Hello Hive!
I am Crischellyn a DepEd teacher by day, a content writer at night, and a college instructor on the weekends.
My friends would often tell me to slow down but I often feel sick when I do nothing. Teaching gives me a lot of things to think about. There are reports to do, lesson plans to prepare, and over 200 students to accommodate. Life as an educator brings a string of unending challenges but, I live for the moments of success, of seeing my students shape their dreams, and hearing their stories of hope, frustrations, challenges, and victories.
Before I became a teacher though, I already wore quite a lot of hats. I was in the media for some time and very briefly as a PR practitioner. But if there is one industry where I feel most at home, it would be content writing.
It all started when I was in my 3rd year in college. I was looking for a part-time job to help finance my studies. I saw a small ad posted on the Humanities Division’s bulletin board that says a small home business needs an SEO writer. At that time, search engine optimization (SEO) was a foreign language not a lot of people knew about. What started as a part-time job became my bread and butter for years which probably explains the reason why I keep it as a side hustle.
On weekends, I also teach in a higher education institution in one of Cebu’s public colleges. The students here are usually locals of the town and are mostly among the less privileged youth. I have seen some of them succeed and become licensed professional teachers or IT professionals. This is the most fulfilling thing that I’ve experienced.
Some five or so years ago, I was busy travelling around Cebu’s famous spots and started a blog called “Through Thresholds”. I wrote about my adventures and the things that I’ve learned. I would throw in some random stories, too. It wasn’t for monetizing or anything but rather, just a cathartic tool to help me cope with a broken heart. Charot! I eventually stopped when I enrolled in DPE because my schedule got really packed that I barely had room to breathe.
DPE or Diploma in Professional Education is a course you would take if you wanted to become a teacher after finishing a non-education college degree. It was my mom and some teachers who would tell me back in my student days that I am the best fit as a teacher, but my heart then was with journalism. As I got older, I realized that I wanted a job that will give me a chance to serve others but with more stability – teaching gave me those. To make the story short, I took the board and luckily made it on my first take.
It was just a week after seeing my name on the PRC roll of passers that I also got a call informing me that I got hired to teach in the Division of Lapu-Lapu City. I am only in my third year of teaching and yet, I already feel old. Joke! I really feel that in a matter of a year, you can do so much as an educator. Because teaching can also be quite stressful, I make it a point to enjoy some things in life.
One of the activities that I enjoy most is walking. I have gained a lot of weight but losing the excess pounds is only secondary to my desire to let off some steam especially when work gets a bit stressful. When I walk on weekends and holidays, the goal is to exceed the recommended 10,000 steps daily. Along the way, my friends and I would be chatting about our life experiences. There are times when we would see some exciting and beautiful things. I very gladly share some snippets of my walking adventures with friends.
Another way to relieve my stress is spending time with Cali. She is a dog that my boyfriend gifted me with on my birthday. I have a few dogs before – Chubby, Casper, and Snowbelle – who were all very close to me, but Cali is on a different level of master-crazy. She would sleep with me on my bed and recognize me as her “mommy”. It also doesn’t help that my mom is crazy about her and has spoiled her to the brim. We have another dog named Patchi that my sister rescued. She is the bigger aspin in the family who hates the camera, so I only have a few photos of her. She is the protector because she has quite a big build, but she also enjoys being petted.
The ultimate relaxation for me is a day in the spa that is capped with a cup of hot coffee and a good book in hand. I have been coffee crazy since I started working. My friends would comment that what runs in my veins is coffee and not blood. If you are a coffeeholic, you would know how I feel at the smell of freshly brewed beans.
Lastly, I am a writer. I know that my grammar can give any English major a headache, but I don’t know why I really love putting my thoughts into words. I found this love affair with words in my elementary years. My teacher in Grade 2, Ma’am Castillas, volunteered me to write for the school paper. At that time I only wanted to share a story I called “Nagbago si Nena” which was about a girl who didn’t have a care for the environment but finally changed when she was taken by a garbage monster. The rest then is history.
My mantra has always been – I write to live (finding writing jobs) and I live to write (to pour my thoughts and heart into writing) – which led me to join this community. I think that sharing my adventures, learnings, and stories can touch the right people just as their writings can touch mine. I am glad to be here and I look forward to writing and sharing things with all of you.
I want to thank my friend and seatmate 
