perfect this craft. I do believe that there is only one Rabbi who perfected this art, and He is Jesus, the first and best teacher of all. Even though I can't equate to His abilities as a teacher; however, I do imitate most of His in all times.
Punctuality is a plus factor. Even how late I sleep at night just to prepare for the lesson, I can't afford to be late in my class the following day. The motto, "Better late than never," is a big no-no for us teachers. We live by the virtue, "Early birds catch worm."
As a teacher, you teach by example. I can assure that students are very keen observers. They will start rating us the moment we enter the classroom until the time we open our mouth and dismiss the class after an hour of discussion. They are not hesitant to tell that they like our shirt or our new hair style. They can imitate our spoken word that is why we are very careful of the choice of words that we use in our discussion and even in our casual conversation.
We assume that this profession requires 24/7 commitment. That wherever we go at any point in time, a teacher will always be a teacher. Sometimes the feeling of being shocked is experienced as you stroll in the mall and a student shouts at you, "Hi Siiiirrrrrrr Niiiiicccccc!!!"" with prolonged "i" both in the last two words. But after a while, I just smiled.
In this kind of profession, you need not to be selfish. We have to give all what we have. We have to give all our best if we'd like them to learn something from us. I can still remember the line of my good colleague, "Kulang na lang magsplit ako kag makaon bubog, maintindihan lang nila lessons ko." We need not to be perfect as persons, but in this case, we need to be perfect teachers because our teachings are their guides in achieving better education.
The students' success is also our success. Seeing them in the near future as certified CPAs, registered nurses and bar passers to name some, make our hearts grow fonder. The feeling of being proud is evident as we see them successful in their own chosen field. And humbly we say, "Naging student ko na siya."
To become a teacher is to become a noble person. Students whom I imparted knowledge with put us in a pedestal of thankfulness. They know how to appreciate things how big or small they are. Time comes when students just surprise you with a letter or a card expressing how grateful they are for the good deed we've done to them. To touch students' life and to mold them to become better persons are roles of every teacher. As teacher, one should not merely say this as a profession but a passion. We should have the heart to teach and the heart to love our own work.
One Sunday morning after finishing my breakfast; I went to the mirror and checked if my wrinkles were counting. Upon standing in front of the mirror, I had a flashback; a scene where my English teacher asked me about what I would be when I grow up. After few seconds, I found myself answering back to the mirror saying, "I'm a teacher, a servant indeed."