On Board: Getting to Know!

Throughout our journey as students, it is a blessing to have teachers alongside us, who not only equip us with academic knowledge but also provide us with much-needed guidance and support. Teachers have significantly contributed to molding our characters and have always encouraged us to outstretch our potentials. However, as we continue with the rigors of the school year, we hardly take the time to get to know them and their lives beyond the classroom setting. Little do we know that similarly, our teachers are embarking on journeys of their own — filled with their own sets of aspirations and struggles that continually shape them to be the role models we know today. Especially in the past year, amidst the warm welcome of new teachers into the school community, the difficulties brought by the current online learning setup made it even more difficult for us to know them well. That being said, this article was written to feature the new teachers of Jubilee Christian Academy (JCA) to hopefully give us a closer look into their lives.

Mr. Tan, though he is one of the newest members of the Math and Science faculty this year, is not new to Jubilee’s culture and learning environment. After all, he is a 2013 alumnus of our beloved academy. Currently, Mr. Tan teaches Business Financing in Grade 12-Dwight Moody of the senior high school department.

A fun fact about him is that he currently works in one of the biggest mobile wallets and branchless banking services here in the country. As you may have guessed, he works in GCash; specializing in Project Management, Process Improvement, and Automation Solution Designing.

For Mr. Tan, online teaching is more convenient than physical classes. But on the other hand, he also says that it’s harder not only for him but for his students as well. He mentions that as a teacher, one of the difficulties is the fact that he cannot memorize the faces of his students as their cameras are turned off most of the time. That being the case, he tries to prepare himself for physical classes that will soon come in the near future. Nevertheless, he still hopes for online learning to continue.

Aside from work, Mr. Tan will not let his week be complete without having some free time to play his favorite video game — Mobile Legends: Bang Bang! It is a pretty famous game after all that not only relieves stress but can also be a source of achievement for many. In addition, once the quarantine and lockdowns fully dissipate, he would also like to play badminton or maybe even go camping.

That being said, Mr. Tan is an outgoing person who loves outdoor activities like hiking and exploring. He wishes to visit one of the world's top destinations for relaxation which is known for its pristine white beaches, and thrilling water activities. — Boracay Island.

Message for his students: “After the school year is over, tara [let’s play] Mobile Legends. One game! 😂”

One of the Math and Science Faculty’s newest personnel is Ms. Labawan, who currently teaches Science in the Senior High School department. She shared that aside from studying and preparing her teaching materials in advance, she uses her free time to bond and catch up with her family and friends, watch some Turkish drama series, and simply take the time to rest. She also enjoys the company of her pet dog, Mattias, or “Matty” for short.

As a teacher during this time of the pandemic, she considers the current learning set up to be a comfortable and convenient one since she no longer needs to travel constantly. Moreover, she is also able to spend more time with her family and personally monitor their well-being. However, she also admits that online learning has brought her certain pressures and challenges, especially as she continues to learn how to better reach out, help, and engage with her students. Nonetheless, this school year, she hopes to further grow as a person, especially in the aspects of her career and spiritual life. She also aims to handle her classes more effectively and build healthy relationships with her students.

In addition, Ms. Labawan also shared that when the pandemic is over, she would want to bring her family to Japan, to show her appreciation to her parents for all their love and hard work for the family.

Message for her students: “Do your best in everything you do. If you fail, get back up. If you fail again, then get back up again. If you fail seven times, then get back up seven times. Life is not about proving yourself to be the best to other people but rather to be the best version of who God wants you to be. Your failure will only hurt your pride, but [it will] not kill you. Just continue and don't lose heart or lose yourself in the process; sooner or later, you will reap your hard-earned reward from the Lord if you will not lose heart doing His will. “

Another addition to the Math and Science faculty is Ms. Monsale also teaches Science in the Senior High School Department. Although this school year was her first time to experience teaching in the online setup, she was able to adjust and figure out the most useful methods for online learning through the help of her colleagues from the High School Department. Her experience truly highlights the value of interacting with others and helping one another, especially in these challenging times. Despite the difficulties she expects to encounter during the school year, Ms. Monsale remains positive as she hopes to have a fun experience teaching in JCA.

