TO THE KID WHO DREAMED OF BECOMING A TEACHER!

Dear Homer Wayne,

At this point, you’re probably dreaming of what you’re doing as a member of the so called noblest profession.

Your aspirations have been clear since day one—you want to be a part of your family’s legacy when it comes to the practice of education. You want to make a name for yourself. You want to be the best educator not only in your province but hopefully, all over the country. You’re currently imagining what school you’ll be entering into. You’re currently dreaming of the great things you could accomplish. You’re currently imagining yourself standing tall and strong—within the ranks of the teachers you idolize.

I hate to burst your bubble kid, but you’re still at the opposite end of that dream.

As of writing, your future self is still not a teacher. You are struggling in school—you cannot comprehend the perils of what a education student goes through every day. You are struggling in life—you seemingly cannot find the balance between when to study and when to rest. More often than not, you end up studying drained and exhausted. As of writing, your future self is starting to have doubts as to whether or not a degree in law is eventually for you—for us.

I know. It’s hard to imagine. Your youthful flare is still burning with pride and idealism. You are, after all, ‘gifted’ in the eyes of most people who support you. You have been made to believe that you are one of the best. Your confidence goes beyond what the skies have set. You are one ambitious kid after all. You can’t imagine yourself having doubts as to whether you can achieve a task or not—and that’s a good thing. Always keep that at the back of your mind, kid. Because while I have doubts myself, I still fight for what I believe is mine. And I got that from you.

However, let me give you a head start—the journey to the noblest profession is not as easy as you think. It is not as grand as you imagined. It is not as simple as writing some position papers and challenging everyone you know for a debate because you are “equipped” with knowledge of the education. What you hear from other people, and what you see in the movies—scrap them all the same. The stories they tell are but noise to what is real. The narratives you hear are but simplifications of a rather complex journey you cannot encapsulate in one sitting.

For starters, you’re wrong in thinking that the study will eventually make you smart. One thing is for sure—the study will make you humble. I know that you’ll try to overachieve because that will always be our nature. But for the first time in your life, you will know how to fail. You will know how it’s like to lose. For the first time in your life, you will be able to experience a weight on your chest, suffocating you until you give up. You will lose your anchor. You will have no north star. You will eventually find yourself drifting afar. You will hit rock-bottom—and it’s okay. Amidst all these struggles, you will find your way back. These dilemmas will teach you one lesson you’ve never learned in your lifetime—that you should get back on your feet and keep going.

Endure the pain and suffering. I know you can because I keep on doing the same. Don’t quit on yourself and don’t quit on your loved ones. You will be surprised how supportive they are and how they’ll guide you towards a path of realized dreams and visions. They will make you feel better. They will keep on telling you that you did not come this far only to come this far. They’d join you in your struggles and lift you up. They will endure the pain with you until the same becomes your strength to move forward.

Also, choose your friends and colleagues wisely. You’re wrong in thinking that education school will eventually be one big competition, and that those who walk alone will dominate the game. The study of education is a test on how you could deal with other people. It is a journey meant to be traversed in groups. It serves as a training ground of camaraderie and teamwork. Don’t be too late in realizing that no one survives education school alone. I’ve had my fair share of good friends and support groups with me today. They help me push through with all that’s happening. I do hope that you do the same. Those around you will eventually be your source of inspiration to move forward. All your dreams will form part of a vision bigger than the study itself.

As I see it today, the next generation is willing to correct the mistakes of today. The drive to do something good for the nation is evident in almost every student I know. From social media alone, one would see that there are a lot of future practitioners who can set the bar back to high standards. Almost every law student today wants to be a part of a society which is responsible and accountable to its members. Almost everyone wants to contribute. Almost everyone is progressive. Almost everyone is as idealistic as we are.

Lastly, do whatever you can to have your morals intact.

Because of all the temptations in the world, you must remain strong and forward thinking. Always be reminded that it is not always about you. The profession is not a mere tool to feel good about yourself. It is a tool to help and promote justice to those in need. While you already know that before entering education school, may I just remind you that the study will ingrain the same over and over again. And you must listen very well to the same, kid.

Because at the end of the day, what matters most is how you’ll eventually contribute to the betterment of our nation. What matters most is that you never gave up. What matters most is that you tried to be a catalyst of change by trying to be a part of the noble profession.

Good luck, kid. Very best of luck!

I know you’ll do good. I do hope that some days from now, everything will be better for the both of us as well.

#GetTheThreeLetters

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.

I would like to share how our day spent a while back with the Grade 7 and Grade 8 students under Mrs. Virgie P. Pascua - our ineffable tremendous and last day at Ilocos Norte National High School.

Our RT demonstrated to the students during her 1st and 2nd period in the morning on how to measure correctly, effectively, and efficiently the measuring tools to the dry and liquid ingredients. She discussed all the points of the measuring techniques clearly, so the students performed and executed their activity well in terms of measuring such ingredients.

We assisted and supervised them while they are having and performing the said activity and taught them some missed techniques being taught and discussed by Mrs. Pascua to lessen the burden and tense they are feeling.

In the afternoon, we observed that they were the unruly group among the others. Ma’am Tapil reprimanded them and behaved themselves so that they could proceed with their activity. Thus, these actions must not be tolerated but to be corrected for their own growth. As the saying goes, “Allow your students to make mistakes as long as they pick themselves up and try again.”, be the reason to let your students create their better version of themselves. Guiding students is really the fulfilled job against all jobs.

As a future educator, we must be flexible to know and enhance our students because they are individually construed and have multiple intelligence. We also have failings that we can learn from them not all the time that we are correct, so, in the future we also be vulnerable and enthusiastic at the same time.

It's our last day but the feeling feels like surreal. Our last day was a total mixed up emotions, all I can see is their sad and lonely faces and their mumbling words, "Apay maudin Sir, ditoy kay pay lang", "Sir awan tu nasingpet a mangsuro kenyamin, or worst "Apay panawan na kam metten Sir, ket haan kam pay nalpas kenyam kin detoy a subject tayo". Hearing those words made my heart shattered into more tinier pieces, as much as I wanted to stay and comfort them, I told them that in every journey, in every sail of a boat, or every beginning there is this what we called an ending. It is tremendously hard to say goodbye to them but all of the time being with them, the laughters, the lessons we've learned to each other is more than a wave of memories.

#GetThatThreeLetters