Graduation Reflection

     Hi.. it is end of the school year and I once again will share my reflections of the year that has passed (it is as if there are interested..hehe). Now where will I start… to be honest I’m just typing random thoughts because I don’t know how to describe this year.

      Perhaps I will start with the fact that I was able to alleviate a bit my financial problems because I got a moonlight job teaching in college. However, I don’t know but it is as if this has made my year quite a low for me.  Though my class starts after my official time in school, I tend to rush to prepare myself for the college class. Why was it so big deal for me? Before, I usually leave school late because I tend to tutor some students who lag behind in class.  Yes, I still tutor but it is not as passionate as before. I also spend my after-class time in retention as a form of discipline to some of my students. But discipline as it is, it always ended up as bonding moments for me and my students since, we, after all the scolding and sermons, etc, ended up going home together. This also has proven as to who my loyal students are. There are students who would stay with you no matter how late you’ll go home. They would help you with your classroom chores, or even just stay and talk with you. I suddenly remembered my favorite student last year (You may read my post about this HERE). But this year, there were none. I always tell them to go home immediately so that after my official time, I have no students to think of (since I need to directly go to my college class and I don’t have to worry of any liability as to what will happen to them when I already left school). And this is quite saddening. 

    The results? I felt a bit of disconnect to most of my students. There are some whom I totally don’t even know their stories. Before, every nuance of their lives I tend to divulge so as to understand them more. But this school year, there are some whom I felt as if I am a stranger to them. 

     My class also seems uncontrollable. Perhaps because of the lack of discipline, which I said I usually do after class. Instead of getting mad sometimes of their behavior, I tend to let go of it, because again, I have no time to scold them since I still have a class to attend.

      Sometime, I ask myself if it was all worth it. Practically speaking, yes. The monetary benefits for my moonlight job supplemented my financial difficulties. But thinking of my students who are, and will always be my top priority, I don’t know if it is really all worth it. However, a part of me tells that it is still ok since I am teaching future educators. And the idea of having the opportunity to inspire future teachers is already a noble task. Though I may have shortcomings with my elementary students, at least I have done my part of inspiring future teachers to become full-fledged teachers someday. And be able to share my principle of being a caring and loving teacher to learners.

      Perhaps the bottomline of my reflection this year that not all the time you are the “best teacher” in the eyes of your students. There are batch of students who see you as their favorite while some see you as the worst, or just one of the usual teachers, even though you give the best you can. Most of the time, I tend to do my best for me to become their “most memorable teacher” or their “best adviser so far”. But there are things beyond our control and we can’t just please everybody.  All we need to do is just to do our best to fulfill our tasks. Whether or not our efforts and hardwork are appreciated, we just have to live another day, another school year of being a teacher, and of course, to be a better and “stronger” teacher the next school year.

      Anyway, here are my harvest for the school year...where is me again???? This school year, we had a graduation picture..so we are all pretty and handsome here...hehehe

Teaching in College and Elementary Students

     It has been a semester since I started college teaching in my alma mater. And I actually find it funny that my teaching jobs are all in the schools where I graduated from. This moonlighting stint of mine started when I posted a labor day rant about my “insufficient income” and how I desired to have another job (because 75 percent of my income is all eaten up by a loan, hay…family problems). 

     Apparently and perhaps I would say fortunately, the dean, who was my former teacher, saw my post and suggested me that I would apply as a part-time instructor in the university. I was happy then because it was answered prayer in my part. Of course, I have gone through all the SOPs of applying and I was glad that I was given two courses to teach.

    I was quite inspired teaching college students because I thought that I could share a lot to them. In fact, I wrote this blog for college students and soon-to-be teachers in the hopes of inspiring them and at the same time help them top the LET. And also perhaps the main reason why I was hired is to “inspire” education students in my college who I once was. This time however, I would be sharing my thoughts not only online but to real students face-to-face. 

    On the first weeks of my teaching, all things went well perhaps because this was just a getting-to-know stage. I think that my students are all smart and enthusiastic. As time goes by, I gradually find teaching college students challenging. And I couldn’t help comparing students in elementary (where I primarily teach) and in college.

Student-Teacher Attachment

 

     Hi. I'm here at Magic Island resort in Guimaras, Philippines. Our faculty has a summer escapade here and I actually have nothing  to do because they are doing videoke which I actually have no confidence doing...hehe...We are all enjoying the place because the whole island was reserved only for us. So while my coteachers are enjoying the videoke, here I am just laying down in the hammock, relaxing and trying to reflect things under the night sky with countless twinkling stars.
 
