One of the Learners

Andrommel A. Marticio

With an increasingly complicated society and a fast-changing technology-based world, teachers are asked to educate the most diverse student body in our history to higher academic standards ever set. Because of this, we are challenged to understand the subject matter flexibly so that we can help students relate ideas and address misconceptions, and to see how the ideas connect across fields and apply to everyday living. We are also required to have an understanding of child development so that we may support their growth in various domains: social, emotional, and psychological. Teaching also requires us to understand the differences that may arise inside the classroom and in school premises. We need to be able to listen carefully and look intentionally at how students work. Not much pressure, you say?

So you see, people don’t always get it when we say we’re learning in the process of teaching. Probably because they think we are only romanticizing our tiring day-to-day experience with grade school kids who run around chasing each other during break time then go back to the classroom smelling sweat and sun; still hung over of the games they were playing a few minutes ago. Honestly, there were times I did try that: to glamorize what the day has been while I sit on my study table reviewing the lesson plan for the days ahead. But then, I have to tell you that the years of teaching have taught me things I didn’t get to learn when I was a student. Perhaps, it’s true that the best teacher is experience: for only when I did become an educator did I know to appreciate my mentors more; to be patient when it comes to stubborn kids because they usually need more support than others do; to be attentive to details and specific with motives; and to always love what I do. While I teach my students their lessons, they teach me mine as well – in more ways than I ever imagined I would. In the process, we educate one another as we explore the challenging world.

With the responsibilities and tasks given to us, teachers sometimes appear like the villains in our students’ lives, but in reality, we are their biggest allies. In a manner that changes pressure into pleasure, we tend to collaborate and connect with our students and other members of the school community towards learning hand-in-hand. Not much pressure, you say? – Maybe because we decide everyday to look at this profession passionately; to learn as much as our students do.

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The author is ALS MOBILE TEACHER/Teacher II at Anao Elementary School