keeping the passion alive

I was struck when a friend told me "keep the passion alive."

As a teacher, those are big words and easier said than done. With the pains of preparing daily lesson plans and materials, the challenge of molding each students into persons of character, and the responsibility of making sure that the students' problems concerns are addressed- all those are enough reasons for a teacher to be on the verge of giving up. Teaching is taxing and not that financially rewarding, and with all those, many tried, but few stayed- some are still struggling and contemplating whether they should leave or learn to love what they do. Sometimes, more than the work and the students themselves, there are also other concerns- administrators, school system, colleagues, and parents. For someone who is trying to strike a balance in their work, school, family, and social life, maintaining that passion is indeed a Herculean task. When the work drains the best out of you, then it's when the questions and frustrations kick in.

But is teaching never fulfilling or rewarding? Does the reason to leave outweigh the reason to stay? I would like to strongly believe, that despite all the challenges, there are still enumerable reasons to love teaching.

How can one not learn to love teaching, when in the most random moment, a student will hand a note saying "I love you," "Thank you," "I'm sorry," or "You're the best teacher"? Is it not fulfilling enough, when in the most random moment, a student will give an artwork painstakingly done, just to show you are appreciated and loved. Will it not warm a teacher's heart, when a student runs after to greet and give a big hug? Or how difficult it is to feel fulfilled, when after years or months, students still acknowledge and visit you, just to give an update on their lives? All the more it becomes momentous when after a tiring discussion, a student will tell a teacher that he/she enjoyed the lesson and learned so much from that day. Are those not enough reasons to stay?

The joy in teaching is usually not found on the perks of the job, in the salary raise, the promotion, in the improvement of the school system, but on the random and simple moments with students. True, students are hard to deal with nowadays, they can be stubborn, mischievous, and rowdy, but at the end of the day, they are still the very reasons for a teacher's existence and to be motivated enough to stay in the profession. Their random and simplest of all acts are the very reasons which give a teacher countless joy. And all those are even more rewarding than any material possession. 

Therefore, the secret to keeping the passion alive in teaching is finding joy and happiness in everything a teacher does. There might be thousands of reasons to rant about, but when a teacher starts to learn to love and appreciate all the simple things in her life and with her students- the passion is not just there to remain, but there to ignite even more. It is truly challenging not to complain, it is a normal occurrence in every field, but a change in mindset will always help. If a teacher constantly does her best to be exemplary in her craft, and does everything with zest, purpose, and happiness, then one can counter the feeling of work drain. Or when one feels she's on the edge of the cliff and about to jump off, pause for a while, take a look at your students, have that moment of introspection. And when you realize that you still have a purpose and role to fulfill, that your students still matter to you, that you still want to effect change and mold lives in the process, then maybe it is enough reason to teach.

The challenges will pile up as days go by. The problems in the schools and in the systems are there to stay. Teaching may never be economically rewarding at all. But a teacher chooses to stay not because of that, she simply believes that she should never give up, as she realizes her importance in the lives of her students. When a teacher learns to love and accept her students for who they are and for who they are not, then life becomes more purposeful and meaningful and the passion will be kept aflame, regardless of the many impediments that will come her way.

It may sound melodramatic, but it is never too late to keep the passion alive. And for those who can, teach. We may not realize the impact of making a decision to stay and remain true to our call to be a noble teacher, but one day, it all will make sense. Teachers are no nonsense human beings, as they will forever play a crucial role in the lives of students. As Henry Adams put it "A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops." Take the challenge. Teaching is always, worth the try. :)

teaching = selfless and unconditional love

Yesterday was not an easy day for me. You see, I had four classes, from 8:40- 12:00 pm , then from 1:00-2:00. My break was recess and lunch. It was physically draining, indeed.

But I don't mind getting tired physically. The only thing that can make you forget how exhausted you are is when you eat, sit down a little, and sleep (which I don't think I can do in school, waahhhhh). After some time you get used to the feeling already. However, it was not that thing I am really talking about.

My exhaustion was beside the point. My kids or my advisory class was sometimes getting the hell out of me. You see, teaching can make you a lion, at times, and worse even a dinosaur. If not for the gift of patience and what they so called tender-loving-care which is innate to me, I guess I  have long resigned from this job. But at the end of the day, and much to the laughs and teasing of my friends, they knew all along I will not really have the heart to leave teaching for so long. Why will I, they say, I am a good teacher. And most of all, I am passionate of my craft. So there.

But hey! Teaching is not a bed of roses everyday. It can be a heaven or hell on earth, depending on your student's moods, or class composition. The attitudes of my girls are so varied, and I believe-- extremes. I have the most quiet, one of the most smart, but I also have the loudest, and sometimes sensitive and moody girls. So how do you strike a balance as a teacher, with only you to handle all of them? That was a tough question to answer.

This is just my second year of being a class adviser, and I am telling you, it is a roller coaster ride. Sure they give me the reasons to smile when they are goody-goody, but they can crush my world into pieces whenever I hear negative remarks about them from my colleagues. But I guess being a teacher or a class adviser is really like that. You don't get to choose your kids, they are given to you. Thus, at the end of the day, you make do for whatever it is that's given, and you strive to mold them to the person you hope they will be. Even if the going gets tough, you stand by them. And as cliche as it may sound, you are there, never giving up.

Having this class as my advisory is a challenge for me this year. We deal with different issues everyday-- from the troubles of peer-pressure, isolation, bullying, problems with academics, friendship conflicts...the list is, endless! So forth...so on. And as I am facing them each day, trying to show that face of bravery and dependability, I realized that more than the brains and the techniques you learned from your undergrad days, it takes a well-formed character to be a good teacher. Dealing with all those issues can be terrifying. If you are emotionally unstable and unsure of yourself, how can you direct these kids to the right path? If you never worked on improving and loving yourself, how can you radiate an unconditional love to these children?

Being a teacher is indeed close to motherhood. And being with this kids makes me feel I've grown so much and that someday, I will really know the ins and outs of parenting. Being a teacher made me learn how to connect, sympathize, listen, and understand without judging. But most of all, I would say that I learned to love my kids for who they are, and even for what they are not. Everything is a matter of selfless love and unconditional acceptance. You love them because they are your kids, and at the end, all you want is simply the best for them, nothing more, nothing less.

Therefore, even if sometimes I would rather shrink and die than deal with all my kids' petty issues, I chose to stand strong and be resolute that we will all breakthrough. After all, I am their mother in school, and if I will give up on them, who else will be there to help them get up and carry on. I love them wholeheartedly, and even if they can vex me to the infinite point of no return, I know that I will still go back to them and prod them to stand when they fall. After all, that's the real essence of teaching- never giving up in believing in your students even in the bleakest of all situations.