With or Without the Class President

My first week at school was never that interesting nor exciting because my advisory class literally gave me headache, toothache, and stomachache. They were this kind of students who fail to greet “good morning” or say hello whenever they enter the room, who never throw their garbage in the bin, who text in front of you while in class, and who ignore you as if you are talking to the air. In the first three months, I adjusted on how they speak bad words, how they don’t recognize cleanliness, and how submission of homework is really a burden to them. I can even recall the time when one of them spoke a bad word out behind me as I scolded him for not cleaning the room. I might have just misinterpreted it, but he really did it. I cannot also count the times I did not allow them to enter the room and clean it by myself instead, just to show them that cleanliness is my best friend. Not wearing the uniform, being late, wearing of earrings and long hair (for boys) and other misbehavior are just few of the issues I have struggled on with my beautiful and handsome students. Here, I transformed from being a sweet master to a terrible monster.

However, I save a room for hope and aspiration that these little creatures will one day change into big, useful ones and that they will realize how goodness and obedience result to success in the future.

With that room, I locked the following keys to win their humane nature:

1.       writing unfriendly reminders on the board almost everyday;

2.       imposing consequences to those who come late and speak bad words;

3.       never allowing students to get inside the class if they are fifteen-minute late;

4.       knocking the chairs down on the floor if they leave the classroom disarranged;

5.       sweeping the floor on my own as an insult to their beautiful faces;

6.       throwing out their books and shoes if they forget to bring them home;

7.       and other monstrous acts.

However, I also tried this good side of a monster:

8.       praising and writing encouragement every time they do good;

9.       doing casual conversation with them during lunch time;

10.   befriending them on Facebook and allowing them to like and comment on my pictures as if we are close friends;

11.   giving them biscuits after general cleaning;

12.   and other angelic acts.

I haven’t proven to myself the total change I want to see in them, yet . However, I am happy to hear good feedback about them and to see that:

1.       they are solving math problems seriously now;

2.       they all do the general cleaning without any further complaints;

3.       they reprimand each other about speaking life instead of evil;

4.       they, somehow, arrange their chairs before leaving;

5.       and other diligent acts.

We are not perfect creatures, but we can be good, productive ones. It starts with individual realization that doing good is worth an incentive to one’s self.  After that three months of struggling, I am now enjoying the company of Grade 9- Honesty especially that many of them now have come to discover their own identities that help them realized they have important roles in the classroom.  I am not a perfect teacher and I don’t have perfect advisory class. Yet, I want a perfect environment for a better future and I am surely achieving that as Chloie, our Miss Marymount 2014, surprisingly suggested that we will all wear dress this Wednesday and as they showed me last Thursday that they know how to clean with or without the class president.

An Antipathy: Why I Now Hate Basketball?

Why are my students late in class after recess time?

Why do they smell like rotten cheese plus sweat?

Why can’t they answer whenever they are asked to simplify radicals or enumerate how to cure Pneumonia, Malaria and Diarrhea, or even remember when the deadline of their baking contribution is?

                                                                                                                                                       

All of these questions would tell you why I hate basketball now.

Two of my Grade 9 students used to bring their balls to school to play during break time. One of them was an honor student who failed to make it in the second quarter.  The other isn't really that excellent in the class, yet trying hard not to fail his subjects. The rest of the boys, if I may describe, are eloquently talented and smart as well. However, they haven’t recognized their potentials. What is common to them all is that they love to play basketball and they love doing it no matter how many times their parents tell them not to.

Who wouldn't love basketball? Who wouldn’t love to dribble, shoot and dunk especially when he is stressed out? Who wouldn’t look up to Durant or to our very own Fajardo? Nobody, I think. But, who would still love basketball if they fail their exams? Who would still love to dribble, shoot and dunk knowing that they haven’t done their assignments yet? Who would still look up to their idols as they enter the class sweating, looking tired and unprepared? The teachers wouldn’t.

That is why I now hate basketball. It actually:

1.       tires the students,

2.       loses students’ focus and interest in the class,

3.       causes undesirable aroma in the room,

4.       flies students’ minds up in the air (literally).

I might be too idealistic that I want my students to listen to me and do their part. Or, I might be too firm that I want them to act as prim and proper as they could be. Our school never hinders students to recreation. We never stop them from bringing their balls and playing at break time, but I soon will. I just can’t take that bad perfume!

