IT’S AN O!

JOHN PATRICK D. SERRANO

After years of service as a professional teacher in DepEd, in the RPMSIPCRF, I finally got an O!

In the middle and at the end of every school year, teachers are rated by their school heads. In the end of the process, the letters such as S, VS, and O matter. The entirety of what the teachers have done and at what extent they have performed the tasks that are expected of them are summarized and converted into these letters.

In a nutshell, letters other than the three given means that teachers need awakening of how they should perform their job. These letters are danger remarks. Talking about S, it means that the teachers have done the job vested upon them but S does not allow the teacher to get promoted. The VS remark indicates that the teacher has done the job and allows the teacher to get promoted. So what is so special now about O?

There are small legal advantages of having O compared from having VS. However, we will not delve much on these legal advantages. Moving forward immediately to the moral advantage of having an O, the morale is the teacher is boosted. It is the least that the institution could give to keep the fire burning even the more in the heart of the teacher. The letter O gives a sense of fulfilment that at the end of the school year the teacher may say silently in his heart, “I did a good job”.

On the social level especially among the colleagues, teachers who got O usually become the to-go-to persons. Whenever there are concerns, these teachers are oftentimes consulted aside from consulting the school head and the master teachers. The words and educated opinions of an O teacher are heard. To the heads, much is even expected from the O teachers. Every day is a scenario to do better and more.

However, getting an O is never an easy thing. Pressures are always present. But these pressures are actually not threats of self-destruction but opportunities to improve crafts. It is likewise a challenge for the teacher to keep himself on the ground.

After all, O is just a letter. The true story that is worth waiting is how to sustain it with a retained pure heart.

— oOo—

The author is a Senior High School faculty of Mathematics and Research at Corazon C. Aquino High School, Tarlac