Id like to post this essay, my winning piece (First Place) during the 2011 National Essay Writing Contest for Teachers spearheaded by the National Association of Secondary Schools of the Philippines (NASSPHIL): I love being a teacher because… I believe that my calling is to plant and nurture seeds that will grow and shape tomorrow. Like the farmer planting a mango seedling knowing he will never live long enough to see the tree in all its glory, I know I might never see the fruits of my labors as a teacher. I believe, however, that a passion to inform-as little as a seed with its bitter taste-may be pregnant to a great product and that an ardor to form-as quick as lightning with its dazzling brightness- can create a tremendous fire. I love being a teacher because I carry out a two-fold task-to inform and to form. My conviction, therefore, is to whip up an inspiration to the learners. I believe that teachers like me must inspire students to enable them to become successful in their lives. With this, I have always tried my best to make sure that I teach what is important to my students, what really matters to them, and what will be most useful to them in the real world. As an educator, I am certainly aware that I touch lives and transform these into better and more meaningful ones. My students learn best through real world experiences which are meaningful to them. As such, I focus on their individual needs and include them in the process of their learning. It is my ardent hope to make my students understand that learning should take place not only in their classroom, but throughout their everyday lives outside this four-cornered world. I exact upon them that they must be able to function in the real world which not only requires academic knowledge but social skills as well. I strive to help them become lifelong learners and to push their own opportunities to gain knowledge. As a teacher, I enjoy serving as the “guide on the side” rather than “the sage on the stage.” I know that I teach best when I connect as a human being to my students. I take pleasure in guiding them in their learning, and not forcing them to learn. It is my belief that individual differences need to be recognized, respected and even celebrated. I know that not all students learn in the same way, so I make sure that I am able to reach visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic learners. I attempt to respond to different learning styles and to accommodate different learning abilities. Thus, I make conscious effort to present my lessons in various methods and approaches in order to reach each of them. I love being a teacher because I know that their successes in life are my living trophies of success, too. As such, I emphasize active learning. I encourage my students to think actively and critically trough the question-and-answer process and continuously motivate them to seek for their own answer by asking questions for themselves. I espouse that learning should be guided rather than presented and that a great deal of discussion should be used in the learning process. I make sure that my students are given opportunities to relate their learning and critical thinking skills to social challenges and problems outside the classroom walls. I love being a teacher because I think I am a transformer. I deem that teaching is not solely academic. As a mentor, I know I must educate my students by teaching them the social skills needed to solve problems. I do not want to feed facts to my students, but I want them to understand concepts they can apply to a wide range of situations. I want them to think. It is my belief that the way to achieve this is by giving students a voice in the learning process, and by assisting them in finding connections in the curriculum with their own life and interests. Finally, I state with conviction that I love being a teacher because of my professional growth. While practicing this noble profession, I make great efforts to improve my teaching by seeking feedbacks from my students and peers, attending teaching seminars and workshops, and studying and experimenting with new methods and approaches. Through these evaluative and enriching processes, I continuously refresh my passion and enthusiasm for teaching and learning and refine my teaching practices, thereby growing both as a teacher and as a scholar. These reasons why I love being a teacher will continue to guide me throughout this noble profession. The lyrics that follow from “The Greatest Love of All” sung by Whitney Houston would sum up my reason why I love being a teacher: “I believe that the children are our future We teach them well and let them lead the way Show them all the beauty they possess inside Give them a sense of pride.”
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 10:30:22 +0000
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