Why I Keep on Teaching

I got a major tongue lashing from my folks a while ago after a stupid business decision I made just recently. In my haste to get a business permit I unwittingly accepted a permit renewable on a quarterly basis. I never knew that it was possible to get one on a yearly basis.

Today's the end of the first quarter so it's wiser to get one next month. I knew this perfectly well. I only rushed things because a business permit was required by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). so that we will finally have an official LEGAL receipt.

In my recklessness I failed to realize that the BIR will question the expiry date of the permit. It was plain stupid on my part. These are some things I have to learn the hard way.

The result? Two parents mad as hell preaching how utterly useless I was in this house. They even hinted what a lousy career teaching is because it's financially unrewarding. Teacher's wages are so low I couldn't contribute to any household bill.

I admit to making stupid mistakes sometimes. Even teachers make stupid mistakes. Was entering the teaching profession a stupid mistake as well?

The hardest part about their litany was that I spent THEIR money for the permit. The permit was so expensive it's almost equivalent to a teacher's monthly salary which I don't have. I had no choice but to ask from them and I wasted it!

Why do I bother with teaching anyway? I guess I am naive enough to believe that if I teach my students well they can make this world a better place. Funny, but I never stop believing that my students can do that if they try hard enough.

The previous semester was the toughest for me. I wasn't given an increase and I just taught a couple of subjects. Despite that I met the best section in my 3 years as an educator.


The section is AHSE 1-H. They were not one of the brightest I have handled but they possessed the traits which I wanted students to have. That is the trait of being emphatic and caring towards others.

During our classes I have this policy regarding late comers. Males were required to do 50 push ups while females did 50 pumpings. If they failed to do so I'll give the ratings every student truly deserves (very low grades).

Not everyone is capable of doing 50 push ups. What impressed me about them is that the early comers volunteer to do the push ups the late comers failed to do. They forsook their own well being not just to help the late comers but to help save the group as well.

What a spirit! It's students like them that makes teachers feel that there's still hope for the future. I was really blessed to have met people like them. They made me feel that it pays to be an educator.

Someday they will help touch people's lives. When they do so I hope that those whom they have touched will also show kindness to others. In that way they can help make a small heaven in this Earth. I feel that it's a reward worth more than all the money in the world. =)

Back to School

By Monday I will be returning to life as a college educator. I missed this job tremendously after being stranded at home doing my dissertation. Teaching will finally give me the peace of mind I can't seem to find elsewhere.


I love my "home" university, Perps, very much. It saved me countless times from professional oblivion. Whenever I had to leave certain universities for political reasons Perps was always there to welcome me back without asking a word. It is a place where I really feel appreciated.

This semester will be a turning point in my career. The administrators at Perps are asking me for the nth time if I want to stay for good as a tenured faculty member. Tenures are hard to earn taking at least 3 years probation but they're giving it to me on a silver platter!


I'm really confused. I really love Perps from the bottom of my heart but I'm not sure if it is the place where I can grow academically. Research priorities and funding are limited to studies about Perps. Promotions there are done every three years only. This means you won't get promoted even if you win a Nobel prize unless the three years isn't up yet!

I really don't mind the not so spectacular pay. What I do mind is their ambivalence to faculty achievements. Productive faculty members should be compensated for being productive especially those who bring honor to the university. They deserve it.

Well, I will have to make a choice sooner or later. I don't have the heart to say no for the nth time. I guess I'll just have to make the best of the current situation. For now I'll just relish the moment for having the chance to teach once again.


____________________________________
Illustrations Cited:

The Online Learning Centre
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/newsletters/06issue1.htm

Mentoring Blues

I just received a scolding from my mom a while ago about a neighbor I have been mentoring for some time now. I have known this kid ever since she was a kid and I'm happy to see how she has grown to be a very kind and intelligent lady through the years. I really enjoy the moments we spend talking with each other because of the jolly, candid and insightful ways she directs our discussions.

It caused me great sadness to know that her grandmother was very upset with the academic advises I was giving her. Her grandmother's family and my family have been friends for decades and this is the first time that a family friend became angry for something that I did. Truth be known all I ever advised her to do was to be active in order to reach leadership positions in her organizations, participate in national youth conferences and of course, to always study hard. Was there anything wrong with saying such things?

In all fairness I do understand her grandmother. They don't have much and adding extra curricular activities on the bill can really cause a financial mess in their lives. Given such conditions I still feel that she's on the right track. She needs all the credentials she could so that she can have the best job possible. No good company will hire a mediocre, so-so candidate even if they graduated from an ivy league school. lots of students graduate from ivy league schools anyway so what makes her special? I'll tell you what, it's the extra curricular activities, of course. That's what makes all the difference because it shows a candidate's interpersonal dimensions which can never be written in a resume. Active and extensive participation in organizational matters entails great people skills. That added with brains makes a person an ideal candidate.Not to mention the numerous friends and contacts you could make by simply engaging in such activities. These are things that a lot of students fail to see.

I guess I better leave her be. I never had the right to meddle in their life anyway. Of course, I'll still help her in any way I can. I do not have the heart to turn down a person in need. I'll just keep a little distance just to maintain the peace. I'm sure that she has learned enough from me. All she has to do is to be the best person she could possibly be.

________________________________________________

Illustrations Cited:

Mentoring Illustration by Samantha Dellinger (http://www.yorkblog.com/artist/graphic_arts/)

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri
(http://www.rmhccolumbia.org/Volunteers.html)