Wearing Many Hats

Glenn S. Diwa

Each day, I’m getting more and more comfortable wearing many hats. At present, I am wearing 10 hats in varying shapes, aesthetic, and features. Would you believe that? And for 5 years, I have managed to carry and keep them. The load is getting heavier, but still I survive.

Most of my busy weekdays require me to wear with love and great patience the two most valuable hats I possess: the Parent Hat and the Teacher Hat. I welcome learners each year in the second home known as school. I shower them with care and feed them with knowledge that will make their lives better and more meaningful. My responsibility are quite tougher than you can ever think of.

Meanwhile, untoward incidences or emergencies bring my Nurse Hat in action. There are moments when I had to take children to the clinic, call their parents, or even take them home safely. I truly rely on this third hat for the safety and welfare of my students.

Every beginning of school year enables me to proudly flaunt my fourth and precious hat—

the Designer Hat that let the artist in me come to life. The creative bulletin board and classroom displays you can see show how colourful and pretty exciting my job is.

My fifth hat will surely leave you in awe. My Performer Hat will prove that I am not only committed to give quality education, but also quality entertainment. I have various transformations just to keep everyone’s attention and motivate them to love education. I can be a singer, a dancer, an actor, or even a comedian. No doubt, the school is a big stage for me!

When tension heats up, I am always ready with my sixth hat, the Referee Hat. With agility and alertness I immediately respond to brawls and catfights. I am ever ready to solve misunderstandings among my students.

To have an extra income. I put my trust to my Entrepreneur Hat. This seventh hat allows me to use my skills and resources to make ends meet and extend the budget I have for myself and my family.

There are moments when I need to address emotional problems of my students. In these scenarios, my eighth hat comes in handy. This is the Therapist or Counselor Hat that gives me the power to motivate, influence, and fix my students broken lives and emotional wounds.

And when it comes to being a responsible guardian of the environment, my Janitor Hat keeps me involve in maintaining a clean and healthy surrounding. This hat also allows me to be a role model to my students in taking care of the school properties.

Lastly, my tenth hat, the Event Planner Hat allows me to organize occasions in school, at home, or even in the community. A celebration wouldn’t be complete without my expertise. I can be even be an instant host for a party.

Indeed, I am a public servant. And yes, I can be there as your mother, your sister, and your friend.

I can even be your impossible, for I am a teacher…

--oOo-

The author is Teacher I at Don Jesus Gonzales High School