Happy World Teacher’s Day!

Three cheers to all my fellow teachers out there! Hats off to you!!!

Today, being Teachers Day and all, I got to reflecting about how I ended up being Teacher Ria. It still amazes me to this day that I am a teacher, especially since  as a little girl, I never imagined my future career being in the field of education. As a child, I filled up autograph books and made countless drawings of what I’d be when I grew up and not once do I recall choosing “teacher” as one of them. I always said I’d be a doctor or a nurse, a child psychiatrist, a lawyer, and even a gymnast of ballet dancer but teacher, never. However, by some sheer twist of fate, I found myself in front of a class of little kids (eventually big kids too) and it just fit. Not only that, I found myself a teacher here in the Philippines where a teachers financial value is quite low.

I don’t think I would be the teacher I am today if not for the teachers I had in my life too. Whether they be a classroom teacher,  an adviser, or mentor, these teachers have inspired me to push on with the task on hand and to always keep going. While I may have had my favorite teachers in the past, I realize that even my not-so-favorite ones have left indelible marks in my life

Being a teacher is not always an easy job, although with preschoolers, it is often made easy by many of the fun times I have with the kids. On occasion, having difficult parents to work with can make the task more tedious and burdensome but these are often outweighed by the parents who give thanks and recognize the changes their kids show after weeks or months of school. With college students, it can not only be NOT EASY, but extremely thankless too. But I’m still here. Sometimes I wonder why I stay and persevere in this career I found myself in. I still don’t have an answer. It can’t be the money, I suppose. I don’t think it’s also the hours I get to keep. However, what keeps me going still I think is seeing how the kids in my life turn out in the future. I suppose, in that regard, I teach for selfish reasons, even just a little. So today as my students wished me a Happy Teachers Day, I will also take time out and thank my students for

…making me enjoy going to work most of the time, even though it’s so early in the morning!…

…kisses and hugs and unconditional love, even when they get sad faces….

…keeping me young at heart, even though I am starting to feel the effects of aging coming on…

…filling my heart with joy and laughter at the simplest things…

…and for showing me how I am a part of something bigger than just me…

It saddens me a little bit, however, when I look back and remember I never aspired to be a teacher. What’s even more saddening is the fact that less and less students dream of becoming teachers now. I think it’s because of the hard fact that teaching won’t necessarily translate to a good financial future. While the psychic reward is great, the needs of reality may be greater. With that, I take the time today to challenge educational institutions and departments to help improve the status of teachers everywhere. Let’s give them what it is they truly deserve. Perhaps with that, more kids will aspire to become teachers for the future.

In the past few months I began to question again why I am a teacher in the Philippines (or a teacher to begin with), especially with the financial crunch and all. In the end, my answer remains the same: kinararangal kong tawaging Teacher sa Pinas.

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