TEACHERS: THE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE SOCIETY

REDENTOR D. BENGCO

%eing a teacher is all about giYing up oneself ,nstructors freTuently go aboYe and beyond ,n order to support their children success, they arriYe at school early, stay late, bring work hoPe, organi]e and participate in special actiYities, and proYide Poney, tiPe, and energy

$t least conceptually, those who enroll in teacher education prograPs are aware of what it takes to be a teacher 7he Pany roles that educators play are discussed 7he workload is a topic of discussion 7hey don t walk into the classrooP unprepared, despite the fact that beginning teaching or eYen student teaching Pight be a shock to the systeP 7he coPproPises a teacher Pakes are, nonetheless, always Mustified in teacher preparation and practice as being necessary to iPproYe the liYes of the students .nowing that this is a necessary aspect of the work, we enter the field

7eachers approach their work with an open Pind when they decide to oYere[tend thePselYes 7hey opt to spend their tiPe and energy for the cause since they are aware of the degree of coPPit Pent *iYing in this way isn t always totally altruistic (Yery transaction, in Py opinion, inYolYes soPe giYing and taking $ teacher can share her passion and e[pertise²her knowledge or skill²and dePon strate her leadership and talents outside of the classrooP when she decides to take on work that is obYiously aboYe and aboYe the needed burden 7his kind of giYing has an underlying PotiYation the satisfying sense that coPes froP knowing that you are doing good deeds since that is your choice

&onditioned sacrifice can be difficult ,t is difficult because it is readily passed off as a sacrifice of choice 7he teacher feels coPpelled to perforP this kind of self sacrifice since it is deePed necessary for the Mob ([tra, less enMoyable assignPents that educators accept because they haYe been sociali]ed to think that if they are good educators, they will perforP theP 7hus, the teacher does it because he feels it is right and proper, not because they think the additional effort would benefit their pupils or eYen because it is necessary (Yen in the eYent that it s not

6o, does becoPing a good teacher need selflessness" 7he first stage is to identify the kind of self sacrifice you are perforPing is it soPething you haYe chosen to do, soPething you haYe been condi tioned to do, or is it reTuired of you" ,t s tiPe to reeYaluate your priorities if the bulk of your e[tra workload fits into one of the two categories %ut if you are giYing of yourself because it is your decision, your passion, and your desire, then that can be all you need to continue teaching resiliently and with strength Must pay attention to what your inner Yoice is telling you and be careful to Paintain balance in your life

o2o

7he author is a 0aster 7eacher , in 3ulungbulu (lePentary 6chool, 'iYision of $ngeles &ity,

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