Teaching: Vocation or Responsibility?

Alvin T. Dela Cruz

Have you ever asked what is your purpose in life? Do you feel like your soul craves for something that connects you deeper to the world and to people? A kind of feeling that you want to change the world in your own possible way. With this kind of urge inside of you, will you consider it as your vocation or responsibility?

As a teacher, I choose to have my purpose by sharing my knowledge that can enforce young mind's skills and talent innovation. I use my profession to help children see the world in different light and perspectives. Good and the bad, also the truth of the world should be exposed to them with proper guidance and help. My profession, responsibility, and vocation can go hand and hand. While it is my responsibility to let them see different kinds of perspective, it is also my vocation to make them create wider and broader views of life on their own.

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to teach them how to read and write. It is my vocation to guide them to write their own story and speak their thoughts wisely and to stand for their own choices.

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to teach them to follow instruction. It is my vocation to show them to follow what is right rather than just following the command.

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to teach them to socialize and speak in front of the crowd with great confidence. It is my vocation to teach them not just to speak but also to listen sincerely especially to the silent crying hearts.

As a teacher, it is my duty to ensure their safety inside the school. It is my vocation to care for them even after school hours and even thinking about them before going to sleep.

We do our duty to teach the basic thing that a child must have to learn as a process for maturity. But the sincere heart of every teacher teaches a deeper lesson for their young minds to nurture.

We teach them how to care for others. We teach them how to build their future. We teach them to be the future of our world. Behind these chalk and board, behind all these paper works, lesson plans and curriculum. It is being ask for century, what is teaching? profession? Vocation? Duty? Responsibility? Actually, it is on viewer's choice. It is your choice how you would see us. Our role is complex and it varies differently from individual so if you would keep an open heart, hopefully you will see teachers in a different light and new perspective.

The author is Teacher

--oOo-

II at Pampanga High School