BEING a teacher is not an easy job.

Teachers not only face personal challenges in a day to day basis but they also have to deal with students.

An elementary school teacher observed that the behavior among pupils today is getting worse than ever before. This entails additional responsibility aside from the various roles a teacher has to portray within and beyond the scholastic realm.

“Wala nay respeto ang mga bata 'ron halos labyan na gani ka kung 'di ka mailhang maestra. Di man lang gani mo-greet (Pupils nowadays, do not have respect even by greeting the elders. They will disregard you, unless they know that you are a teacher),” a 55-year old teacher exclaimed.

Meanwhile, another testimony of a neophyte teacher quoted that it's entirely “a different stressful work to handle learners with behavioral problems than those with intellectual issues.”

In the average, 3 out of 10 pupils in each class are noted to have been involved into incidents like bullying, quarreling, stealing and destroying school's property.

Recently, a video has circulated in the social media on a bullying event between two junior high students of the Ateneo de Manila University Junior High School. It proves that misbehaviors proliferate to its instant pace whether in a private or public educational institution.

Teachers take the parental role by reinforcing “positive discipline” that would help resolve, if not eradicate the issue. For at least six-hour stay per day of these pupils with their teacher, they can be treated on their individual needs to modify these behaviors.

On the other end, the Department of Education urges the attention of the parents to do their part also in disciplining their children for they have greater influence and direct connection with them.

“Naa sa kamot sa mga ginikanan ang malamposong pagdisiplina sa ilang mga anak. Sa ilang mga tagsa-tagsa ka balay, nagsugod kining tanan (Discipline lies in the hand of the parents. In their individual respective homes, all these things started),” a 24-year old teacher concluded. (Mark Fil L. Tagsip, Teacher at DepEd Davao Oriental)