SEPTEMBER 5 marks the start of the annual celebration of the National Teachers' Month or NTM. The NTM, which will run until October 5, is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 242 entitled Declaring the Period of September 5 to October 5 Every Year as National Teachers’ Month, as well as Republic Act No. 10743 entitled An Act Declaring the Fifth Day of October of Every Year as the National Teachers’ Day and its Implementing Rules and Regulations and the designation of the World Teachers’ Day every 5th of October by the United Nations Education and Cultural Organizations (Unesco).
Many people would probably think that teaching is just discussing lessons, giving quizzes and exams, and checking test papers. Well, that stuff is already harder than any other office or clerical work there is, but there’s more to teaching than just standing in front of the students trying to make them understand and appreciate the lessons that you want to impart to them.
When you become a teacher, you become a model, an example of how an upright person ought to be. I remember, when I was still teaching, I would often be conscious of what I would wear when I would go to the mall. I would avoid wearing skimpy and revealing outfits since there are big chances that I would bump into my students in public places. Other than that, I would always be mindful of what I post in social networking sites because most of my students have been added to my accounts.
Secondly, you also become a mentor to them. It is quite true that students highly look up to their teachers, and more than the academic lessons that we are required to pass on to them, we should also teach them lessons about life and the many things that are definitely not experiences within the confines of the classroom. Whenever I handle the writing and speech classes, I would always try my best to teach them more than what they should know. For example, in my writing class, I would ask them to prepare a survey research, and along the way, they would experience interacting with their respondents, which is something that will be advantageous for them when they will conduct their undergraduate thesis work. In my speech class on the other hand, I try my best as well to prepare them for the workplace, teaching them how to speak well in interviews and presentations.
Above all, being a teacher ultimately means being a second parent to your students. Inside the classroom, we are a family. I am a mother, and they are my children. This means that, there’s more to being just a teacher and a student. Rather, a parent who cares and nurtures his or her children to ensure their well-being and holistic development. When a teacher enters the classroom, he or she juggles all these roles and becomes an all-in-one package who only wishes that his or her students become the best that they could possibly be.
With this, it is an opportune time to salute all teachers who act as models, mentors, and parents to their young learners. Kudos and a Happy National Teachers’ Month to all our heroes---our beloved teachers!