There are numerous opportunities when working as a teacher. It is a duty that has been pledged not just to the nation as a whole but also to the pupils. Yet, teaching is more than just a job. It is a privilege reserved for a select group of people who have the courage to answer the call. That is why there are a lot of things one needs to do to truthfully and holistically develop a child.
One example is that a teacher is someone who prepares lessons for their students in the strictest sense. A teacher establishes a learning target, implements strategies and techniques to attain the goal, and assesses the pupils’ learning progress. Being a teacher entails spending the majority of one’s time analyzing what has to be said and done. A teacher must devote all of his or her waking hours to determining which teaching aids are most appropriate for a given session, where and when children learn best, and how to overcome potential future challenges to the teaching-learning process. It is true that choosing to become a teacher entails making a lifetime commitment to service.
But, teaching does not simply benefit from a person’s ability to exert physical effort. The professors can do more; the students need something deeper than this. The instructor can and will support the pupils’ emotional health. We occasionally deal with pupils who are impolite, loud, and obstinate. We have groaned at their obnoxious actions and yelled at their derogatory comments. Bullies and lone, chatty students were detested by us. We have occasionally been told that it is our duty to impart knowledge to them. Yet as time passes, I’ve come to see that I play a bigger part in how their personalities grow. I’ve discovered that they are souls beneath those uniforms, that they are not their grades but rather more, and that what they really need is someone who can relate to them. I am aware that it is difficult to be the patient instructor who will not readily give up due to the intransigence of his or her students. Being the second parent who is always listening might be challenging because of their grating candor. But, it is not difficult to recognize such truths because these students are simply humans dealing with family issues, going through existential and identity crises, and basically learning how to fit into a broader world.
The finest thing I can do for my students, in my opinion, is to be that one person who will listen to their experiences, who will comprehend their shortcomings and challenges, and who will trust in their potential despite their current errors. This is more valuable to them than giving them high scores. I have no desire to excel as the neighborhood educator. I don’t make the claim that I want fame or notoriety. I aspire to be the educator who, no matter who their pupils are now or in the future, will always be proud of them.
By: Kissmark S. Bendo| Teacher II| Bataan National High School| Balanga City, Bataan
