My Vocation as a Teacher

"Teaching will be the last profession I'd get into," I proclaimed to my high school classmates when we were choosing courses to take while we were applying for college. And where am I now? I am in the academe with all my heart and mind into teaching. Pretty ironic huh? But I guess, if it is your vocation, no matter how much you despise it, you'd find yourself walking the road toward it.

I discovered my vocation gradually. It was not like as if I just woke up one day and suddenly decided that I'd become a teacher. It was a slow process composed of several turning points in my life.

First, I owe it to my English teacher in college, Margaret Puyat. In the history of my first two years in UA&P, I have never really gotten a good grade for my papers. I would normally get a 3.0 (the passing mark at that time; equivalent to a 75%) and sporadically some 2.0s. It was when we were about to end the 2nd semester of my 2nd year college that I got my first A- grade for a paper from Margaret. This was a milestone in my life because it encouraged me a lot. It gave me hope that I can still work out on my compositions and actually get good grades. Ms. Puyat was one of those teachers who inspired me to teach because she gave me hope, I worked on my writing skills, and actually become good at it. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to also inspire others to do better in English especially those in the provinces.

Aside from Ms. Puyat, I also Rey Leutz in my list who was a vivacious teacher who always tried to act out Ancient History for us that made the classes entertaining. These two teachers, Margaret and Rey are my mentors perhaps wihtout their knowing it.

I originally was planning to take Business Administration thinking that I am cut out for the business and corporate world. But after a semester with Accounting, I realized that Business is not the course for me. I asked my dad [I had to since he was paying my tuition] if I could take Education instead. He denied me, and I decided to take another course close enough to education: General Humanitites. With my new-found course, I learned to love the arts, culture, and philosophy. I learned how to think deeper, analytically, and critically. I discovered the power of knowledge, and my power to acquire knowledge. I became enthralled by the idea of knowledge being power and my desire to share my knowledge to others began to mature.

I finished General Humanities and immediately applied to become a teacher in a private school. (In my following entries, you'll read more about my first years of teaching.) After a few months, I decided to take Master in Arts in Development Education also from UA&P. It was not diffcult to ask my dad this time maybe because he realized that it is really what I wanted. And so I did, and finished it in 4 years. :)

I have taught for four school years and already on my fifth year. I have tried to get into the corporate world, but I realized that my heart is really into teaching. My experience with NGO work was not naught. My one year stint strengthened my vocation as a teacher. I came to realize more that there is no other profession for me better than being an educator. :)

I love this job.