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heroes are in the grass sometimes.....

______________________
I left public school
in August of 2007
after3 years of experience
and a permanent position
Don't get me wrong. I loved
the job. It was after all
my dream to be of service
to my country. But I got
tired. I realized that
before I can be patriotic,
I have to secure a
decent life for myself first.
How can you think of nationalism
when you are hungry?

_____________________

But I miss public school and teaching chemistry for 3rd year secondary students. Someday, I hope to write a book about the fun and troubles of my teaching experience as well as the sorry condition of the Philippines educational system. For now, all I have are memories and picture to remind me of those days......

My first year proved to be a shock-and-awe experience. Fresh from private school, I got a taste of how chaotic public school is in the Philippines. I looked old and stressed as a result.



I was lucky enough though because I handled the A-class which was a big bliss. I love the fact that they learn fast and they constantly challenge me with intelligent questions. No dull moments. I love talking to a mature audience.

My advisory class during my 1st year.....



My 2nd year.....


and 3rd year......

I left sometime in the middle of the school year so I didn't have the chance to have a class picture with them. Yes, they were orphaned. It was a sad decision. This was taken during my last day. I was teary eyed because my section declared a HOLIDAY just to be with me the whole afternoon. Oh, they even prepared a song, dance and drama extravaganza just to bid me farewell. I really miss them.



Being an adviser is constant struggle, for respect and sanity. You have to constantly look after your herd and prepare tons of paperwork. Most of which are useless and a waste of time. I had the feeling that they just want to keep teachers busy with those nonsense forms.

On the lighter side, having an advisory class could give you the opportunity to have a more intimate relationship with your students. We play jokes on each other and I allow them to treat me like one of their classmates provided that they know their limitations. I'm very strict during the class so I usually remind them to be equally mindful.





I also miss my co-teachers and the love-and-hate relationship with them, most specially my best friend Marvin who never in a single moment left me in a fight during those 3 years of idealism. I remember him being restless in my restlessness and excited in my joys.

He still works in the same school called ANDRES BONIFACIO INTEGRATED SCHOOL OF MANDALUYONG and is equally (if not more) as dedicated as before. I admire him for that.....





It has been only a year but a lot of things changed since then. But as they say, once a teacher, always a teacher. I will one day go back to a regular school. I don't know how soon or if I could still handle high school. College might be better.

I learned a lot from my public school experience so I kinda miss it sometimes. Here, I met people from all walks of life and I learned a lot from them. Ordinary people with ordinary stories and teachers who go out of their way to do more than is expected of them. Having said so, I would like to quote from the GRADUATION SPEECH ( as if it's already graduation) of Kevin Jackson in the tv series BOSTON PUBLIC.

................................................

"I guess my big message for today is: heroes are in the grass sometimes. They're not always on billboards and magazine covers. You got to look for them - even when they're standing right in front of you. So do that. Let's live our lives trying to do that. Spot 'em. Point 'em out to your kids. Maybe there's dreams out there in the grass, too. "

full speech here

______________________________

Comments

  1. miss ka na rin nga ng mga bata... lalo na yung III-platinum (2006-07)...

    sabi nga ni jecka sa akin... napapansin raw nya na yung einstein ngayon na iniwan u last year, mahina...

    to be honest mahina nga...

    di katulad ng batch nila jecka, betanio, pinzon etc.

    malayo talaga...

    promise...

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  2. havent tried switching jobs, just switching of office locations. so only 30% of how you feel lang ang medyo nafifeel ko. hehe. asar nga yung pangangailangan sa pananalapi eh. it hinders you sometimes from fulfilling your passion.

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  3. From now on, i'll call you sir.

    Ang sayang lang, yung mga dapat sana eh may mataas na sweldo/benefits dyan sa Pinas (like teachers, athletes), yan yung hindi nabibigyan... Kaya lumilipat/nagku-quit/nag-aabroad.

