THANK YOU, TEACHERS!

Early this evening I was able to view a video posted in my friend’s FB wall and it read “The Teacher.” The video spoke about the gravity of the teacher’s influence over its students. I realized, that sometimes, we can never tell what type of impact we may make on another’s life by our actions or lack of action. While I was watching the video, I could not help but smile as I reminisce the great days when I was entering from classroom to classroom to deliver my lessons. It was great alright and I could not trade the experience for the world.

Let me use this chance to give my full salute, gratitude, and most of all admiration to all the teachers I have worked with. I have spent nearly six years with you and those moments have been the best.

Teacher Janith, you are the most talented, creative, diverse, and daring PE teacher I have ever encountered. I will be forever in awe with your talent. Your patience, personality, and understanding lights up the room and motivates the people around you to do the same. You played a huge role in the lives of your students. They are what they are now because you left an impact to them. I personally thanked you for the friendship. Thank you for accepting me despite my imperfections. I am forever grateful to you.

Teacher Piolen, there was a time in our lives that we clashed but, look at us now. We have never been this close. I miss your enthusiasm with life. I miss your note worthy fashion sense, your laugh, your obsession with high heels just to gain a few inches, your burluloys like your earrings, necklace, and bracelets, and most of all the way you wear your hair...from black to burgundy...from short to very short. I also miss the way you dance. Nobody has ever beaten you when it comes to dancing. You just rock on stage. Not to mention, your singing prowess. When all is said and done, I just want to tell you Tser Pio that I extremely miss you. You take care always.

Teacher Odessa, more than being my friend, you are like a sister to me (older sister). You have been so honest with your opinions most especially in the things that I do. You complement the good things I’ve achieved without sounding like you are patronizing. Most of all, there was never a time that I felt like an outsider every time we see each other. You remained to be the same Ulay I know – the Ulay who is sweet, thoughtful, lighthearted and full of fun. I’m beginning to believe that you are my female version. Don’t worry, when you grow old and still without a partner, I will find time to date you. That’s a promise!

Teacher Leticia, I learned a lot from you. You're an example of a teacher who knows what she is doing. Your knowledge in your subject matter is admirable and it shows with how you live your life. Your students look up to you and I believe they want to be like you...bubbly, talented, straight forward, intelligent and most of all generous, loving, and understanding. You don't judge people. You know yourself very well which is why you are confident but still humble. I truly admire you Tser L.

Teacher Flor, you have been my second mother. You protected me and took me under your wings. I never had the opportunity to thank you. You have been teaching for so many years already and I can’t just imagine the number of lives you touched. Those lives, I believe, were changed because of your love and commitment. Tser, I miss you and the times we eat lunch together; those times that we eat barbeque with halo-halo. I miss how you tease me when I start to sing in my office adjacent to yours. I miss the times when you give me one peso because I don't have any fare for the sikad driver. With that, I am so thankful. Words are not enough.

And to the mentor who changed me inside out. The mentor who took me in Angelicum and believed that I can be a teacher. The mentor who, despite of my being amateur was so patient and taught me what she knows in all aspects. Teacher Genie, you are the best. With all honesty, I am who I am now because you inspired me to be the best of what I can be. It was you who gambled and took chances for me. When I was just starting, it was you who placed a path for me. When I need consoling you were there to keep me company. Tser Gen, please continue to be a light and salt. I am so thankful of what you’ve done to all of us and I will be forever proud that once in my life it was you who taught me the joys of teaching.

To Teacher Cecille – my beloved Ginang, Sir Ryan, Tser Annie, Tser Jasmine, Tser Janjelene, Tser Merelle, Ma’am Arlina and to all the teachers I failed to mention - THANK YOU!

SAYING GOODBYE

You know what, just when we are getting relaxed, life will throw something at us which challenges that comfort. I guess that is the irony of life. And, I guess this is one of life’s greatest mysteries that we can’t fathom. Cliché as it may sound, I guess what we can only do is embrace whatever life will throw at us and hope, pray… and pray harder that in every heartbreak, we will end up a better person or else, we will end up more confused and missing the whole point.

Last Valentine’s Day, I was heartbroken upon knowing that my closest friend ended her relationship with her partner. I got so sad that I was not able to hold my tears just listening to her recount how the break-up happened. I suppose ending a relationship is never easy. It’s not like a walk in the park. Some five months ago, my friend took the huge leap of faith and decided to give love a chance and now, it was over. Breaking up with someone you dear most, I guess, can be one of the most daunting emotional struggles we can go through. That is why, we have to work very hard to understand ourselves better why such things happen or else, (yes you got it right)…we will end up more confused and missing the whole point. I guess my friend just clearly understood her needs in the relationship that is why she ended it. I guess she better understood that we can’t make people change instead, we can only change ourselves.