     As I try to scan my phone's gallery I can't help but to realize how many pictures I have captured with my students. And there is one picture that touched me the most. A picture of me and one of my studentS. This student was so dear and so loyal to me and to be honest, I have no plans of being attached to him. I just realized that I will actually miss him now that he just recently graduated.

    This student of mine will never go home unless I will also go home. He always closes the windows and makes sure that the lights are off. He will wait for me even when we have our faculty meeting, and children will have early dismissals, when I pass by my co-teacher'S room to chitchat, or I need to remain late because of remedial sessions with some of his classmates. He listens to my complains about my sometimes problematic life and asks me what my problems are with me never disclosing these with him. I actually don't know why this kid is so loyal. I have no food to give to him (since I am broke..hehe...though if I have we share) or anything for him to stay. Perhaps this child really has a good soul.
 
    Now if you' re a teacher who has this kind of student, is it impossible not to miss this student? At the beginning of the school year, I always tell myself not to be too close to my students because they will only be staying under me for 10 months. People come, people go. Students come students go. This is one of the realities of being a teacher.

    But I think this is just easy for a teacher who just teaches a lesson and that' s it. But how about if you are a teacher who listens to student's problems, who have seen them cry over their problems at home or personally have seen their struggles, have listened to their insecurities and dreams in life. It is hard not to be attached, because it is as if they have shared a part of them with you, and a part of you as a teacher with them.

    However, I believe that this attachment must not be too powerful to the point that we would expect something in return. Because if this is the case, you as a teacher will just get disappointed. Too much attachment leads to expectation. Expectation leads to disappointment. And disappointment leads to pain. It is OK to.miss some of our students, especially if these students have shown exceptional respect and faith to us.

    Yes, the possibility of them to.change as they grow is indisputable. When they grow, some may look or treat us differently, the memories we have shared with them might be forgotten because of new learning, experiences and people they will encounter as they continue with their lives, But, as teachers, let us just be happy for we, in some way or another, have been part of their lives. This is one of the most honorable feeling a teacher can have.

Teacher Essay: Paglalayag sa Puso ng Isang Bata

        Hey there, it’s march one again and I just passed by my blog to update the readers out there that I am still alive..hehehe…Anyways, my main reason why I posted here is because I wanted to share my reflections and thoughts about a school year that has passed. I think some of you might have missed me being a discusser of LET topics but I’m sorry to tell that I have finished through that stage. I am now a full-fledged teacher so if I ever would be posting something in this blog, it might be most probably about teaching and my experiences as a teacher. Don’t worry, if I get inspired, I would still post some LET topics. You might wonder about my  title. Just read on and you'll realize why...hehe

       I actually love the batch this year because most of them are really characters inside the classroom and perhaps in the whole grade level. Since they were all characters, I think there were a lot of dramas happened. This reasserts my love for teaching because I actually enjoyed the “unfolding” of events everytime there is a drama. There were crying, shouting and fighting because of irreconcilable differences amongst some of my students. All I could do as to sigh and be calmed as I tried to settle things. This year, I did a lot of “pep talk” with my students and I found this effective both as counseling and disciplinary tool.

     On a more serious note, this year was my first time to have an accident involving one of my students. He accidentally slipped on the floor while playing and broke his arm. I honestly felt guilty to the point that I wasn’t able to sleep for a couple of days. I find myself responsible because I could have avoided that incident to happen. A part of me tells that I could have done something to avoid the accident. I could have asked my students to do seat works or just be seated and not to play (I usually have a “play time” for my pupils as part of my reward system). While a part of me tells that accidents are accidents…and no enough “what ifs” could turn back time. All we can do is to move forward and correct our mistakes and make sure that no accident again will happen. However, what struck me the most as a teacher is that I need to take utmost care my students. It made me feel more responsible because we are entrusted by their parents to take care of their kids and to protect them from any danger. A student, no matter how unattractive, naughty or dull, is a precious child in the eyes of his/her parents.

