THE RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP
CHERIE M. BAUTISTA
In a world where technology is advancing at a rapid pace and society is becoming more complex, educators are expected to raise the academic bar for the most diverse student body in history. This puts pressure on us to have a flexible understanding of the material to assist students in making connections between concepts, clearing up misconceptions, and seeing how concepts relate to other subjects and day-to-day life. It is also necessary for us to comprehend child development to assist our children's development in the social, emotional, and psychological spheres. Teaching also necessitates an understanding of the variations that could exist on school premises and inside classrooms. We must be able to pay close attention to what pupils are saying and observe their work with purpose. Say, there's not much pressure?
You see when we say that we are learning while we teach, people don't always understand. Apparently, because they believe we are romanticizing our exhausting, everyday existence with elementary school children who chase each other around during recess and return to class smelling of sweat; still hung over from the games they were playing a few minutes ago. To be honest, there have been moments when I have attempted to imagine my day while I sit at my study table going over the lesson plan for the next few days. However, I must admit that my years of teaching have given me knowledge that I was not able to acquire while I was a student.
It may be true that experience makes the best teacher because I learned to value my mentors more, to be patient with stubborn children. After all, they typically require more support than others, to pay attention to details and be specific in my motivations, and to always love what I do only after I become an educator. In more ways than I could have ever imagined, my pupils teach me lessons just as much as I teach them mine. We explore the difficult world together while educating one another in the process.
Teachers often seem like the villains in our students' lives because of the duties and responsibilities we are assigned, but really, we are their strongest allies. We often work together and establish connections with our students and other members of the school community to facilitate learning in a way that transforms pressure into enjoyment. Say, there's not much pressure? Perhaps because we make the daily decision to approach our work with passion and a desire to learn just as much as our pupils do.
-oOoThe author is Teacher III at Teodoro P. Tinio Elementary School SDO – Angeles City, Pampanga