WHAT DRIVES YOU TO TEACH
In celebration of National Teachers’ Day, we honor these teachers who patiently teach us that formula in Math we just cannot understand, who never get tired of repeating the difference between ‘your’ and you’re,’ who guide us through every Science experim
My passion for education and my love and care for the kids drive me to continue teaching even if I am not already a classroom teacher. As the school principal, I teach not only the children but also the teachers under my care. I teach them by being a model of good values and traits. I serve as mentor and a mother to them. I always put in mind that these kids in this school can be the future leaders of the country. Whenever their teachers are not around, I make sure that somebody will teach them, even if it has to be me. —Miriam C. Antonio, principal, Capuy Elementary School, Sorsogon
As a teacher of Filipino and arts, what drives me to continue teaching is the students and the continuing struggle for better society. Education is the sacred field where we can cultivate the values, knowledge, skills, and philosophy that we should nurture in society. Education is essential for a society that aspires to be free from different forms of oppression and hegemony. Therefore, education should be mass-oriented, scientific, and nationalist and, as a teacher, it is our noble responsibility to educate the youth not just to see critically the different elements that make the society ill, but also to learn how to critique those and struggle for the betterment of the people.
—Marvin Lobos, Arts and Filipino professor, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
What drives me to teach is the knowledge that someday my pupils will be able to communicate properly, whether in sign language, lip reading, or written words. Teaching kids with hearing impairment is indeed a challenge. Knowing and seeing them learn something new each day is really fulfilling and satisfying. You need a big heart as well as patience and understanding to teach them to improve their lives, and make life a little better each day. —April Catherine F. Camposano, Special Education Teacher I, Sorsogon East Central School
No matter how many paper works and visual aids you have to work on every day, nothing beats the idea of knowing that every day you inspire the youth to be agents of change in this country. Being a teacher in Filipino, it is overwhelming for me to see my students talk and act the way a patriotic and mass-oriented member of the community should be. I teach because I believe in the youth, in what they can offer for the betterment of our future. —Ina Laurente, Filipino teacher, St. Scholastica’s College
Education as profession is indeed a big rollercoaster ride. It is an extremely breathtaking, inspiring, stimulating, and mindblowing adventure. Teaching for me is not only a profession. It is more of a vocation. It is a strong desire to spend my life to make a change and to be a big influence, especially to the little minds. I do not teach because of the stability that I get from this field but I do teach out of passion and fondness of the profession. The gratitude and appreciation that I received from the past years are among the many reasons I should not give up and I should continue to persevere to be a role model, a parent, a mentor, and a friend to the innocent individuals whose lives are about to start. All the hardships, challenges, stress, disappointments, and frustrations are replaced by delight and fulfillment whenever I see the hundred faces filled with enormous smiles. —Ma. Cecilia Valladolid, grade school teacher, Capuy Elementary School, Sorsogon
Having the opportunity to correct a mistake is my primary drive for me to teach. In life, there will always be circumstances that lead us to fail. Hence, it is important for me to integrate in my lessons the values of forgiveness, kindness and strong commitment for positive change. Or simply put, sabi nga ng mga Millennials #kapitlang #moveon. I. —Sofia“Maam Sof ” Soledad D.G. De Guzman, Miriam College High School
For me, the motivation to continue teaching is the change that I can bring upon my students. In the future, they might come up with ideas to change the world for the better, they might be the next president of the country or the one who will discover the common cause and treatment for cancer. As a teacher to future chemical engineers, what drives me to continue teaching is their interest to create something for our Mother Earth such as energy efficient processes, clean technologies etc. Their smile every time I encounter them in the hallway is a bonus. —Dr. John
Frederick D. Tapia, Lecturer, Chemical Engineering Department, De La Salle University
As a Theology Professor, what drives me to teach is the hope that I will influence the young people to be in friendship and in intimacy with God. —Dennis Ian
B. Sy, faculty member of the Institute of Religion, Research Associates of the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSED), University of Santo Tomas