     The most significant thing I think I realized this year is the fact that being liked as a teacher is different from being valued. Students may say that they like you but they may not value you as a teacher. Being liked sometimes results to familiarity and thus most of the time breeds contempt. You know our school just recently opened middle high school levels. I was quite excited about it because some of my students would not be enrolling in other schools anymore and I could see them everyday. Now I have this bunch of students who always say that they want to go back to grade 6 because they liked me a lot. When I do my classes, they were always at the door or peering at the window of my classroom. I was a bit happy about the feeling of them visiting me quite often. However, it became annoying and distracting to the flow of my lessons because they were butting in as I talk. I tried to tell them that this is inappropriate but they keep doing this for several times. One day, I was full about their behavior and I tried to count 123 until they go away. As I count 1, one of them sarcastically butted in saying 2. I didn’t initially get mad at them rather I was forced to go out of the classroom and tell them to go away. However, one of my older students in that class got angry at them and said I deserve respect. I just then realized that I actually got disrespected and I felt embarrassed in front of my class.

     About the value over like idea, I did a sort of test. I tried to experiment if they would try to win me back if I got angry with them. If they truly “value” me as their teacher, I suppose they would apologize to me or perhaps show that they were sorry for what they did. This experiment was actually inspired by my favorite short story of a teacher and a boy which I actually posted HERE!!! YOU'LL LOVE THE STORY...HEHE. This was in Filipino so let me share the synopsis in English:

   There was a boy who always does things for the teacher without the teacher telling him to do so. After the class, when all his classmates are rushing out to go home, the boy always remains and arranges the seats and places the teacher’s slippers in its proper place. After doing these chores, the boy never neglects to say “Goodbye teacher!”

     The teacher grew affection and closeness to the child, and both of them develop a friendship. But one day, the teacher, perhaps because of personal problems or stress that day, yelled and somewhat hurt the feelings of the boy. The teacher felt remorseful about what she did to the boy. On that day, the boy still did his usual tasks, but didn’t look nor talk to the teacher. After all the work has done, the boy left the classroom quietly. This saddened the teacher a lot. She knew that she expected the boy to say goodbye to her. But after what she did, she is more worried that it caused a rift between the two of them. However, to her surprise, the boy went back, and said “Goodbye teacher!” Time seemed to stop for the teacher. She realized that at that moment, the boy became her teacher.

     Now, going back to my test, when this group of students tried to standby at my classroom door, I raised my voice and told them to go away. I quite assumed that they know I was mad at them (though this is just acting for the sake of the test…hehe..) and perhaps they might realize that they did something wrong. I also quite expected they would perhaps do an effort to make amends for what they did. But….they did nothing. What happened next was that they didn’t greet me anymore nor approach me. I don’t know why maybe because they were afraid or shy to approach me because I got mad at them, or I wasn’t significant enough for them to do efforts to win me back,  or maybe they just didn’t care. Was my experiment successful? Perhaps yes. It only asserted that they may like me, but I am not the teacher enough for them to value me. I remembered we had a teacher back in high school, she got angry at our whole class and most of my classmates were in tears. Our class really wanted to win her back and we were very sorry to that teacher because we valued her. But in my case, that didn’t happen. Hehehe….These students, as of the date of posting, didn’t anymore approach me perhaps because of whatever reason unknown to me. Am I saddened? It is hypocrisy to say no. As I always say, every student that I have always has a space in my heart. For them to act that way a bit saddened me. However, as long as there is but one student who values me as a teacher, this is more than enough for me to still love teaching. The thought of still having just one or perhaps a lot of students who value me as their teacher compensates the “loss of some of my sheep”. Perhaps I would just let time do its job. Perhaps in the near future, these kiddos would approach me once again. And who am I not to respond right?  

     Bottom line, some of our students may like us. But never let this be a reason for them to do things that that will break the boundaries of respect between teacher and student. Don’t let respect be compromised for the sake of being liked as a teacher.  Yes, we may be their friends, but I think any friendship won’t work without mutual respect.  Yes they may feel too comfortable or familiar to us, but they still have to remember that we are their teachers. Teachers, that if they truly value, deserve as much respect even they are not under our tutelage anymore.

(P.S. Perhaps others may say that I am presumptuous to expect that my students owe an apology to me since I am not their teacher anymore. Don’t get me wrong. As a teacher, I don’t want to expect something from my students especially those who already have passed through me. I expect nothing for everything I have done for them. If they would still remember me, then I am grateful. If they change and do not, I feel noble. I think this is also one of the reasons why teaching is a noble profession-it is unrequited.  And noble professions like being a soldier or a priest, or a teacher, include selfless and unreciprocated service. Students pass through us and go on with their lives, and it is their prerogative whether or not they would still acknowledge us after they have left our classroom. We have done our part anyway.)

