Hello again, Hivers worldwide! I am excited to share a new blog post about my teaching journey. In my last post, I shared about my experience with Grade 10 students. I also shared the three-week rotation system during the internship. So far everything's going well since day 1 in teaching the Grade 7. It's far from what I expected a messy kind of classroom. Most of the students here are well-disciplined and they obey their teachers and student teachers. But there are a few who seem out of discipline. These are my highlights during the two weeks:
FAMILY DAY CELEBRATION
First is the Family Day celebration. This is the first time of the school to celebrate something like this. Tables were set up in every hallway. Students, parents, and teachers can bring any foods to be shared together. I've usually only heard of such events at private schools. It is not mandatory or part of Department of Education's yearly event.
I love this kind of celebration because it helps connect students with their parents. One of the reasons why children go to school is because of their parent's emotional and financial support. Parents are the reason why children feel loved. Sometimes society blames teachers for why children are rude or undisciplined but is it even the fault of the teacher? Who had raised the child? Being a teacher is one of the hardest jobs. Discipline always starts at home. Every parent must know that the moment their child is born in this world. The role of the teacher is to help guide the children to reach their potential and achieve their dreams in life.
Teaching my students is like..
Every time I see the faces of the Grade 7 kids, I can't help but be gentle with them. I can't afford to get mad. They are a young bunch of high schoolers trying to make sense of high school life. What I am currently teaching them now is the Filipino subject and I find it easier to teach to them. It's easy for them to understand compared to the English subject.
I also miss being a grade 7. So find it entertaining to watch them have fun with their classmates because I know one day they'll gonna miss it. Kids, savour your younger years, but remember the importance of school too!
During the Valentine's Day
I want to share what I have received with my students during the Valentine's Day celebration. I am planning to buy 2 roses to be given to my cooperating teachers. But it was very expensive at that time! One rose is sold for 150 pesos and I want to buy two. So I opted for a different kind of flower instead.
Even though I'm still a stranger to my students because of the recent rotation, they did not forgot to give me something. They bought two boxes of chocolate bars for me and for my cooperating teacher. How sweet! These young kids are the true appreciative and they do not do this just for the sake of getting better grades but because they appreciate what you do for them.
This is what truly keeps me motivated to keep going. If we can touch the young lives then maybe it is my calling in life. Something money cannot define; an innate happiness beyond measure.
I made it to the Dean's List
I also want to share what I have for the previous semester. I made it to the Dean's list again. Last time, I didn't submit my grades as a DL because we were too lazy to do that. Unlike big universities, we are the ones who will apply for the Dean's List. Sadly, I am no longer qualified to get a medal for the entire 4 years as I have grades around 2.00 and above. But still, I am happy for this semester's achievement and I have no grades above 2.01. The truth is being on the Dean's List is not a big deal for me because of the fact that grades can be manipulated and learning can be cheated; I am still happy with the results of my hard work. I am not a perfect student and sometimes I am influenced by other to do cheat tricks. But I have a deep faith that I am sincere in doing my studies because I'm a lover of learning.
My recent evaluation results
This flattered my heart. I may be idealistic because I am still practicing what it's like to become a teacher, but that doesn't mean the shattered reality of teaching will affect how I perceived an ideal classroom. My focus is not how to become the best one but the right one for the students. If I could choose a happy ending story right now, I might end it with the passion of building good people for the future even if it means me against the world.
My two-week rotation was filled with memorable moments. I celebrated Valentine's with flowers and chocolates from my students. And I had given flowers to my cooperating teachers as well. I made it to the Dean's List and I want to thank myself for always pushing harder. My evaluation results made me believe in myself that I can do more for my students. That's all for now.
Thanks again for joining me! I really appreciate you taking the time, and I look forward to connecting with you again soon. Sydney ~