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  4. what???you quit teaching??? oh no...congratulations!!! hehehehe

    kidding aside, you and i have the same story..although mine is longer...i endured 11 years of teaching (6 in private, 5 in public), and i also experienced what you experienced...sa ngayon wala na akong balak magbalik sa teaching (but i'm not closing it as a future possibility)...

    bro, dapat hanap ka ng business na mahal mo at hilig mo...ganun ang ginawa ko kaya kahit wala akong trabaho may kita pa rin at di ako pressured...at enjoy ako, yun ang importante

    congrats talaga pare...teka..gwapo ka huh? dami siguro nag-ka-crush sayo noh hehehe (experience ko din yan eh..pero di ako gwapo tulad mo)

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  5. I always wanted to be a teacher. Been a relief teacher for a few months.

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  6. bait mo palang guro. im sure the students had fun studying with you as their teacher. kita naman sa pictures.

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  7. It would've been awesome if I had a cool chemistry teacher like you. When I was in 3rd year, my chemistry teacher hated me. When I was in college, I had a brilliant professor but he always had muffins in his mouth 70% of the time. So we barely understood him.

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  8. Marvz---pero very active yung last, and very talented. I love them both.

    JP--ganu kana katagal sa present job u? kung ganyan ba naman na me chance ka na maglagalag coz you go to different places, bat pako lilipat ng work db?

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  9. wow...

    mataas ang tingin ko sa mga teachers. the job is just noble. kaya saludo ako sayo, SIR! :)

    Nakakamiss tuloy nung high school. marami din kasi akong naging close na teachers lalo na yung mga advisers ko. nakakatuwa ring isipin yung mga terror ones... hehe! we call them 'the tragic trio' hehehe!

    you're one of the heroes... you're not in the grass though. :)

    ---
    i couldn't agree more... sex is great but losing your soul because of it is just appalling...

    love is nothing like libido. yun nga eh...somehow sex and intimacy are mistaken to be the same and one.

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  10. Kris--wag naman.nakakahiya. That was in the past. Although I still have my licence active so categorically, yes. And I am still into teaching naman, pero mga Koreans and english polpol and gimik ko ngyn...

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  11. Denis---thanks for the advice, there's a lot of wisdom in what you said. Teacher karin pala. So alam u talaga feeling. I am glad na okay ka sa naging desisyun u. ako, wait and see parin kasi 1 year palang nakaraan.

    Nagturo din pala ako private 1 year bago ako nag-public school.

    Walang nagkakacrush sakin coz suplado ako at terror minsan.keke

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  12. falcon---so you tried teaching. for how long? How was it?

    Dong---no dull moments if the students are also active. Although I get so disappointed if I could sense na walang ganag mag-aral mga bata.

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  13. you can always come back pag mayaman ka na. i just wish that our government truly understand the plight of every public school teacher in this country. haiz.

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  14. wow.. alam mo di ko mapigilan ang sarili ko na mag karoon ng inggit dahil nakapagturo ka, kasi BEED sana din ako kong nag kataon kaso naging malupit sa akin ang aking kalandian hehhehe nabighani ako sa Palaluvs ko hayun..nag asawa agad di ako nakatapos buti ang palaluvs ko Graduate na siya at nag tatrabaho na nong lumandi ako sa kanya hehehhehe hayyyzzz buhay talaga parang life....

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  15. skron---you sure had very funny and maybe sometimes irritating chemistry teachers. I admire you though because you successfully graduated Nuclear medicine.

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  16. RON---heroes could be found in ordinary, sometimes, unlikely places......

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  17. nkakarelate ako 100%,been to teaching and left and went back and left and now thinking to go back(gulo!).as you said,once a teacher,always a teacher.its not a profession actually,its more of a vocation!!
    nkakamiss din nman tlaga mga bata,u get irritated sometimes but its really the affection that counts esp. in the primary level,sweet mga bata..the best if they're urging u to go back and teach them..hay!
    mahuhay ang mga Guro sa Pilipinas!

