I never wanted to become a teacher. My dream was to do chemical fusion and to, one day, become a famous chemical engineer. My childhood days never gave me a remembrance of doing such teaching stuff. All I had was that beautiful vision of me with my siblings walking on pots of gold with all their shared experiences in their chosen fields. My interest only perked up when I was in my second year college. I decided to thinking that in the teaching profession I can touch thousands of lives, which for me was a sweet-lemoning self affair after flunking two subjects earlier in college. At first I thought of considering teaching as only a very simple vocation. My immersions as a student teacher even pushed me to believe, as I saw teaching from my mentors’ perspective, that teaching was indeed a very easy job. Not much when years passed for I learn one thing. I know that teaching is the only 24-hour profession.
As a teacher, I needed to wake up at 5 am. The groggy appearance I had on the mirror spoke of that very inconsiderable amount of sleep. Sad to note, I had to wake up early for I needed to prepare my morning routine. I got to involve myself with the very first questions: Have I taken enough showers? Have I eaten my breakfast? Have I ironed my uniform properly? Have I polished my shoes? Have I locked up my bag with all the gadgets in it? Have I checked all the outlets and other electrical lines? All these are questions I needed to answer before leaving my boarding house, else, I would begin to mess up the routine I was forced to do.
As a teacher, I needed to be at the school’s gate before 7 am. While crossing the street I had to boggle my mind with another set of questions: Do I have an ID that I may not be barred from entering the school? Have I caught on time the flag ceremony? Do I need to use other gates due to the traffic of students and vehicles? Do I need to begin my lesson with this or that? Do I need to change my strategy? There were always unpredictable shifts that I needed to think again that I might not end up freaking on it.
As a teacher, I needed to work even during vacant periods. The first hour in school cropped up as my vacant period but I needed to do other last-minute preparations before starting my class. Have I checked the quizzes we had? Did I give assignment in any of my classes that I could prepare answers? Have I multiplied copy of the article for classroom reading? Have I aligned today my lesson with the science and math lessons? Have my students prepared their assigned tasks? These were always sickening things I needed not resist to.
As a teacher, I needed to teach religiously. From 8:45 am to 6:00 pm, except 12:00 noon, I needed to satisfy the innocence of my students. They always looked forward to every day if I had new inputs or materials for them. Again, I began to think: Have all desired to have this kind of material? Will all be able to understand my discussion? Will the students be able to respond me? Have I given them the right motivation? Have I sufficiently followed my plan? Have I targeted the essential skills? There wasn’t any way of escaping my thoughts because I needed to think ahead to muster the profession I have.
As a teacher, I needed to work while I ate. My 12-noon break was not an hour to rest. I needed to work for another things. Much as I wanted to concentrate eating, I couldn’t do away tinkling my keyboard to start another paperworks. Again, have I prioritized this paper? Have I done the other paper? Have I completed the first requirement? Papers are always a sore every day.
As a teacher, I needed to work beyond class hours. Checking of papers, making lesson plan, preparing visual aids, surfing the net – all these gave me a handful sleep. I needed to rest, but the clock always struck at 2:00 am. Again and again, I asked, “Have I done 50% of my work?”
As a teacher, I needed to work while I slept. Dreams were always in my mind. I dreamt of things I did in school. My mind worked as if it had traveled over ages of me, of what I did and of what I unconsciously wanted. I worked and I asked, “Have I stopped doing things?”
I surely got to involve myself. I was worried that I was beginning to peak my 40, which others said, “Life begins at 40.” I was occupied, after all; it was a stressful life. It was 40 because life was always there for me – I never rested.
But, I was hoping that that fruitful year would come ahead before reaching my 40th year.
After ten years, now, I’m resting.#
As a teacher, I needed to wake up at 5 am. The groggy appearance I had on the mirror spoke of that very inconsiderable amount of sleep. Sad to note, I had to wake up early for I needed to prepare my morning routine. I got to involve myself with the very first questions: Have I taken enough showers? Have I eaten my breakfast? Have I ironed my uniform properly? Have I polished my shoes? Have I locked up my bag with all the gadgets in it? Have I checked all the outlets and other electrical lines? All these are questions I needed to answer before leaving my boarding house, else, I would begin to mess up the routine I was forced to do.
As a teacher, I needed to be at the school’s gate before 7 am. While crossing the street I had to boggle my mind with another set of questions: Do I have an ID that I may not be barred from entering the school? Have I caught on time the flag ceremony? Do I need to use other gates due to the traffic of students and vehicles? Do I need to begin my lesson with this or that? Do I need to change my strategy? There were always unpredictable shifts that I needed to think again that I might not end up freaking on it.
As a teacher, I needed to work even during vacant periods. The first hour in school cropped up as my vacant period but I needed to do other last-minute preparations before starting my class. Have I checked the quizzes we had? Did I give assignment in any of my classes that I could prepare answers? Have I multiplied copy of the article for classroom reading? Have I aligned today my lesson with the science and math lessons? Have my students prepared their assigned tasks? These were always sickening things I needed not resist to.
As a teacher, I needed to teach religiously. From 8:45 am to 6:00 pm, except 12:00 noon, I needed to satisfy the innocence of my students. They always looked forward to every day if I had new inputs or materials for them. Again, I began to think: Have all desired to have this kind of material? Will all be able to understand my discussion? Will the students be able to respond me? Have I given them the right motivation? Have I sufficiently followed my plan? Have I targeted the essential skills? There wasn’t any way of escaping my thoughts because I needed to think ahead to muster the profession I have.
As a teacher, I needed to work while I ate. My 12-noon break was not an hour to rest. I needed to work for another things. Much as I wanted to concentrate eating, I couldn’t do away tinkling my keyboard to start another paperworks. Again, have I prioritized this paper? Have I done the other paper? Have I completed the first requirement? Papers are always a sore every day.
As a teacher, I needed to work beyond class hours. Checking of papers, making lesson plan, preparing visual aids, surfing the net – all these gave me a handful sleep. I needed to rest, but the clock always struck at 2:00 am. Again and again, I asked, “Have I done 50% of my work?”
As a teacher, I needed to work while I slept. Dreams were always in my mind. I dreamt of things I did in school. My mind worked as if it had traveled over ages of me, of what I did and of what I unconsciously wanted. I worked and I asked, “Have I stopped doing things?”
I surely got to involve myself. I was worried that I was beginning to peak my 40, which others said, “Life begins at 40.” I was occupied, after all; it was a stressful life. It was 40 because life was always there for me – I never rested.
But, I was hoping that that fruitful year would come ahead before reaching my 40th year.
After ten years, now, I’m resting.#
