When I was a kid I loved “mock teaching” a lot. Every summer during siestas I gathered few children from the neighborhood and taught them various lessons that I learned from school. This went on for few years. And yet ironically I didn’t want to become a teacher. I just loved teaching. I had other dreams in mind. As I continued discovering my gift, I thought I would end up as a famous journalist or a singer or a DJ. That’s when I took up Mass Communication Arts in the University. I also ventured every opportunity I could possibly take especially in the arena of creative arts, literary, and music just to get away from becoming a teacher. But I noticed that my passion for teaching was growing all the more. Indubitably I always caught myself teaching values education to kids, teaching youth at SS, teaching extension classes to children in slum areas, and teaching DVBS to youngsters every summer for many years. I heard confirmations from my teachers and friends then telling me that teaching is truly my gift. I knew it but teaching for a living or for career’s sake was not just the future I anticipated. As I wrestled with the reality, I also tried shaping a different future ahead of me. I wanted to be something else. But the direction I was desperately going wasn’t happening at all. I finally realized that teaching was just inseparable in my day- to- day- life on earth.
From the experiences I had in the past; through the confirmations I heard from teachers and friends; and from the truths I discovered myself, I came to grasp that I am really an educator. After that moment of truth, I began to devote my time teaching in every way and in many ways I was needed. I also took units in education to hone my skill and at the same time to broaden my knowledge in teaching endeavors. It was fulfilling I would say although teaching was really demanding, meticulous and required a lot of hard work. But my journey as an educator didn’t stop there. As I touched lives continually through a voluntary teaching in the Philippines, I also felt a call to expand my horizons and that is to serve learners of other third world countries. But I just didn’t know how to start. Few years later door had opened, and I had the first trip of a life time cross-culturally. It was the summer of 2000. That educational exposure visiting Vietnam and Cambodia was a wake up call at the same time. It opened my eyes to see that there are actually so many things I could do to contribute in doing human services. And one explicit example to this is teaching English or doing TESOL if you prefer. I call it literacy program. I knew it by heart that my training to this seemingly new field wasn’t enough, so I took TESOL classes and acquired a Diploma licensing me to teach anywhere in Asia.
Since then opportunity after opportunity had come. All I did was to grab them seriously and passionately. That’s how my journey as an educator started to widen tremendously and meaningfully.
The pictures below are the many memorable days of teaching English to self-motivated and interested learners in my success coming back in Saigon. After cooling off for a year...not really, but chasing my dreams for a deeper learning, Im so glad I came back. I do! This was the story then...
When I finally pursued my dream for further study at Asia Graduate School within the cognate called Ph.D in Adult Learning and Continuous Education last summer of 2007, it was also a decision to lie low for a while in volunteering works here in Vietnam. So I went home to Philippines to do the program. All of my time that year was devoted to burning eyebrows. Not to mention those high expectations of respective professors in this academe, blah, blah, blah. As one of scholars attached to our own world known as academia, all I did was to work hard day and night to be able to cope up with all the pressures and endless demands of this scholastic journey. I would say I was happy because I made it this far, but I am also honest to say that it wasn’t a fulfilling start for me. Forget about the GPA because that’s not my point for being unfulfilled (I got high grades though). Everything was a struggle and kind of new experience sad to say. I had to start from scratch especially when it comes to finding work and support. I was jobless again even in my own homeland. That wasn't the only reason for being unfulfilled at all, but realizing that being in this journey was only burning eyebrows I think was boring and monotonous lifestyle to indulge. That's when I decided to integrate my volunteering and my scholastic life. My ultimate reason was I wanted to apply immediately the theories and strategies I had learned from school to my present endeavors than waiting for long years until I finished school. Then they're no longer relevant and effective. Now I am really happy doing school and doing volunteering on the one hand. I am fulfilled. But it doesn't mean struggles and problems are away. They're still there. So much talking already, now please journey with me then!!!
...during group discussion affter my lecture on "Goal Setting 2008"...
...EC Staff are ready for work, guys in action...
... I was reading the finished-product being discussed by a group...
...just a fun song before the class started...
"EC Rest & Recreation at Vung Tau Beach but also for educational purposes"
...as usual brainstorming...
...thinking so hard...
...talking a lot...
...presentation time, showing off hehehe...
...it's my turn now...
...it's lunch time...
...who says educating is boring??? i had fun too....
...poise from all of us. look at those smiles...
...integrating game in learning was fun...
...dinner with EC staff after the hard work teaching at the club...
...teaching learners an action song before discussion time...
...I and Benny did the acquaintance song before the crowd...
...i facilitated the group discussion about MS Universe 2008...
...i helped the emcees during our own EC MS Universe...
...I gave orientation on interesting things about Ms Universe...
...wow, they're listening attentively...
...group time, talking about the lecture on friendship day...
...while some folks are enjoying, the rest are contemplating. it takes bending knees to learn the song,huh?...
...making melody in my heart. i love this song...
...poise after crowning of the reigning Miss EC Universe...
...giving recognition for thier excellent contribution in the club...
...Binh and I wrote special thoughts to a friend...
...another poise after dinner...
...educating is also modeling, i mean doing the TPR. I learned it from TESOL...
... I was leading the singing from the song we're learning...
...look how interesting they are from learning English...
...I was incharged for leading an action song...
...i wasnt teaching a dance. not at all...
...i was leading the group discussion for the day's topic...
...singing while strudying was also a cool thing to do...
...yap, i deserve even a short rest, a nap I prefer to call it...
This year I lectured on the topic "Moving on Towards an Understandable English". This is all about reexamining and reflecting why foreigners don't understand much how the locals speak English even if they have been studying for ages. So we came to break the many barriers and provided answers to the problems at hand. Im glad they came to realize so. So this was very memorable for me of all the lectures I did.
...tongue twister helped solve the issue...
..."oh it's because we never say the letter S and the final sounds," one said.
...it's chatting time...
...giving some important tips in speaking English...
...I said, "open your mouth, speak clearly, and loudly"...
...practice makes perfect even if you look awkward...
I volunteered in this English Club for two years. We catered more than two hundred individuals. We even had older learners who were passionate enough to learn the said language amidst paradox of their age. Looking at these pictures reminds me of the fun times we had together, learning english together,and also building up good rapport with each other. But sad to say this English was totally closed for some reasons. But Im still hoping that this will be opened soon again.
...look how happy they are...
...during our dramatization of the lecture...
...everyone was willing to participate. "choose me" one pleaded.
...they were volunteers (including me, of course) from different parts of the world visting and helping us in the club...
"Our EC in the City Anniversary at Jollibee"
..this is also what it takes to become an educator. I had to do anything to make the learning fun and interesting. I mimic Michael Jackson by singing a song...
...another busy hour chatting...
...endless poise. see, educating aside from suffering is also fun...
...I was teaching them a Christmas song. i was not raising the roof. that's bad...
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