Five Silver Lining Thoughts

Ciza Rhea A. Osoteo, PhD RL

Teachers are igniters of knowledge to the learners. They infuse hope and understanding to the students. Teachers served as partners of the community in building a stronger future for the learners. In todays’ present education situation, teaching is challenging. How will the teachers’ look for the silver lining in the teaching situation amid the global pandemic?

As a public-school teacher for more than ten years, the recent and the current school year have been challenging. Many teachers like me were always looking for the brighter side of teaching.

With the present situation, I have gathered five silver linings of my experience as a secondary teacher and based on the video I watched. First, I have realized the value of having greater love for my profession. Passion for teaching has been instilled in me by my experience in the Covid 19. Even though education is challenging nowadays, my eagerness to teach my learners grows more deeply, especially in my language class. I love my teaching profession; that’s why staying challenging and positive in the academic world is my way of showing my love to my learners. I teach my learners with all my best because I love them.

Second, I have pondered the sense of having idealism in the video. Having faced many changes and paradigm shifts in the educational system, I stayed calm and accepted the actual situations. I become real and ideal of what will be good and beneficial to our learners. I have invested enough urge to pursue teaching and prepared myself for more significant challenges. Facing abrupt change is not easy, but with acceptance of what is happening, I have bravely faced the challenges of teaching. I have learned to adapt the ideal methods and strategies of education, which are benefit able to my learners.

The third silver lining that I have realized from my teaching has guts. Instruction nowadays entails having a strong sense of strong will. As the adage goes, no guts, no glory. If you teach in a public school, all you must possess is 100 % resiliency. If there were no resilient teachers, there would be no resilient learners. I firmly believe that the silver lining of resiliency is the key to a stronger community of learners and teachers.

Next is the sense of hope. The video implies hope in the present teaching situation. Staying hopeful coupled with spontaneity is all we need to conquer COVID 19. The Philippines needs promising teachers. When we are hopeful, our students will be hopeful also to learn. What we ignite in our students is what they will become. All teachers should practice having a sense of hope because that is all we need in this uncertain world. Having a sense of hope in teaching is a must for more excellent learning.

Lastly is the silver lining of time. As teachers, instilling the sense of living life to the fullest also implies teaching learners at their most total ability. Let us not waste our time in teaching our learners because, in this uncertain world, we must show our best to give our best in teaching. We were born in this world to spend the teaching profession wisely. As God has given us our skills and abilities in teaching, let us use and share them wisely. All our efforts will be timeless. The thoughts and learnings we share with our learners will be timeless. W e will always be timeless as educators.

With all the silvers linings I have found in the video and from my teaching experiences, I am now more resilient in finding more silver linings in the academe. The values that I have learned as a teacher amidst pandemics have shaped me into a bolder and wiser teacher of the 21st century. I will always ponder the five silver linings that brought L-I-G-H-T (love, idealism, guts, hope, and time) in my teaching and personality.

The author

--oOo-

is Teacher III at Mallig Plains National High School, Mallig Schools Division of Isabela, Region II

District,