A teacher for the first time
By Arlene Paredes
Inquirer
Last updated 01:23am (Mla time) 08/15/2007
Published on August 15, 2007 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Inquirer link [here]
I never thought I’d become a teacher one day. But fate, I guess, had made plans for something far beyond what my imagination could conceive.
After switching from one type of day job to another for several years (while also working as a freelance writer), I wound up as a teacher.
My classroom is not the traditional kind that most of us are familiar with. It is designed for a maximum of four students only, so I am able to pay a lot of attention to the students for the entire 45 minutes of the class. This setup is necessary for a learning plan that is highly interactive, rich yet compact, and fast-paced for young learners of the subject (English as a Second Language).
I started teaching ESL just this summer. To summarize how I feel about the whole experience so far, I’d say it’s been fun, challenging and seriously fulfilling since Day 1.
First, teaching is fun because I’m surrounded by kids whose laughter and antics liven up my otherwise boring and predictable existence. Second, it’s challenging because every child has his or her own learning style, and designing a lesson plan to match these learning styles and the children’s varying scope of interests is definitely not easy.
The subjects I teach are Basic Phonics and Writing. In Basic Phonics, I rediscover words and share them with the children in the most creative and fun ways possible. Inviting fun into the classroom is easy. Teachers can relax, make jokes, encourage kids to talk. However, the challenge is how to use fun creatively, such that the children will not just have fun, but will learn, too.
In Writing, I teach what I’ve always loved doing, but that is not to say that everything is breezy in the Writing class. In fact, it’s just the exact opposite.
Resistance and challenge
It’s so frustrating to witness the resistance level of some students when it comes to writing. Their resistance comes understandably from the fear of not doing the writing task right. On top of that, they’re not even writing in their first language.
The challenge is how to make the students believe that if the teacher, who is not a native English speaker like them, had written compositions in English, then they could do it, too. Planning a 45-minute class in a style that is most beneficial to everyone in the classroom is definitely not a walk in the park.
Finally, I’d say teaching is a seriously fulfilling task because in all the years I’d been working since I left school, teaching is the first job that has marked my weekdays as truly and undeniably productive.
Everyday, students are richer in mind and experience because their teachers labor hard to add a little bit more to what they already know. Everyday, teachers are molding children’s minds.
Teachers never labor in vain, I guess, although this is hardly ever obvious. In fact, it’s so easy to take what teachers are doing for granted. I know this to be true; I was a student for 15 years, after all.
I had absolutely no idea about all the mental and emotional stress that go with this job. Of course, I’m thankful I have this enlightening experience now. Without it, I wouldn’t be rediscovering every day the saying “teaching is a noble profession.” It is, indeed.
E-mail the author at crypticmess@yahoo.com
