What Am I Doing� Here?



First Encounter


It was six minutes before 2:10 in the afternoon, the students are already restless, even some are packing their things, while few of the girls are making pulbo na�. Im summarizing the days lesson, when Im about to write down on the chalkboard their assignment, luckily the school bell rang. They were saved by the bell! I uttered to myself, well sa Lunes na lang, gagawin ko na lang siyang seatwork, let the students enjoy their weekends. It was a busy week, imagine you have a full load, four sections both 80 minutes (coz I�m teaching Science 1 and 2) straight from 7:00 am to 2:10 with only lunch break of 30 minutes to rest and with a crowd of students averaging 55 students per class. And before I let go of my students (while some boys are crowding already at the door) I usually make a bating pangwakas� my usual line is �Goodbye class and enjoy your weekend�. That was my first episode, it was a tough week at medyo naninibago pa ako but then again I begin to like being a teacher.

First Day in School


It was hard to look for a job, not to mention the type of job really suitable on your course. In eyeing for some opportunity in almost for a year but luck is somewhat scarce. I took a few units on masteral studies just to keep myself busy. And then on the morning of the first day of school last school year (2000-2001), it was quarter to seven in the morning, our phone rang, it was the director of Mabini College of Batangas, MCB formerly MPM Mataas na Paaralang Mabini requesting me to report in school. Then minutes after seven in the morning of a beautiful Monday, there I am, holding a chalk box and a teacher manual heading to my first class, I-Emerald, a first year class, a very tiring first day of school, and the rest are history.

First Impression


To a non-education graduate like me, your first day in school (I confess I have no preparation at all, I have not been notified of my immediate employment) was quite an unforgettable one. Imagine infront of 60 freshmen students or more with limited ceiling fan, I was very nervous. But I said to myself, �parang nagre-report lang yan, sanay na ako dyan�. The first day is just an orientation, I introduce myself, welcome the students in our school, I gave them some pointer on the rules and regulation of the school and lastly, I let the students introduce themselves infront of the class. �Mahaba pa rin ang oras� so I gave some backgrounder of the subjects, and I gave them an assignment. Though I�m a little shaky on that first period the rest of the day runs smoothly, now I�m a teacher!

The Faculty


For aspiring teacher who will be teaching in a school where they have graduated a few years back (like me) adjustments are easy. No need to familiarize yourself to people around you, even to your boss, the atmosphere is like am a student again, only this time I�m the boss of my own class. Dagdag mo pa if you have a good reputation when you�re still a student of that school, like good academic records at hindi suki sa guidance office. These will surely boost your confidence to do very well on your job. As a new teacher, if you have some question whether it may be on your lesson plan, schedule of activities or computation of grades, anything, don�t hesitate to ask help, seek the help of the most senior of them I�m sure he/she has a good answer at mabibigyan ka pa ng ilang mga tips on how to do things. You should also familiarize yourself with the mood, temper and attitudes of all your co-teacher, coz you�ll never know who is your potential waterloo, stay neutral and avoid malicious gossip, just learn to adapt to everyone.

The Good, the Bad, and the Teacher


When you begin teaching, you will always encounter different kinds of classes (students). There are classes that are tahimik, mababait but they are the kinda slow. They are the one who are the last to finish the chapter and which have low scores in the major exams. Some naman are noisy, several students are always not in their class for their co-curricular activities and have high scores in the exams. The type of students that you will find on star section or section A. And they participate well in the class discussion. Other classes are noisy, unruly, (a frequent visitor in the guidance office) that are composed of poor, average and good students all mixed up together. These are the group of students, who usually cut classes, just to be able to play basketball billiards, while the girls are always staying at the canteen and corridors. Though these are the general types of class, but usually you�re soon to be class will be a mixed of these three kinds of students. And as a teacher, we must adapt our approaches on giving our instructions to them for effective learning. Always put a watch to those misbehaving students. Don�t give sermon, just explain. And sometimes crack a joke, this is an effective motivation of attention, and it also lightens the mood of the class.

Go and Be a Teacher


Being a teacher is really great! I think I love this job, this profession, its suits my personal aims in life, improving myself and imparting a good service to man and acquiring various knowledge in this lifetime. A life that shape life, I like that, I also realized to myself that I would prefer a job where I will learn and there is movement, as compared to some office work, which for me is considered as boring. As for future plan, to finish my studies, write a book, try to be a healer ehehe (why not!!!), and raise a family and learn, teach, learn and teach, because I do believe that life is learning and we are hear to learn and that�s what I�m doing.


Education is universal, it is a need that will fit man into society and into himself and will pave the way to his wholeness and union to the truths and his God� rodel c.2005



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�DragonScorpion 2000