     Now, I am very happy to present to you my batch this year. I have two students who have cleft chins like Taylor Lautner or Ben Affleck or Jude Law, one who has a big forehead like Tyra Banks, one with sleepy/lazy eyes like KPop stars, one who has the voice like Alvin and the Chipmunks, students named Julia Robert and Diana Ross, and a whole lot more. This batch is star-studded!!!hahaha

Teacher Essay: Accepting Your Students

     Hellow, hellow, hellow! Long time no posts! Any updates about me? Of course, I have not yet finished my thesis! hehehe... Anyway, graduation comes once a year and, I can't help but to share my thoughts about another year finished.
   This year, the group of students I had is quite different compared last year. Most of the time, I tend to believe that every school year is like a new season of a reality show. New contestants, new stories, new dramas. This is also one of the things I like about teaching - spontaneity. It is like every single day in the classroom is a new episode in a reality show. Going back to my students, this bunch is less mature both physically and mentally. I find most of them cute because they don't look and act like sixth graders, rather more of 3rd or 4th graders. This I find quite challenging, because they are a bit difficult to control.
    This year, I realized that teachers should not be personally angry to students. They may be naughty or talkative sometimes or even most of the times but as students and as kids, it is part of their nature. It is natural for students to be noisy at times, to play while your are not around, etc. Don't be angry and treat this as a big deal. We are teaching kids, not robots. We must not expect total silence from our students. They are kids. They are humans, so they talk. Never learn to dislike or hate them because of their misbehavior. I said this because some teachers start to dislike teaching because they dislike their students. And they are just dragged to teach because of the salary. It is a hypocrisy if I say that never did I get angry with my students. But always, if this is unavoidable, I explain why I got angry. If a teacher gets angry and students are confused why, they will never get the point or the lesson you want to inculcate to them.Of course, everything that is in excess is wrong, so we need to teach students to control their "naughtiness". But as teachers, we need to forgive the students. We must love them as they are. Teachers are not perfect, but so as our students. Sometimes we tend to see our students imperfections but neglect to see ours. Hate the sin, but not the sinner.
    Second, as teachers, we have an inclination to be fond of students who are smart, well-behaved, pretty/handsome, etc. But this year, I realized that we should also have a sincere attention to those students who are the opposite. I would not say the words but you know what I mean. I have to be honest but sometimes, I tend to play favorites. But never did I make this obvious but I do have favorite students...hehehe....However, I always adhere to the idea that as teachers, we are teachers to all kinds of students, smart or not, pretty or ugly, whatsoever. (This is also one of the reasons why I took up Special Education as may master's because of this philosophy.) And I said sincere because we should not give them the attention because we have to, but  because we care and love them as our students.
     Lastly, since I am teaching in sixth grade, I find it a bit hard knowing the fact that you are the last teacher that the students will have before ending their elementary years. I don't know why but the idea of them leaving and going on with their lives bit saddened me. I know that it is impossible to let them stay for the rest of their lives. But I am just hoping that at some point, I was once significant to them and has inspired them for the good. I may sound sentimental again but perhaps because I consider every student a part of my heart, and not just my memory. Every mingle and interaction with them is sincere and not just because it is "work" or "I am getting paid" mentality. In contrast, I am also happy and excited for what will they become in the future. I think the these thoughts and feeling overpower my sadness of them leaving. I am thrilled to see them grow and become who they want to be in the future. And I would be very ecstatic to see them successful or have grown even better.
   Here are my harvest this school year...League of Legends-inspired (because they are as naughty as minions and as impulsive as the heroes)....try to find me...hehehe....