One fun fact about Ms. Monsale is that she is also a pet owner. She has a healthy 10-year-old dog, although it tends to be grumpy at times. During her free time, she also enjoys playing Genshin Impact or listening to her favorite songs and music. Moreover, she would also want to visit other parts of the country, which she has not been to, yet. Given the opportunity to go abroad after the pandemic, Ms. Monsale also shared that she would want to travel to South Korea.

Message for her students: “You can do it.”

While she is the newest addition to the Language faculty in the second half of the first semester, Mrs. Alvarez is already handling quite the number of students. She teaches Media, Information, and Technology Literacy (MIL) in the Senior High School Department.

If you haven’t known already, Mrs. Alvarez lives in Tagaytay — which is more than 85.1 km away from the school. Because she lives in a more rural area, she loves to take advantage of her city's pleasant weather as she finds peace and serenity in nature where time seems to stand still whenever she admires its organic beauty. And as a nature lover, she stated that she would like to visit Siargao or even travel abroad (though is not a huge fan) to Norway once the pandemic is over.

Mrs. Alvarez believes that online learning is advantageous as it can be accessed by students no matter where they are or what they want to study; giving them the freedom to participate more actively in their learning even though distance and time separate them from their instructors. However, she also highlights that it isn’t the only option for students who wish to continue their education in their own homes. For her, it is simply one of the many options for completing distance learning.

Finally, she is looking forward to a fruitful and profitable year ahead. She is very much eager to take on new challenges and improve as a teacher and as a student who is currently taking her Master’s Degree. She prays that this journey will offer opportunities for personal growth, social interaction, and service to those around her.

Message for her students: “I want you to know that your teachers are working around the clock to ensure that you have access to high-quality education. Maintaining a regular schedule is an excellent way to guarantee academic achievement, so make the most of your time at home by learning new things. Be nice to yourself and others during this tough time because everyone is going through their own challenges and battling their own fights.”

Sir Iolo, as he is commonly known, is now in his second year of teaching Physical Education (PE) at JCA, handling all of the sections of the Senior High School Department. Undoubtedly, teaching PE online has been a huge challenge, since the subject is specifically concerned with physical movements. However, the immense amount of workload that Sir Iolo has, considering that he teaches numerous sections, would make his task even more challenging. Nonetheless, he shared that he feels “a great deal of sense of accomplishment and satisfaction” every time he is able to teach his students about Physical Education.

Whenever he is not working, Sir Iolo is fond of exercising and doing work-outs. During rest days, he would also listen to music or watch any show that interests him. He mentioned that currently, he is rewatching Naruto: Shippuden and The Big Bang Theory. He would also spend time with his pets. In fact, he has three Shih Tzu dogs, of which the first two are already 10 and 11 years old, while the last one is a 1-year-old Shih Tzu- Poodle mix. He even shared that although his 1-year-old dog is the youngest, she is also the biggest among them, hence, she is also tagged as the bully!

In terms of his travel plans especially when the pandemic is over, Sir Iolo would want to go on a beach trip with as many of his college friends as possible. He talked about how he and his friends have not seen each other since their graduation in 2020, and most of his friends have just recently started working. Just like sir, we all truly can’t wait to meet up with our friends and loved ones, reconnect with one another, and get to enjoy each other’s company, physically, once again!

Message for his students: “You miss 100% of the shots that you don't take. Always be confident with yourself and work hard. Lastly, don't forget to exercise. :)”

Mrs. Loo is the newest member of the Makabayan Faculty. She has been teaching Contemporary Arts for the Region in all of the graduating classes of the Senior High School Department since the latter end of the third quarter. Although it was a rough transition at first, grade 12 students have now produced four remarkable outputs under her guidance.

