“THE HURTING TRUTH BEHIND THE TEACHERS’ LIVES”

Post date: Sep 1, 2017 7:45:34 AM

HONEYLEENE P. BAUTISTA

T-I, City of Balanga National High School

Teaching has provided opportunities for educators to see life in different facets. It is such a wonderful chance to view how lives are transformed. It is wonderful to bring knowledge to those who strive to achieve their dreams. It is such a wonder to realize that you are a part of who they are now for eternity.

You give your all because you know their future depends on you. You spend longer hours in school to prepare for the next day. You stay up late because papers must be returned before moving on to another lesson. You come to school early to make sure everything is set to perfection because learning is better when planned.

How great it is to become a teacher because you are appreciated for everything that you do for them – your students. Yet, the beautiful struggle is always the focus of your being a teacher and the ugly truth about it is often sugar coated just so we can raise the pride and honor of the workforce that brings literacy and morality to its peak.

The idea of blaming teachers for everything is just unfair and the so-called ‘teacher factor’ has brought one-sidedness to its optimum level. When students succeed, it is teacher factor. When students fail, it definitely is teacher factor. What about other factors?

Other than this, when psychotherapist Amy Morin wrote that measuring a person’s worth is by who they are at their core, it is not what actually happens. If we look at how things are valued, it will always be based on how much is its price; a high-powered laptop is worth thousands of cash and a high-grade organic honey is sure to be sold at a remarkable price tag. Metaphorically comparing the status of valuable goods and commodities as to how valuable teachers are seems to be creating a discrepancy. If it is through them that future professionals are molded, how come they’re monetary worth is not following the laws of economics?

Lastly, the ugliest and priciest of it all, their family is paying the price in exchange of everything. Teachers are efficient because their family can only take less of them: their husbands/wives take most of the responsibilities at home and their kids either do self-study or wait until their teacher parent is available to help them with their assignments and school duties. Teachers are efficient because their families support them.

Life is not all good. We all know that but still, it is disheartening to know that despite of all the remarkable things teachers has done from generation to generation and in spite of all the sacrifices, there are still those who look down on them. Their struggle is real but they remain loyal to their oath, because without them, everything will fall apart.