Teachers in the Philippines are not high on the totem poles of prestige and remuneration, yet they enjoy the respect and love of generations of students who owe them most of not all of their success.
‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step’ says the celebrated Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu.
The first step of a person’s journey through life is never taken alone, but is shared with a teacher who guides him throughout the voyage.
A great joy for the teacher is to experience that moment of discovery for one’s self. Seeing his student learn his A-B-C’s, constructing his first sentence, and delivering his first oratorical piece will bring any teacher to tears.
Another greatest joy in teaching is to see the fruits of your labor, witnessing the rise of one’s students to the heights of success, prestige, and philanthropy.
It brings greater joy however to see students who have gone astray, taking the right road once more.
As the teacher shared the first step of his student many years ago, this same teacher allows that student to trace back those steps, back to the basics as they say. A new beginning, a breath of fresh air.
The best part in all of these is that the walls of a classroom cannot confine these joys. Learning is an ongoing process and a ‘breakthrough’ can be realized every single day.
There are many joys in teaching. Books and lectures cannot explain all of them. But there is but one joy of teaching, and that is learning.
By: Mrs. Elena H. Fabian | Tapulao Elementary School | Orani, Bataan
