To teach another thoroughly is the best way to learn for yourself
- Tyron Edwards
I have been very clear that this year I am so tired teaching and administering the school. There are so many reasons why, some of them you may have known. I have also made known that I moonlight as a college teacher in a local university just a stone's throw from my high school. I thought before that I was so tired at the end of the day because I still had classes until eight in the evening. This has been going on in my mind that for the next academic year I have decided that I can only be one of the three. I cannot be all the principal, high school teacher and a university professor. I want to concentrate in college, so I filed my resignation last February 23.
As per labor laws, my resignation would have taken effect today, March 23. But until today I have been running here and there doing all three - principal, teacher and professor. Being the high school principal, I have to see today that everything will be ready for Wednesday, our scheduled graduation day. I have delegated though almost every work there is to be done. We had our practice of the graduation ceremony at the cultural and sports complex today. Everything went well except for some minor voice problem with the Alma Mater song. In the afternoon, I attended the School Board meeting with the Mayor. I was tired, dead tired.
The university finals will be this coming Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I have exams for all these days. Definitely, I will not be able to administer my final exam for Eng 2 on Wednesday. I am available though for both my Educ 107 and Ed Tech 2. Luckily, I already have prepared all my test papers for the three courses. Today, I reviewed my freshmen English 2 class. In the course of our review, somebody muttered that until today she is still confuse with the basics in English grammar. I have been telling them though that you cannot be an overnight genius for English grammar. This they have understood. What made my day was when somebody added that she has learned so many things new about the language with me.
I decided to teach because I want others to learn too what I have learned before. I want to share what I know. I was humbled by the comment. With this class, I have always been absent for unfortunately sometimes my schedule was just really in conflict with some of my duties in high school. In as much as I would like to arrange for special classes, we could not seem to agree on which day and on what time. To compensate for my absence, every time I am present I really exert much effort for them to understand the course-Writing in the Discipline. I love writing. I have been writing ever since I knew my alphabet. Writing comes as second nature to me.
What I have taught these students cannot be found in one single book. I have taught them almost twenty years of my writing experience and training. I made them realize that the skill of writing in whatever form can be learned and that it can be learned with ease and with much fun. In my heart I knew I have not done anything extraordinary. I just did what I have to do, what I think must be done for them to learn. I was not expecting that to my college students it was so much. They were so thankful of everything. Unfortunately, in high school I never heard of such sincere appreciation of my labor. Remember, this I think before was what our high school students lack-the appreciation of the work of their teachers. In a more than unexpected place, I got what I have long expected from the students who ought to have appreciated more my effort.
What I have taught these students cannot be found in one single book. I have taught them almost twenty years of my writing experience and training. I made them realize that the skill of writing in whatever form can be learned and that it can be learned with ease and with much fun. In my heart I knew I have not done anything extraordinary. I just did what I have to do, what I think must be done for them to learn. I was not expecting that to my college students it was so much. They were so thankful of everything. Unfortunately, in high school I never heard of such sincere appreciation of my labor. Remember, this I think before was what our high school students lack-the appreciation of the work of their teachers. In a more than unexpected place, I got what I have long expected from the students who ought to have appreciated more my effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment