A testimonial: Why teachers choose to remain teachers

The Youngblood article “Teacher ‘lang’” (Opinion, 12/15/13) by Jeremiah Ma. S. Santos struck a chord in my heart as I am also a teacher, albeit on a part-time basis since some years back.

I have received a number of times condescending and patronizing comments about my “most noble” profession. I experienced this early on in college at UST when this or that person would learn that my course was secondary education, major in English.

There are things that frustrate me about being a teacher, foremost of which is my salary, which my no-nonsense and straight-talking father, in his most natural deadpan tone, once described as “scandalously unjust.”

Outside of the private school where I am part-time teaching (and which I attended from first grade to high school), my other job is voicing for TV and radio commercials and English-dubbed TV soap operas. Well-meaning family members and friends have suggested a few times that I give up teaching altogether and just focus on my “rapid mouth action” pursuits (a term I playfully coined to refer to this job). “Besides,” a friend added, “you’re too bohemian and eccentric to be a teacher, Claude.”

I have seriously considered heeding their advice. But what is it about teaching that I just cannot let go of?

Turns out, what my elementary and high school teachers at JASMS-QC told our class many years ago is true: Teaching is very fulfilling and rewarding. I did not appreciate their dramatic declarations then. I found them too corny and insincere, for they were sometimes

uttered to make my classmates and I feel guilty after misbehaving.

But really, I get a certain high whenever my students would appreciate a lesson, whether it’s about proper pronunciation of commonly mispronounced words (my favorite topic), dramatic script reading, voice projection, grammar lessons, idiomatic expressions, Shakespeare (my Grade 7 students recently tackled Sonnet 18), etc. Most of all, I am overcome with an exhilarating feeling when I see my students portraying their respective roles so impressively during stage plays (the result of many weeks of our after-class and weekend rehearsals).

I then hope that these things that they learned will be valuable to them in whatever way in the long run, and even help build and improve their character.

For these reasons and more, I continue to teach. I know that many other teachers share my sentiments, having experienced their own highs as they imparted themselves to their students.

Still, I must add myself to the  many voices that have pleaded for improved conditions for all the teachers out there. To be a teacher is not easy. To be a true teacher is to be a loving and concerned human being. We have much love for and are very concerned about our students, but, as Santos wrote, “…teachers with meager pay would also be greatly concerned about the challenge of making ends meet.”

To the Philippine government and to the schools that employ us, take care of us, be concerned about us and love us… more.

—CLAUDE LUCAS C. DESPABILADERAS,

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