Teachers: Our Modern Day hero

"What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation" -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

TEACHING: AS PROFESSION

There is no other profession like teaching. It can be very exciting, depressing, rewarding, exhausting and can be extremely fun. Teaching is a very demanding career to choose. It is also the most rewarding one. A person who will choose to become a teacher someday should understand and know the importance of imparting something to your students. Teaching means giving something that will shape the minds of the children like how to write and read, discover how plants grow and understand math problems. Choosing to teach is choosing to make a difference in the lives of the future generation. Teaching means showing love of learning and dealing with discoveries. It means giving the children an avenue or tool they can use so that they can also discover on their own. 

Teachers nowadays should be ready in every aspect of their lives. As the world grows, where competition is high, Teachers should also innovate themselves.  Teachers should be willing to learn new techniques and skills in order to be competent with the world. Teachers should be aware that in conveying love for learning to children is not that easy. As we all now, technology somehow hinders the love for learning if not properly used. Children are more focus on the technology like PSP, internet games, computers, Cable TV Shows, and the likes. Children are more interested in what they can do on the computer than what they can get from school. With this, Teachers should also innovate in such a way the children will get interested in learning things at school.

Teacher should also play a different role in the classroom: educator, guide, counselor, facilitator, moderator, coach, disciplinarian and motivator. They should also be ready for the demands outside the classroom: computing grades, making lesson plans, doing visual aids, checking papers and some other school related which they cannot do inside the class. They should also be prepared in playing a role within the team: combine efforts and ideas with their mentors, colleagues, supervisors, as well as parents to create a good environment conducive for learning and to develop new skills and techniques in Teaching. They should also continue to upgrade or update tin learning new things and techniques and should always find a way to encourage students to learn to reach their full potential. As what is stated in the Preamble on the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers, they should possess technical and profession competence in the practice of their noble profession. 

TEACHERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Teachers in my country, are considered as the modern day heroes. They are the ones who gave their lives just to provide the right education needed by the children in any parts of the country. They shoulder a very difficult task of providing a better education to the country's future leaders. 

In a society where close family ties is important, some might agree to this and some may not, but teachers consider the classroom as their second home or family, they consider their students as their second children. Many stick to the profession for many years as they consider it as a very rewarding one. Despite and in spite of the situation the Philippines is facing in terms of education, teachers still stick to profession they ought to do.

Dr. Irma Makalinao, a professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines-Manila said teachers are not just modern day heroes because they sometimes have to be the “master showman.” “Because even on days when they have their own personal pain, teachers report to their respective classrooms while they muster enough courage to draw a smile from within and be ready to once more touch the hearts and minds of their students. 

A teacher I met from one of the seminars I attended when I was still a teaching 4 years ago, shared she didn't consider teaching under a Mahogany tree but it gives her the opportunity to show that a teacher should be versatile and that it also challenged her as its exactly opposite from where she came from (she is teaching in a private institution prior to teaching in a public school). She mentioned that it didn't stop share her knowledge as their is no more rewarding than seeing her students in the future who becomes professionals knowing that in one way or another she is one of the reason why they reach their goal and their full potential. 

TEACHERS FOR ABROAD

A teacher from Naga Central School in Naga City Philippines, turned down offer to teach in an International School abroad. Even though her passion is to teach but her heart is for the Filipino children. She quote, "I am satisfied with what I am doing, and at the end of the day, I could smile".

Its sad that a big numbers of teachers exchange their homeland for a job abroad. Foreign countries benefited the expertise of our teacher which we should be the one getting all the education they give. I cannot blame why a lot of teachers consider working abroad than teaching in the country. I also salute those teachers, who better stick to our homeland and be hero we need today. I also consider this as an option, up until today. I have a heart for Filipino children and to teach them the good education they need. However, a lot of things needs to be considered. I might be bias on what I wrote her but I think our government should do something about this problem. Literacy rate has been improved rapidly in the past years and if the government will not do anything to stop our teachers from going out, we might see, one day, that this country is a barren wasteland. Teachers on the other hand, should make the most of what is available at hand like lack of facilities and textbooks. But I believe that this is just a minor problem, since this is were teacher's creativity and innovativeness comes out.  I think we should also give chance to our government to do their work as we also do ours. We need to help each other in promoting better education for our future leaders.

Our country needs more excellent teachers, the kind who would inspire students to achieve their potential.   Encouraging more students to go into a teaching profession as our country needs good teacher to uplift the quality of education. 

Lastly, I was inspired by my classmate in high school who is now a teacher. I admire him by how he handle things as a Teacher. Teaching in a remote area here in the Philippines is not that easy.Imagine a place where there is no electricity, no means of transportation but only through riding a horse, no comfort rooms for sanitation, waters is taken from a very old reservoir that needs to be repaired and maintained, school building has only 2 or 3 rooms for about a hundred or more children,  people living in the area are aeta and manobos, or indeginious people,  and teachers lounge is made of old lumber and grass. You see the picture now? He is teaching in that area in a remote area in Davao City, Philippines. I was motivated by his dedication in empowering kids with knowledge and information.

A teacher should possess compassion for children and on teaching. One should be ready in giving up his/her own self to give to others, a kind who always makes learning as a joy.