Me:

It has been an amazing roller-coaster ride. Hindi palaging smooth, hindi rin naman palaging rough. Ang dami nang pinagdaanan and na-experience in those five years. Being one of the first four teachers to start teaching in this institution has been such an honor. Really.

Hindi alam ng lahat or baka nakalimutan na ng iba na nagsimula kami sa walang-wala. By that, I mean wala pa kaming matinong gamit, tables and chairs, kitchenware, devices, name it. Wala pang canteen, wala kaming matinong work area, basag-basag ang bintana, hindi magkakapareho ang silya ng mga students, as in nag-umpisa kami sa kung anong resources lang ang pwede. Natutong mamaluktot at nagtiis sa kung ano lang ang meron. Kaya naman salamat nang marami sa mga umalalay sa amin noong mga panahong walang-wala hanggang sa unti-unti nang magkaroon.

Nakikitira pa kami sa Baras Elementary School na malugod na kumupkop sa amin magmula noon hanggang ngayon, kahit na may bagong building na tayo na hindi pa natin matuluyan dahil kasalukuyang ginagamit na pasilidad for isolation para sa COVID-19 patients. Sa lahat ng pinagdaanan ko sa Baras Senior High, masasabi kong sobrang life-changing na makita ang growth ng isang institusyon na tumayo nang ikalawang tahanan ko na kumalinga sa akin at humubog sa akin kung sino ako ngayon. I wouldn’t be here kung nasaan ako ngayon bilang guro, bilang professional, at bilang tao kung hindi sa sintang paaralan, ang Baras Senior High School.

When I look back to the good ol’ days, hindi lang yung face-to-face interactions with students ang nami-miss ko, but how we were able to get by kahit limited lang ang resources. Kaya naman I am truly proud to be part of the history of Baras Senior High. I can only do so much to somehow contribute to our school’s very rich history, including her humble achievements.

Kung di rin dahil sa mga BarasHenyo students ko magmula noong nag-start kami nung 2016, di ko mafi-feel yung fulfillment bilang teacher-coach, na siyang kasa-kasama ng mga students kapag may trainings o contests.

Yung feeling na para kang stage mom kapag nananalo pa sila ng award. Iba rin ang feeling when you become the instrument for students to reach certain milestones in their life—like being first-time research presenters,

first-time student council officers,

first-time campus journalists and Division contenders,

2017

2018

2019, and first-time Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) qualifiers,

first-time orators/public speakers,

first-time artwork exhibitors, first-time pageant contestants, first-time kontesero/kontesera, sa anumang larangan—mapa-academics o extra-curricular, name it. Ang saya lang kasi the Lord has gifted me with eyes that see the good in students and kung anong potential nila. Sana madala ko ito hanggang pagtanda ko para mas marami pang students ang matulungan ko to reach their dreams and to unlock achievements they themselves claim na di raw nila ma-imagine na magkakaron sila. Na-ah! Syempre, di pa rin ako naniniwalang di nila kaya, di ba? Teka, ba’t ako naiiyak?

Thankful ako to have also been blessed with a lot of opportunities hindi lang when it comes to teaching but trainings as well, hence my professional development. And with that, I make sure na lahat ng learnings ko from these training opportunities ay sinisiksik ko sa kokote ko para maiuwi ko sa students and maituro din sa kanila. Literal na takeaways kumbaga. Ito pa lang ang kaya kong iuwing pasalubong sa kanila (for now). Lagi na lang kasi akong nakakantsawan na “pasalubong” every time may out-of-town trainings/seminars. Hehehe.

Hindi ako perfect na teacher, pero I am trying my best to be someone worth emulating. Sana ako yung teacher na makaka-inspire ng students to do more, do better, be better, and be more. Sana ako yung teacher na tutularan ng students na maging mabuting ehemplo para sa kanila, so they can be morally upright citizens of the country. Sana ako yung teacher na makakatulong sa kanila to be future-ready, career-ready, and workplace-ready, equipped with 21stCentury skills na kailangan nila when they face the world after senior high school. Sana sa kabila nitong pandemic, kung saan patong-patong na ang trabaho ko at responsibilities bilang teacher, empleyado ng gobyerno, at bilang PhD student, sana ako yung teacher na nakapagpalakas ng loob ng students ko to keep going kahit hindi madaling mag-aral ngayong new normal.

June 13 marks my fifth year in Baras Senior High School na mas lalong pina-special ng aking recent promotion to Master Teacher I—na hindi maggiging posible kung hindi sa lahat ng natutunan ko mula sa sintang paaralan, magmula sa mga naging principal ko at OIC, sa mga kasamahan kong guro, to my students (both old and new), sa mga non-teaching staff at utility personnel, sa mga nakatrabaho sa District, Division, at Region, at sa lahat ng naging bahagi ng aking senior high school journey. Cheers to five years! 🥳🥂🍾🎊🎉