Most individuals might find themselves in a challenging spot to teach arts, especially with the current online setup. However, unlike others, Mrs. Loo finds it to be convenient for both students and educators like herself for they no longer need to step out of the comfort of their homes. She believes that students’ mental health is of utmost importance; hence, if they prefer the experience and social interactions face-to-face classes bring, it should be given to them once the situation is mitigated. Nonetheless, she still looks forward to students growing in their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects even with the restrictions brought by the current pandemic situation.

It goes without saying that as an art teacher, Mrs. Loo truly values her time. But it isn’t just art that she treasures. She also loves to spend time with her family, especially with her child who she homeschools. During breaks, Mrs. Loo spends her time traveling to different places whenever and wherever it’s allowed — like the gym.

And like how most students and teachers have missed the bliss of traveling, our newest art teacher did too. She would love to visit Singapore once more as it has been an indelible part of her life. After all, she used to work in the heart of “Lion City” a few years back!

Message for her students: “I wish you all success in your college application and future careers. I believe that you can achieve your dreams not just with good grades but with God’s guidance, good attitude, discipline, and excellent work ethics.”

Mr. Ng is Jubilee Christian Academy’s first international Chemistry teacher. He has a very diverse background with more than 25 years of teaching experience. He has taught for 13 years in Singapore, 1 year in Thailand, 5 years in China, and now, almost 8 years in the Philippines. He is also an accredited AP Calculus, Physics, Music, and Chemistry teacher. Currently, he is only teaching AP enriched Chemistry 1 and 2 in the Senior High School Department.

Mr. Ng is currently stationed in China and teaches in multiple schools, not only in Jubilee Chritian Academy. In his free time, he loves to play instruments: the clarinet, trumpet, trombone, French horn, melodica, flute, and so much more. In fact, he has even become a conductor in childrens’ orchestras in China.

According to him, online learning and teaching both have their pros and cons. Nonetheless, he will strive to work hard and expects everyone to give their best as well. Lastly, because it has been a long time since he came to the Philippines, he mentioned that he would love to visit once more when time permits.

Message for his students: “To work harder.”

Just like Mr. Benson Tan, our teacher is also an outstanding alumnus from JCA, Batch 2013. Mr. Yturzaeta currently handles the Accounting 1 class of Grade 11-Matthew (ABM strand) for the second semester. In addition, he also serves as the Assistant Choir Director and Pianist of the Jubilee Evangelical Church Youth Choir!

Despite the things that keep Mr. Yturzaeta busy, he shared that some of his hobbies include playing video games (especially Stardew Valley) and reading books on theology or Christian living. He may not be too fond of traveling, as he calls himself a “homebody”, nonetheless, he is someone who enjoys the simple things in life: from drinking coffee to making ice cream, playing the piano, and eating ramen or any dish from Italian cuisine.

Meanwhile, when asked about his teaching experience in the online setup, he mentioned that having no face-to-face interactions was more challenging, as he would often be the type to consider the atmosphere of the classroom before deciding the pace of his lectures. He also brought up how teaching a quantitative course like accounting was more challenging as he wouldn’t have a large whiteboard wherein he can perform the necessary calculations for his students to see. The learning environment may not be the most ideal; however, Mr. Yturzaeta constantly acknowledged that it is by God’s grace that learning can still take place through the use of technology and other tools online. With Romans 8:28 in mind, Mr. Ytruzaeta believes that God, whose ways are higher than our ways, can also use the online learning experience for good. In addition, he also shared that if the Lord wills, he would be delighted to teach his students face-to-face, as soon as possible.

Message for his students: Treasure Christ above everything else. Keep learning and enjoy learning.

Coming from various backgrounds, each and every one of our teachers is unique. They’ve had their fair shares of challenges. But above all that, they continue to walk towards their goals, much like everyone else. Like their students, it would be great if we can take the time to get to know them better. After all, they give their best to understand our challenges as well, so they can help us overcome our difficulties, and equip us with knowledge in the best way that they can. Likewise, we too should do the same. Because in the end, we all have to work hand in hand as we reach our goals. By trying to understand, value, and support them, we are letting them know that they are not alone in their newfound journey as educators at Jubilee Christian Academy.