No Roles Wasted

Anita P. Mutuc

Enough of stating and saying that teaching is a noble career. Nobody, I guess in this world does it efficiently without saying a word or stating a fact in that sense. Actions are better heard than words.

The pandemic has brought a new face to the ‘other’ unsung heroes of the nation. Here are just some of those.

Majority of them instantly became WRITERS. Who else should pitch in for this role other than the one who is expected to be the bridge in the teaching and learning process? Modules, Learning Activity Sheets, Self Learning Modules, Self Learning Kits, whatever you may call it, have been the center of all activities including the devotion of the essential time of burning the midnight lamp to beat deadlines and pass through a Quality Assurance Team. In a short period of time, every capable teacher shall be extending an extra mile in gathering all the willpower and guts and be able to produce a material under the guidance of trained experts. It will put everything in the right perspective that the Department of Education is expected to deliver for its precious clientele, the students.

After the writing phase, comes the printing stage. Majority of them became PRINTERS? No they became the twin of the printers or whatever machines available that would enable every school or Division proud of saying that all in the education industry are more than ready to ensure that something productive is being prepared in hard copy other that the version that is called soft copy or in digital format. After all, the twins in the persona of the printer and the teacher are found in every space available practicing the physical distancing that is always prioritized by the government and is being seen by the naked eye. There is a twinning moment for every page produced which is expected to be delivered through whatever means to its precious clientele, the students.

After the printing phase, comes the sorting stage. Majority of them became SORTERS? Yes, somehow, no proper term can be coined other than that. Why the need to sort the papers being printed? The Philippines has yet to produce robots who can efficiently count the number of pages being printed and be able to bundle it according to learning area and grade level. Other machines may be able to do the counting but it does not have the capability of human hands to sort every piece of paper on it’s own. It doesn’t end there. After the bundling episodes, where on earth does these precious commodity for the education industry can be kept in order to ensure it will serve its purpose? The sorting stage comes naturally as the printed paper beckons every teacher to gravitate towards them and be sorted. Sorting is a romantic episode of such a love and hate relationship which is expected to be manifested through smiles in whatever situation for its precious clientele, the students.

After the sorting phase, comes the packing stage. Majority of them became PACKERS. All kinds of packers are there. They are all instant packers. They pack anywhere convenient and not so convenient at times for after the packing time comes the enormous feeling of reaching your peak and finally releasing after all the time and series of preparatory planning and skillful execution of the orchestrated scenes of a daily grind. The crisp in the papers have passed through sweaty palms and foreheads amidst the pangs of hunger in the middle of packing. Maybe, it is in packing that all teachers have that glorious moments of looking forward to another round of packing. Drum rolls should be heard for all teachers who have tirelessly packed these materials ready for distribution in whatever considerable circumstances, to its precious clientele, the students.

The struggles have been magnified by these roles recently embraced by our ‘other’ unsung heroes. They have been called names and roles since time immemorial but who would ever thought that a time will come where all these accolades will stay in history as they shall be the unparalleled SORTERS and PACKERS of the nation during the time of pandemic. It is a humbling experience for all of them. A humbling experience that can be told and retold to several generations after this worldwide epidemic.

All the bags are packed but they are not ready to go. They always stay. They are TEACHERS.

--oOo-

The author is Teacher II at Angeles City Senior High School