30 January 2001, Monday

Today is the first day of school after their 3rd Quarterly Exams. They are still recuperating from the stress the exams gave them. (The stress either comes from their struggle to get up and go to school or from their authentic desire to get a good mark from the exams.)

Last Thursday, one of my second year students went to the faculty room and asked to talk to me. Her first line was, “Miss, we can’t do it today.” Apparently, they still have to fulfill one more requirement for the 3rd Quarter: a play of their choice of scene from “Hamlet.” I immediately told her, “What do you mean? You had almost one whole week of no classes due to the People Power II thing and you still were not able to practice?” She defended herself and said, “Miss, not everyone was allowed to go out of their houses.” In my mind I was telling myself, “Hay naku, these kids are really being spoiled. They are deprived of this experience which schools can never teach them.” Then I finally told her, “Fine. I understand your situation. I’ll be giving you the Lit period later for you to practice and I want it presented on Monday.” So the day, which is today, came. Literature is their first subject and you can see them right after the flag ceremony running in and out of their classroom to the rest room changing into their costumes, others preparing the music and the set of their play. But boy! it took them almost an hour just to prepare for their 15-minute play! I had to take their 2nd period with their teacher’s permission. I told them to call me when they are ready. But since they were not calling me I decided to go out and demand that they start already. So they told me to sit on my chair already and waited for another 10 minutes for them to actually start. The play went on, some 1st year students trickled in to watch their ates, and I was impressed with the combined talents of my 19 2nd year students. The play impressed me so much but not the wait. At the end of their performance, I gave my comments both positive and negative. Their music was just great and their acting as well. What impressed me too is that everyone had a role—small or big—to play. I was very proud of them, but I never gave the credits to myself because I know that it was all their effort and talents and not my training. They were very creative. I dismissed them and told them to fix their mess, went back to the faculty room and the 3rd period teacher, who happens to be the level coordinator, got mad at me saying that I took her class unnecessarily. Well, should I say that it’s really part of teaching life? Maybe…

Ah yes, my “favorite” class: the first years. They already have an image with me because they were my students for three years and I know them to be mere sacks of rice with eyes that stare only at one spot. They what you call “NRs” or those people who do not show any reaction whatsoever, except for one. I have always had a hard with this class enthusing them and motivating them. I tried games. Fine, they are alive and kicking during the games, but when discussion starts, they immediately revert back to their NR mode. When I asked them to make an evaluation of me as a teacher last quarter they told me that my monotonous voice makes them sleepy and lose their focus. So I was more conscious with the tone of my voice and shifted from a shouting and formal relationship with my students to a more casual conversational style of teaching. I then noticed that they were more comfortable reciting during class. What I have to do now is balance respect, refined behavior, and lively discussion. With the second years, I really do not have a problem because they naturally talk and with sense. You can see their interest except for some who are really quiet. Going back to my first year class, I did not discuss anything with them because I wanted to give the time for them to practice for the Open House this Sunday that showcases their talents for their parents to see. They presented “New Yorker in Tondo” for 2nd quarter and it was very good! That was the first time I saw them really working with a lot of interest. So I decided to let them present it to their parents. I allowed this to happen because I love it when I see them enjoying more than suffering—which most college professors tend to do. I told them that I was going to let them practice for the whole week. I was also there during their practices. I also gave them some reminders and suggestions to improve their play.

Next was the Grade 7. This is another unique class. If the second years are easy to handle, the first years are NR, the grade 7 students are smart and clever. The grade 7 can get what they want from the teacher very well without you noticing that they are actually implementing a tactic. I know them already, thank God, that I don’t usually give in. Their goal is not to have class and just get free time. When I enter their classroom for class, they always have that “Miss Castro is there already” look. After all the greetings, they would be the ones to speak first and they see to it that they are the ones. Usually they would start the class with a delaying tactic by asking a lot of unrelated questions such as “Miss, have you seen this and that movie,” “Miss, can we watch the video we made on ‘Merchant of Venice’?” It could last for 15 minutes if they want to and if you let them. Since I know them, I would give them 5 minutes to do it, and remind them already of the class by saying “Class, we are already starting on a new topic.” Then you would hear a slow “Aaaawww.” But what is good about them is that they still talk and participate in the discussion. They are all smart…all nine of them. Yes, just nine of them. This is actually the class that I first handled as an adviser. So for today, we discussed Mythology.

Well, that’s it for today. Writing cannot contain every single detail that my mind has captured for today and as well as for the other days.