Sweet Criticisms

Maria Fides T. Aquino

How many of you have seen girls putting books on their heads to improve posture and the way they walk? Just like these girls we always want something good for ourselves. But most of the time, we refused to work on it and eventually give up. As a child, I always want to make my parents proud. I try all I can to do better in whatever I do. I was a student. I was expected to do good in school.

But life is not a fairy tale. You must work hard to get what you want. I have to endure loads of homework, examinations, projects, additional training classes and even future review lessons for advance education. I am where I am today because I endured all of these as a student. I did not have any form of regrets of becoming a teacher. I struggled and overcame sleepless nights to achieve my dream of becoming a teacher. Things get well until one day, Covid 19 shook the world and affected our ways of life. Teachers received many criticisms to that extent of requesting the government to ask teachers to become front liners as well to be worthy enough for the salary and benefits that we receive from the government. All of these are sweet criticisms. It takes a teacher to understand a teacher. Now, everyone becomes teachers.

We were treated like students carrying a book on their head to straighten up posture and dispositions in life. But a book with a missing chapter is not worthwhile to be read. I must complete these tasks. I must write my own future. I must strive to be a teacher in spite of all these challenges and disappointments. I may not understand everything but what I know is, this book on my head is worth to be carried. It has the power to change the lives of my students.

Go on, carry that book while holding your head up high.

--o0o-

The author is Teacher I at San Fernando Elementary School- Division of City

of San Fernando