Why Conference?

ITS SIGNIFICANCE

A student insisted to get her report card herself since her mom couldn't come for a very ‘valid’ reason as she pointed out. However, her adviser never granted her request no matter how ‘good’ she is in the class (she said) and no matter how she made it to the honor’s list (if she did). Hence, he needs the parents’ presence.

This is the number one rule for PTC or Parent- Teacher Conference.

“Busa gani Parent- Teacher Conference kay parent ang involve, dili ang anak or student,” my co-teacher once said.

It should be a gratitude of the parents that we, the teachers and principal, give ample time to discuss their children’s progress with them. Considering that it is supposed to be our rest day, parents must also take responsibility to do their parts in the conference. One might say that he can come and follow-up his child anytime or whenever he is available. Or, one may never respond to us at all. Notwithstanding, PTC is only a ten to thirty- minute discussion (depending on the issue) in just one day of a quarter.

Conference is the only time when all advisers, subject teachers and staff stay and wait together in one room to discuss a child’s improvement with his parents. It is the only time in a quarter when teachers prepare and are ready to show all the documents of the students’ performances. It is the time when parents should ask about any issue of their child in the class, be it about any subject or any teacher. It is the time when parents could ask the teachers for any suggestion on how to improve or maintain their child’s grades. In the same manner, it is a time for teachers to ask suggestions from parents on how to handle their child or how they can best be taught since the parents know them more than we do. It is the time when all parents can be updated of the school’s expenses and can ask about any vague contribution detail regardless of the letters sent to them. It is the most important day in a quarter for it is when we can all talk about how can we help improve one another.

Conference is not only for those whose children failed nor for those who have made it to the rank. Conference is, indeed, for all the parents who should take responsibility in knowing their child’s achievement.

WHEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED

With the 33.3% attendance of parents I had yesterday, I could then conclude that:

1.       the others are really very busy

2.       the other students do not inform their parents or even give the letter

3.       the other parents choose to ignore the 2nd quarter PTC

4.       the others really don’t care at all.

Though I don’t want to conceive the last, I would be confident to mention it because that’s what I see in four to five of my Grade 9. To be honest, even the student's non- compliance of wearing the proper school uniform tells so.

My principl says, “ Children are not a distraction from the most important work. They are the most important work.” which I hope all parents could digest. Their non- appearance in the PTC is a reflection of what they are to their children. And teachers, as the second parents, are accountable to make a move on this. If one peso load is not enough to have their response, I guess to get on a tricycle and walk right through their streets wouldn’t be the hardest, the stupidest, and the riskiest thing to do. It might not be the best, yet it would make a difference. I for one, have started it and enjoyed the ride.

Essay Isn't That Bad

The date turns 11.2 and yes, tomorrow starts the normal day of every student and teacher.

And as the clock ticks tonight, most of the teachers are probably thinking how to start their first day of the second semester. Others are probably making their lesson plans now. Essay, is or might be, the easiest answer.

"My Semestral Break" is the most common title we ask our students to write about. Generally, we want them to write about how they spent their break, who were with them, how they felt and congruently, we ask them to write with correct grammar, spelling, and proper indention. However, is this really the goal of this activity? We do hope so. We do hope that it's not because we're still in the process of plotting our modules and lessons, that we're still on the hang of our trips, or worst, that the actions of our students make us feel lazy as well to start the day with vibrancy. Because as facilitators, we don't only command to kill time. We don't command because we want them to do most of the tasks.

Regardless of the so many hence's a teacher can give as she asks for essays, here are the points that we can see worth achieving.

• First day is first day. Writing essay on the first day will enable us to stretch literally our hands (wink! wink!) and our brains as well. 
• Writing essay on the first day will exercise and revise our vocabulary knowledge.
• Writing essay will worth the time because it fundamentally gives us the chance to share our experiences in words.
• Writing essay, most importantly, sets our minds that we are already in school and that at the end of our rope, we must be pulling our love for studying back.
• Writing essay, the least, makes use of the paper and the pen that added weight on the bags we bring on the first day of school (laugh it all loud).

Of course all of us don't want to have an albatross around our necks on the first day. With creative mind and much more goal- oriented personality, a devoted teacher never fails to think of how his students could apply what they learn from the task for a lifetime. Hence, we should think of our activities on the first day very well.