YOUNG VOICE
Teaching values
It took us 10 minutes to completely get settled in the L300 van. It took us 14 minutes before we received our hamburgers and sundaes at a drive-thru. It took us 15 minutes to memorize a song about birds, trees and fishes. I slept for 20 minutes during our 45-minute trip from Iloilo City to Dueñas.
We finally arrived Dueñas Central Elementary School. As we stopped, I saw curious faces of grade school pupils. I thought, they may be wondering why we're there.
We tiptoed out of the van as we carried some bulky paper bags and packed boxes containing pencils, erasers, notebooks and sharpeners neatly placed inside 45 plastic envelopes. It wasn't long until some pupils greeted us with cheery smiles, telling us we're in the right place and we're doing the right thing.
Our school required us to conduct an outreach activity. Twelve of us decided on a values formation class for grade schoolers, unaware of the tasking preparations needed for that. There were permits for professors (who are so hard to get hold of) to sign and budgeted shopping for school supplies (we bid farewell to a week's allowance).
Every centavo spent and sweat dropped was worth it after we taught and had fun with the cute little angels of Grade 3 Section Rizal.
During the session, we asked the students to draw a portrait of who they want to be when they get older. I chuckled upon seeing that majority of them drew nurses.
At first, I thought it was earning the green buck that made them want to become nurses. But their reason was, "To help sick people get well."
How altruistic their motive was. Well, it's the reason why the nursing profession exists in the first place.
Then, there were six boys who drew different superheroes they saw on television. Their reason was, "To save good people from the bad guys."
Rarely do we hear such hopeful phrases from a child. I wish one day they will be superheroes in their own right.
I just wondered why they did not draw government leaders. Maybe they don't see them saving people from bad guys or helping sick people get well?
We divided the class into smaller groups for the open forum. The topic was about family. We wanted to know how they viewed their families despite poverty. We asked: If you were given a chance to change something in your family, what would that be? They answered, "none."
The children were remarkable. They have the right to clamor for the best and yet they desire less. They were contented.
Then, we talked about believing in dreams and national pride.
After that, we played games. At that moment, I was back in Grade Three, getting fired up in stalking the straw of towers and hitting some drinking cups with crumpled paper balls, all for the simple rewards of candies and lollipops.
This article took me an hour and 30 minutes. It took me 12 hours to finish studying for next week's exams.
A lifetime … that's the time I'll be remembering those moments with the students.
I thought I'll be teaching them about values. In turn, they were the ones who taught me.
(For comments and reactions, please send an email to reylangarcia@gmail.com or SMS to 09186363090. View my blog at http://www.theyoungvoice.blogspot.com)