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  18. ako sir yung favorite teacher ko nung high school ako eh yung physics teacher namin si mam vargas. Ang galing galing niya! para siyang physics teacher at english teacher rolled into one! astig na astig! galing magturo...

    pero kamakailan,nabalitaan ko na sa Maryland, USA na siya nagtuturo ng physics. Una nasayangan ako dahil sayang ang kanyang kahusayan, malaki sana ang maitutulong niya sa mga Pinoy students...pero ngayong isa na rin akong taong kumakayod para mabuhay, naintindihan ko na rin si Mam kung bakit siya nag-abroad...aanhin mo nga naman ang pagiging patriotic kung nagugutom naman ang iyong pamilya?

    Hay kaya pag ako naging pangulo ng Pilipinas...uunahin ko ang pagpapataas ng sweldo ng mga guro.

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  19. I had one homeroom teacher from high school that i still have contact with, and she says handling a class is always a bittersweet thing. You'll get to know them a lot, but when the time comes, you'd still have to say goodbye to them

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  20. 6 years. first and so far ongoing and enjoying. matiyaga lang talaga ako. nung early stage ko sa job masyadong boring. pero i find alternatives and diversions to enjoy it.

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  21. lawstude---sana nga yumaman nako kagad.kekeke

    Boomz---you're so funny talaga. Ang importante sa ngyn you are doing well naman diba?

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  22. Leri--uo nga pala, the teaching profession has lured you several times. So now, at least, you know the difference diba?

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  23. kahit papano sa awa ng diyos nakakaraos din naman.. naksss!

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  24. BE PROUD, sir SP! he, he...

    di ba in demand ang teachers sa US? nagtry ka?

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  25. Onatsdonuts---kung me chance lang talaga I would also love to go to the US and teach there. One way or another sayang that a lot of our teachers go abroad and offer their services and dedication to people in these countries but we should feel more sayang to all those teachers who had their dreams and passions buried in despair because of the dire opportunities here at home. Their talents are wasted.....

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  26. gillboard--- a teacher could affect eternity ika nga. you are lucky to have known a teacher like that....

    Islander----please teach us how to do it....

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  27. wow, di ka kaya napagkamalang estudyante din on your first day of school? hehehe...

    i guess if you were my teacher in high school in chemistry, i dont think i would have hated it that much! our chem teacher was such a big bore that i almost wrote a novel in class (if i was not sleeping that much)!

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  28. you look like a very very teacher in your pics hehe!

    ok na rin ngayon walang masyadong stress sa online...

    dati ang daming stress sa school niyo nun eh

    goodluck sa tin... sana magdilang anghel si lawstude at yumaman na tayo ng sabay sabay

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  29. boomz--glad to hear that....

    KRIS---never tried. very surreal yun coz I was not born in a silver platter so kung gusto ko apply US, I need to save at leat 500k, mukhang mahaba-habang pag-iipon yun wityh all the existing responsibilities. So, it remains to be a dream. That's how it is. How I would love to sana....

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  30. Spoolartist---kuya Loven, actually I agree. It follows that you love a subject because you like the teacher. It also means you hate it because you hate the teacher. It's a make or break situation. In my case, talagang performance level pag nasa harap ako ng class. wag lang akong galitin ng mga makukulit na bata.keke

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  31. Alex--mukha bang kagalang-galang? keke. Mukha lang.lol

    tama---sana yumaman na us Alex---keke

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  32. taga-mandaluyong ako before. di sa loob ah. sa libertad, malapit lang na nueve de pebrero!

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  33. puppet----I know the are3a. My former is near that place. Along Acacia lane lang ang ABIS. Kelan kayo tumira don?

    shamamia ---thanks, at least you didm't say I got impulsive. hehe. Thanks for the visit and the comment.

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  34. I like the girl's uniform!! LOL

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  35. i used to stay sa california garden square.

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  36. hi Bloghopping...well, I know how you must have felt :) I used to work in the government and it's very frustrating, Changing career/job/employer is just fine. If you you are not happy anymore, you have to let go - whether it's a job or a relationship :)

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  37. tama teacher is always a techer pero sana post nyo rin dyan pic ni ma'am barberab,chalie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    sana mag silbing gabay ang mga guro sa mga student!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    :)
    <3

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  38. This comment has been removed by the author.

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