Sometimes, we equate the ending of a relationship with failure. Well, I guess it depends. Personally, I believe that our standpoints vary depending on our experiences and our “life episodes.” Bottom line is, life continues. Like what my favorite author clearly puts, “every inhale we take is a birth and each exhale is the death of that breath; and life continues.”

Yes…life definitely continues.

P.S.

Teacher, I guess you still remember that I dedicated my first entry to you in time of your monthsary. I said something in that article which I would like to share again: "If there is a lesson I learned from this, it is that sometimes you just have to take the risk and enjoy every moment of happiness. Yeah sure, you might say that it's reckless to get into something that you are not assured of but, I guess you will not be able to taste happiness unless you jump in the bandwagon."

Teacher, I can't say that I agree or not with your decision. It's a decision you have to make and I respect that. I just would like to let you know that when and if the road gets bumpy, you have a friend in me.

ME. ME. ALL ABOUT ME.

Am mad and sad today. That rhymes, ayt? Time and again, am reminded that there are people who would put you down, say things against you and make you feel bad about yourself.

I want to feel good about myself again and be reminded that am special. That, there are some people who appreciate what I do and what I do for them. So this entry is dedicated to myself. ME. ME. All About ME.

FOREVER JOSH

By Ms. Donna S. Chaves

Outstanding Principal of Region-10 2004

The principal's phone rang two summers go and she heard this very articulate and well-modulated voice as if an Adonis seducing a lost maiden. He was looking for a job in teaching English. "So sorry but we are filled up," said the principal. Then he insisted on Civics. The principal asked about his qualifications. He is a writer. He was a senior journalist working for Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro at the same time he wrote stories, poetry and scripts. Talking with him could have been forever. He liked theater and arts too.

Mr. Jose I. Eballe, popularly known as Sir Josh, could have been a forever thing on the phone but resisting meeting the Adonis was impossible. He came the day after the call and conversations with him were a forever-bombastic thrill. This polished man is very intelligent and interesting! Talk about the weather in Alaska or Shakespearean tragedies, he won't fail to deliver the facts.

We were hesitant to hire him because he was overqualified or should we say, he was too modish for the school. We were afraid that he could not do school chores.

Genevieve Jalon, the Department Head of the High School did not give a second thought and said, "I am taking him in because this man is definitely cream of the crop and I do not want to miss this opportunity. Panagsa-on ra si Josh."

The principal said, "it's your choice. If he flaps, he is your cargo. I feel that he is too refined for the job and we cannot order him to do menial work."

Josh was never late nor absent. His attendance was forever excellent!

Josh chaired the publication of the Angelette, came up with a new newspaper format and his articles were forever extensive.

Josh directed the play "Walang Sugat" that gathered a phenomenal 6, 000 spectators during the opening day. He wrote speeches for the school, coached for oratorical competitions, journalism contests, quiz bee competitions, debate tournaments outside the school and hahaha even danced and sing on stage just to please his audience. He is forever multi-intelligent.

Josh as a teacher has brilliant classroom management skills, his lessons are innovative, spiky, creative, comprehensive, substantial...forever with the highest standards. With this, he was awarded as the Most Promising Teacher of 2003, Exemplary Teacher of 2004 and Outstanding Teacher of 2005.

He is well-groomed - smells absolutely boyish, wears polished shoes and ironed clothes and very self-spoken in conversations. Some people mistook him as indifferent but he is charming, cute, thoughtful and sincere.

Josh, Joshie, Jose... he is forever cool.

Josh is the best friend to all the teachers and an escort to whoever does not have a date. He is there to rescue a frustrated old maid and make her feel brand new. He is forever a gentleman.

Josh is dedicated, industrious, intelligent and most of all he is forever a wonderful teacher.

We wonder if there could be anyone like him. Maybe perhaps, there is only one, true, irreplaceable Josh.

HAPPY WORLD TEACHER'S DAY

My goal is to give my students knowledge and get them informed about the current trends in the world. In each discussion, at whatever level, I mark my success by the extent to which I can imagine myself as having vanished into thin air at the end, leaving each student fully able to carry on teaching him/herself. What I want is to show to my students that they have the strength to cope with all the truth they perceive that, if their thinking is not neat or does not square with what they want to think (or think they should think), they have the strength to admit it. I want them to see that the truth is enough. I want them, for instance, to be capable of living. I want to show to my students that they are strong enough to deal with complexity and paradox without denying its existence by attempting to argue away inconvenient truths.

Teachers are role models for their students. I try to present myself to them as someone who enjoys doing what he's doing, who loves learning, who loves teaching, who is compassionate, and who listens.

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY!

---

I wrote this article four years ago when I was still teaching at Angelicum Learning Centre. Looking back, I could firmly say, that it was the best days of my life.

Here's to my fellow teachers! Cheers!

HAPPY WORLD TEACHER'S DAY!