If OFWs these days are touted as the "Bagong Bayani", I could say that teachers are the "Unsung Heroes". Not just because I am one but because I feel that (good) teachers are one of the most important people in a society. Imagine, without them, we won't have any doctors, lawyers, policemen, nurses, etc. Sino ba ang humuhubog ng pag-iisip at pag-uugali ng mga kabataan? Who teaches them about the things they need to learn about their future profession? Who gives them the inspiration to push through with their dreams and aspirations in life? A teacher's job may seem trivial to some (even to some of the teachers themselves) but it is one hell of a humungous task! Heck, there are kids who would believe what their teachers said more than their parents. But are they given the much needed importance that they deserve? Are they treated as equals with other professionals? The answer is capital N-O!
Anywhere in the world, teaching should be a devotion. Not everyone can teach. Not everyone could withstand the long hours of work with a salary that could barely make ends meet. Not everyone would have the patience to be with hard-headed students or students who think they know more than teachers. One should be dedicated enough in order to carry the task through. One should have the passion for it because, in the end, it would be the only thing that one could hold on to through rough times.
Teaching is not a rewarding job financially. No one really gets rich in it. The fruits of one's labor can't also be seen immediately. It would take time to reap the benefits of one's hard work. However, most of the time, it isn't the teacher who would reap what he sow but rather his students.
Lately, we have been bombarded by news of teachers hurting their students. I am not in favor of such act but I don't condemn them, as well. Before we blame them, can we see the bigger picture first? How could such thing happen? Could it be stress-related? Elementary/high school public teachers deal with 50-100 students daily in a small and not well-ventilated room. Aside from that, they have to do their best to teach in limited time and resources. Not to mention their financial worries which I know bothers them everyday. Then you'd have two or more kids who would disrupt the class with their noise or petty quarrels. These are all part of the job description but can one help bursting out from time to time? Not everyone is Mary Poppins. Even the best teachers have rough times. However, if disruptive children need to be discipline, so does teachers who go beyond their limits with these kids.
When I was still in NF, our Academic Director had once asked us, "Are we becoming lenient teachers producing weak and undisciplined generation?" We may have spared them the rod but are we also spoiling them? I am against corporal punishments, of course, but I am thinking, would a little "discipline" hurt a child? Our parents and their parents and their parent's parents were part of such generation and they grew up to be learned and disciplined individuals. Life outside school is tough and it won't help if students are pampered both at home and in school.
Anyway, I hope that the government would really sit through and do something about our teacher's situation. Hindi biro ang maging guro at lalong hindi biro ang maging guro at makakuha ng karampot ng kita sa iyong paghihirap. Dedication could only go so far. Aanhin mo ang dedikasyon kung kumakalam na ang sikmura mo at ng iyong pamilya? Will it save you from pain and financial doom?
Incidentally, Cinema One had shown Mila (2001). I haven't fully watched it since it came out years ago. I couldn't even sit through it whenever I had the chance to see it on TV. Opening pa lang kasi, medyo off na para sa kin. For one thing, the dialogues and Maricel Soriano's acting (during the teaching scenes) were un-teacher like. I really couldn't explain it but one would know if one is a teacher. The same way a doctor would know if the actor acts "doctorly". Second, being a Joel Lamangan movie, it is colored with social and political issues that surround the teachers and the government of our country. There really isn't wrong about that but could we leave the issue to the news department? What would be better is if we could make a movie about teachers for the teachers, showing a slice of their lives. A movie that would showcase their so-called dedication to the profession and to their students. A film that would tackle their struggles to become an almost-perfect model for their kids to emulate despite living in an imperfect world. Something that would focus on how they juggle their relationships with their students and fellow teachers and their families. Something that would inspire children to become future teachers. Something that would differentiate the good from the bad. A movie ala Mr. Holland's Opus, Dead Poets Society, or even Dangerous Minds. (I may be wrong about Mila but it's how I feel about it at the moment. I guess, I need to really sit through it one of these days and see beyond its political commentary.)Despite the hardships and unnoticed dedication, teaching is still one of the best jobs! It is but right to commend them especially those who do it for the love of the profession, learning, and the students. Being a teacher doesn't stop when one gets home. It is a continuous work because one plans his day ahead even while sleeping!
Mabuhay ang mga guro!
No comments:
Post a Comment