Teacher Essay: A Pivotal Turn

     Hello there!!! After how many months of hiatus in posting, here I am again just to pass by my own blog. I am sorry again and again if I rarely post because things have changed a bit to me personally and professionally.
      First, I think I am a little burnt out with my thesis that I became less motivated to finish it as I was before hehehe. Before, I was very impulsive and hasty to finish my graduate school so that I could apply in a higher education institution. But sometimes, things just don't go as planned. As much as I wanted to finish in respect to my time table, I couldn't because of the external factors that were beyond my control. What were these factors? You know...conflicting schedules, thesis advisers, resource persons, etc...Honestly(and bragging aside),without these constraints, I could finish my thesis in less than a month. Second, I am now happy and fulfilled as an elementary school teacher, and so I have little changes with my priorities.  Before I started teaching, all I want for myself is to be an academic, a scholar, an expert of my field. But then as I went along being a teacher, I realized that the best teachers aren't necessarily the most intelligent. I think there is an "X-factor" for one to become a good teacher; one that can inspire and can motivate students to learn.  I know some teachers who are eloquent yet failed to win the hearts of the pupils. Some have excellent teaching skills yet students feel coerced. While there are teachers who do not necessarily have exemplary background yet are well-loved and appreciated by the students. I don't know what this "X-factor" is, and honestly, I am still on the process of developing myself to have this X-factor and become a good teacher. Perhaps this might be one of my unconscious reasons why I am less motivated to finish my thesis (hehehe). I feel that God has given me a lot of blessings (which include a considerable amount of intelligence), but I think that as a teacher my priority now is  to educate my pupils and not just myself. I know that some might say that I could make myself and my pupils educated at the same time, but what does priority mean in the first place? A thing that is regarded as more important than another. And my priority.again, educate my students and make them self-reflecting individuals. Inspire them and motivate them to learn so that in the end they will become persons with character and values. Lastly, in my state of being a teacher at this moment, my achievement for me is no longer about the medals or the awards that I receive just like when I was a student,nor a master's or doctorate degree. I think I had enough of that. My achievement is knowing that my students learn something that they never knew before; seeing the spark and happiness in their eyes when I tell them inspiring stories; to be trusted and be able to hear their stories and most precious secrets; and soon if I get invited in significant moments of their lives like wedding or their child's baptism. hehehe. I don't know if I sound too sentimental but this is what I think and want to share to my readers, and to present and soon-to-be teachers. Some established teachers may have different beliefs and philosophy. But for me, teaching is never just teaching per se. It is never just discussing the lesson or solving grades. Teaching is more than that. You can never say these unless you become a true teacher yourself.

By the way, here are my harvest for the school year 2012-2013. I am very proud of them.

P.S. (Don't worry..I still will finish my thesis..hehehe).

Teacher Essay: Why Take Up Education

        

     

Throwback: College days during our Organic Chemistry class...

         I ask myself many times why did I take education as a course. Is it my choice? my parents' choice? or no choice? Let me just take the second question out and leave the rest of the two questions with a tie. I took education perhaps it was my choice and at the same time, no choice. Why my choice? It is because I love to share what I know (and perhaps the reason why I made this blog myself). I find my knowledge useless if not shared to others. According to Dalai Lama, "Share your knowledge. This is a way to achieve immortality." And what job would best fit this "calling" of mine is of course to pursue education, to become a teacher myself. Now, on the second question, why no choice? Because if given the chance, I would also love to enroll in a different course.  I want to enroll in fine arts, architecture, music, law, computer engineering and the list doesn't stop, but because of financial constraints, I can't. Most of you might agree but I think education course is one of the cheapest courses a student can enroll in college. This is also one of the most common courses being offered with scholarships.

       Furthermore, I chose education course because it is also practical. When one enrolls in education, you become a jack-of-all-trade. After graduation, aside becoming a teacher, you can be a trainer, a human resource officer, a customer service representative, an office staff, a receptionist, tutor and many other job opportunities. Perhaps this is because that part of being a teacher is to become gregarious, to become more social and to deal with various kinds of people, not to mention being trained with various kinds of situations. Remember that when one becomes a teacher, you will deal with many students, each with his/her own uniqueness, the parents with various personalities plus the superiors and administrators and stakeholders. Every day in the classroom or in school is like a microcosm of everyday challenges in the society.

wahahaha......

      One important point I also considered was the fact that the world never runs out of school. Schooling or education is almost a necessity in all parts of the world. A teacher can find a school to teach given his/her competencies and credentials. In the corporate world, businesses or establishments may close and are most of the time, age-bias. In education, private schools may close but never public schools. Age is never an issue. The older a person is, the more respect and dignity is given to him/her as a teacher.

       To be honest, it is actually ironic that I became a teacher when in fact most of my heartaches and sad experiences happened in school and were caused by some of my teachers in the past. However, no matter how painful these experiences were, these made me realize that there really are good and bad teachers. And I will always remind myself that I will never be a bad one. I may be imperfect but I always try to reflect on my words and my actions toward my students. And through this blog, perhaps I could share my reflections and practices in teaching that would be helpful to all the readers interested in this blog. I hope you can find this blog useful to you, teachers and soon-to-be teachers.

         Finally, for new and old teachers alike, let us learn to love this profession no matter what. Becoming a teacher is not a desperate move in the first place. Whether it is your choice, your parents' choice or no choice, one thing is for sure: you will love teaching. You will later realize how fulfilling it is as a profession. Love teaching and teaching will love you more.

Teacher Essay: Reflections on Teaching

       Teachers nowadays are required to have a portfolio. This portfolio is a collection of everything about a teacher: his/her credentials, achievements, linkages and many other important and relevant information. Part of this portfolio is for the teacher to write his/her reflection on teaching. And let me share to you my own personal reflection and insights about teaching which I have written in my personal portfolio. These reflections are actually the views and philosophy I uphold about teaching as far as my experiences, values and my principles are concerned. You may or may not agree with me...

Teaching for me really isn’t just a profession. It is a vocation. It requires self-sacrifice, and being able to offer oneself for the sake of the students. This job may not be one of the highest paid jobs in this world, but I think it is on top of the most rewarding and self-fulfilling job man has created. It is so because teaching creates other professions. This may sound cliché but this really is true. We will never have doctors, lawyers, architects and any other profession if not for a teacher who has painstakingly taught us and saved us from ignorance.

Being a teacher as far as my experience is concerned has opened my eyes to a lot of things. A teacher who may have exemplary credentials on his/her back can never be sure if he/she will be successful inside the classroom. It hit me in my head that I should not be complacent about myself. That there are things I need to improve and change about myself. I need to think creatively, innovatively and resourcefully in order to make my class successful. I need to prepare each and every day. Every day is always a brand new day. What happens inside the classroom is always unpredictable.

For me, a true “called” teacher isn’t just a person who teaches and comply all the things required by the curriculum. It is very true that to be a teacher, one has to be competent: an expert of his/her subject matter, has a command on the medium of instruction, a manager of his/her own right inside the classroom and has mastered the art of pedagogy. And I think these teachers are many. However, I can’t ignore the fact that to be a teacher, one also has to have the right attitude, the enthusiasm to teach, the respect to the dignity of the teaching profession, the care and love for the students, and to love learning itself. And I must say these teachers are rare. How I wish that I may belong to these rare finds.

As a teacher I wish to win the hearts of my students. I want them to be inspired, to be genuinely motivated to learn. I want them to remember me as a kind of teacher who has made them learn not by coercion but rather by inspiration. To be honest, I would rather wish to win the hearts of my students than to win the hearts of my superiors. I teach not for my superiors to be impressed of me. I teach for my students. They are my honest and sincere critics. This drives me to improve myself more and more every single day that I am a teacher.

The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires.  ~William Arthur Ward

I personally believe that teachers are most remembered not on how they have made students learn, but rather on how they have made the students feel. And because of this, I learned to be very sensitive with the way I deal with my pupils. I learned to let them feel the care, concern and warmth of a teacher. I may sometimes hurt my students’ feelings intentionally or unintentionally, but I hope they know that learning sometimes is a painful process. We have to offer sacrifices and that includes giving up our old, comfortable but wrong ways. And to wake ourselves up from these wrong ways, we have to slap our face (and I don’t mean this literallyJ). I sometimes do this not because I want to but I have to.

Based on my experiences, I learned that we need first and foremost to motivate our learners. As Horace Mann said, teaching learners without motivating and inspiring them is like hammering a cold iron. As a teacher, I need to make them appreciate and develop the love for learning. They will never, ever learn unless they allow learning to occur in their minds. Learning is an experience which occurs inside the learner and is activated by the learner. This poses me a challenge, that as a teacher, I really need to think of various, creative and enjoyable activities that can arouse my students’ desire to learn.

Finally, I personally adhere that teachers nowadays must focus on the moral and the value side of learning. Yes, it is true that we need to make our learners competent, equipped with all the skills and knowledge necessary for them to become globally competitive. However, we need to mold well-rounded individuals, future citizens that can raise and morally recover our world’s present condition. It is through values that our learners can create meaning and connect the content and skills they learn to their lives. That they can use their learning for the common good, and make positive changes not only to their lives or family’s lives, but rather to other people as well, and to the world as a whole. Without focusing on values, we teachers may create persons with big heads but small hearts, intellectual giants but emotional dwarfs.

To end this, I hope and pray that God will provide me more strength and power to fulfill this mission. Sometimes, part of being a teacher is accepting the reality that not all students will appreciate you. Some students may not listen to you, some will just forget you and the worst, some will disrespect and back-stab you. And as a human being, this weakens me as a teacher. But like God who was also a teacher Himself, He never hated His students despite the neglect and betrayal He experienced. I hope that I can also be the same despite of my shortcomings. Bearing in mind that teaching and making others learn without asking in return is enough as a reward itself.

A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image..  ~Author Unknown