Teacher...Teacher...Teacher... I have never dreamed to become one but by my mentors ideals and modest application in life the way a teacher is I was invited and even prodded to be counted as one. See, you can't never get rich in teaching if the basic reqirement in gaining riches is the salary which could not even suffice the basic needs of the family. Oh! it's bad, totally bad to have heard a lot about the clamor of teachers' image in many lending institutions, although it's true but as a teacher let me speak about the basic prerogative seemed to put teachers in the bait of shame and demeaning character. Yes, almost all of us teachers have engaged in such an opportunity (if this be called an opportunity but how could we get rid of this?, No it is not embedded in the lifestyle of the teacher, this only mean that teachers' salary cannot really meet all the needs of the family, of course, here I am just talking about the basic needs and not yet the wants. This is the reality, once a teacher will be attracted to get loans in loan sharks, in lending institutions or in the banks the more the teachers will get hook and will rarely escape from being a prey. The new law which covered the teachers' salary makes an ideal amount compared to the salary received by teachers 10-15 years ago. Hmmp... an outsanding remarks of saying that the new salary scale will give teachers a sense of decent living. Where in the world can teachers define the word "decency" anyway? Maybe a good economist should have considered also the cost of commodities before relaying the fact that it is just good to remark that a salary of eighteen thousand (Php. 18,000.00) by the year 2012 can alleviate the extreme economic living of being a mere teacher. Again, alleviate may be but to say that teachers could have lived with decency (in terms of the salary obtained) is somewhat "vague" to me. Don't become one of us because you will never get rich, others might have been saying this line in an even wailing statement. But the crusaders in the academe would always say BE ONE. Why be one? you have witnessed even in your neighborhood that teachers are # 1 customers in loans and#1 lookers for all means and ways of small scale trades and business just to earn an extra income (Natasha, Avon, Fuller Life, Boardwalk,chorizo, longganisa, barter goods, ice candy etc., to name a few) tssk...tssskkk... and so they are trying to say that teachers are poor, really poor huh. Somehow, these revelations speak for the truthfulness since most of us teachers have engaged in this, but, again and again the premise here of the issue will always go for the income being given to the teachers at the end of the month supposed salaries are the bases. In most cases, there is no salary available even within the month because it was already sold! such a sad fact to reckon. May be government must do something about this. Why cannot the governement just give a keen study about the situations and the realities that teachers are now experiencing? An institution (just like the men in uniform (military and policemen have) for lesser amount of interest shall we say be given to those teachers who by circumstances need to get into debts (because this could'nt be evaded at all) be also realized so that at least teachers will not run anymore to any lending institutions and be summoned later for being unable to pay the incurred debts because of the much, much compounded interest being calculated. But, this reality is a no-win situation at all to us teachers. Cannot just the government give a one time increase of salary to the teachers by not having it cut into an installlment basis? See, how could one teach well when he's in the verge of meditating a long list of debts and and tough if there's nothing to receive at the end of the month? Think about the teachers' life scenario inside the classroom...teachers need to beautify the classrooms, to repaint the old walls, to buy curtains, to buy instructional materials, and to buy other things to decorate the classroom etc....etc.... And where will the teachers go in most cases because they are afraid to be memoed by their superiors if they are not to prepare their classrooms for an evaluation? hmmm.... let me guess to the parents? sounds a long painstakingly aversion of resource (good if parents are really helping-out), hmmm... ask from a cut of MOOE budget? very well suggestion, but, again and again a great remorse to ponder on, "School's MOOE" is not for classrooms' beautification purposes, anyway (Oh! sure?). So finally where will a mere teacher gets the money for all these stuffs? LENDING INSTITUTON, LOAN SHARKS (five six), BANKS etc... too long to enumerate huh... Nice answer. If, I were to surmise for all these realities, then, I would have quit teaching now. But the bottomline is, although, we teachers are facing all these frailties in life and are being demeaned by some who think that they become somebody now if not because of their teachers, may your souls be sitting in a resting place. Peace, for this line anyway.
My Profs in college will always tell us then, teaching is a noble profession, yes, in the definition forefounded upon the book Foundation of Education it also says the same. But for me, if I were to critically define teaching in such a definition we could hardly define it the way "noble" is being defined. It's an intellectual definition. Let us make a side trip in order to get a birds eyeview of this definition. Teaching for me becomes noble when I teach life to my students. You see, in most cases contents is the fundamental spec of teaching but I believe more than the content is to teach life to my students. Facilitation of learning is appreciate if we invest joy and art in teaching. Even how sarcastic the scenario being pictured to the teachers nowadays, no other professionals can just say and admit to themselves that they are really teaching with life to their clients (maybe except for some). Teachers are faced with gigantic problems, surmounted in a more different ways and are even told to have faced the problems being encountered to the attitude and behaviors of their students, what else profession can do such a herculean tasks? Not one... just in teaching... teachers become the authority of solving problems in reality, problems which could not just be solved within the four corners of the classroom. Problems that speak about the reality of life. Poor souls, the jack of trade of all problems, such a shock absorber sometimes huh... but, try to picture out your teacher infront. Is she a mirror of such abomidable life being experienced by a mere human being? A human being who weeps and cries when problems seemed to be uncontrollable? No, in most cases, they appear in front of their students with a happy face and a happy mood. Why such? it's not because teachers are really good artists or good thespians at that, but, teachers amidst the realities in life are strong and are forward looker, very determined and are born problem solver. I knew of one teacher back in high school, Ma'am Torlao, our Math teacher, she will always say this line, "hey! wake-up and be merry today for tomorrow is another day", this is usually heard whenever we could not solve a set of problem in Math. Then, she will tell us to stop solving for a while and will tell us a story (although, at times I feel that it's a make-up story but the fact is we really enjoyed listening to her), and mind you we have learned that she was a single mom who was abandoned by a husband who flowered to another lady! Can you imagine the dilemma of raising four children with a meager salary? But, hey gals and guys not one of us had noticed it to the tenor of her teaching. Ma'am Atilano, one of my favorite professors in college will always tell us "when you will graduate in college make the most of your life, stay happy and always do the best". We can always see her wearing a smiling face but, deep inside she's a sufferer in terms of plotting wise budgeting at home.Her husband is a paralyzed man and is unable to work for a living. She needs to sustain the needs of her 3 children and a paralyzed husband with more than 3hundred plus medicine purchase during the day for his continuous medication. From there, we can always see her rushing in the hallway, tagging with her the AVON products and tupperware. One time, when we met in the underway, she's bringing two layers of cake and she was holding in one hand her tupperware bags, then just giving me a pointed tongue exactly what's inside her bag she told me to errand first for her 4th floor Greek Mythology class since she'll have to drop first at the faculty room to put all her baggages. As I walked upstairs how I got pity of Maam, but no, she's got no pity all, with her smile and very smart teaching infront of the class she's a teacher where teaching is her passion. When she teaches us, no question at all because we've learned many things from her. In short we're totally fascinated. Teaching for these teachers of mine is NOT A BUSINESS because in business you will have to transact money, teaching to them is LIFE. These are some of the stories of my teachers, and it could also be your story or my story or may be the story of the other persons. Whatever, is the kind of life that a teacher has, she will always be a teacher and like many of my teachers, I, too will always be a teacher by heart!
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