Having your first time of
something is like celebrating your debut; it happens only once in a lifetime
and it has a very noteworthy mark.
As
a teacher, it was overwhelming for me to see my students challenged and
engaged in battles that would help them learn more. All as first timers, Kester, Aiman, Khine,
Nahara, and Kyla, made their way to Liceo de Cagayan University last September
11 and 12, 2015 for the I.D.E.A. 2015: An Invitational for Debate, Essay, and
Art conducted by Rotary Club of CDO Premier. Wearing their school uniform, they
faced their opponents with such wit and confidence and with no hesitation at
all. Who would say they were first timers?
My
three debaters, who all look handsome and smart, scored 1-0 (1 win and 1 loss)
from two matches that they had as a Government and an Opposition team. With the
motion "THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT THE CREATION OF A BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS
REGION WILL LEAD TO LASTING PEACE IN MINDANAO”, the trio prepared by researching
and studying about BBL or the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Each of them gave time to
have their speeches ready and made sure that they could defend their stand by
asking teachers to question and rebut them. It wasn’t just a piece of cake. It
was really, really hard, especially for students who are not really familiar
with it. Yet, the motion has given them enough knowledge on what is going on in
Mindanao. Furthermore, it has given them the chance to speak their opinions out
and let their young voices be heard. Seeing them shaking, breathing deeply,
elbowing each other during the event, and ‘fighting’, I could say that my
students were indeed great! Unlike the other teams’ coaches, I wasn’t there to
make speeches for them, to search everything for them, or to give them the
responses that they should attack to their opponents. I was just there to
listen, to check their verbal gestures, and to add what they know. They solely
made it with their own keen perception, and that made me so proud above all.
Kyla,
who loves to write, yet is very shy to share what she can, had surely written
one of the best and sincere essays by a first timer. With the theme “Exploring
the Relationship of Poverty, Progress, and Peace in Mindanao”, Kyla went out of
the room after the event looking calm and with peaceful disposition. It was not
an arduous topic for her, I guess.
Nahara,
who was convinced
to go with me than to her badminton tournament, got her first time as well. Although she did many posters and paintings at school contest and often wins, editorial cartooning (as I see it) is not that easy for her. It requires much critical thinking and paradoxical ideas to attain a very comprehensive cartoon. With her preparation by reading what editorial cartooning is all about and by accepting the comments from her ‘personal’ mentor, Nahara did it like a pro, and she gave me excitement more than herself.
These
first timers make me reminisce some of the first- time experiences I also had
way back then. Press conferences, declamation, singing contests, quiz bowls,
dance sports, name them and I would tell you how my first times were. My five
fantastic first timers may have not been able to make it to the ranks. They could
have done it better with longer preparation, or perhaps with a better mentor. Yet,
I know, this is one of the things that they would be proud to share with their
children in the future. As a teacher, I won’t stop believing that Kester, Aiman,
Khine, Nahara and Kyla will still make it further because that is what a
teacher must think. As a teacher, it is best to encourage them to try no matter
what teams are there to counter them, no matter how experienced other
contenders are. It may be called “forcing”, yet how bad will it be if forcing
is caused by your conviction that they are born with such talents and
abilities. It’s like asking an amputated spider to crawl and be at its web
successfully. We have to tell them to move, to grow, to fight, and to aim high.
My
five fantastic first timers, I believe, will soon have another first time. Yet,
it’s not a first time of just ‘something’ at all. It will be a first time of
outwitting and winning!
