What's in a name?

One of the things that I do to break the monotony of my class is to translate the names or surnames of my pupils into either English or Filipino during roll calls. Filipino names and last names can be very funny when translated into English. Since I’m a subject teacher, I teach all the sections of grade six so I have a lot of names to make fun of (in a nice way of course). I have difficulty remembering faces how much more connecting the names to faces, so, somehow by having fun while roll calling the humor helps sort of a mnemonic device.

 

Here are some of examples.

1. Vinz Cannot be Stolen    -Vinz Dimarucut.

2. Ann Martiz Cannot be defeated     - Ann Martiz Dimaraig

3. Reyeen the Savior         -Reyeen Salavador

I explained that Salvador in English is savior.

And so on…

Last school year, one of the activities I asked my pupils to do was to ask their parents how they were given their names. Most of them had explanations that were logical and there were some who were named by their parents for “weird” reasons and there were those who could not explain how they got their names. There was one pupil who even now gave no explanation for his name—One Lookas Cruz. I was tempted to talk to his father about this name, but I was stopped by my sense propriety.

 

I had a pupil whose name made me laugh until now. She was Champagne Henessy Beato. I told her that I get drunk by just calling her name . I explained to her that she was named after two alcoholic drinks. There was Eva Salon. So, naturally,  I called her Eva’s Salon and she has a brother, Alex, who is in grade six now. He is now Alex’s Salon.

  

There were Caucasian names that somehow created a picture of either a meztizo or a Fil-Am, but upon calling the name and seeing the pupils raising his or her hand, I am disappointed and amused to find out that he/she is not what I imagined him/her to be.

 There was James Walter O. Russel. Upon reading the name, I scanned around the room looking for a Caucasian or a Fil-Am or an Afro-American only to find out that James Walter O. Russel is a flat nosed, brown little boy—a typical “bata” no traces whatsoever of any Caucasian or Afro hmmm…characteristics. I asked him if he has an American blood; he said none.

There was Mureen Poquita...hmmm...but I did not even attempt to translate her last name into English.

I have learned that my pupils’ names tell something about their parents and not about my pupils and, as is traditional among Filipinos, do not follow the calendar anymore. There were pupils whose names combine the first syllables or the full name of their parents (a trend that is still in vogue) and there were names that are defy explanations whatsoever.

Making fun of their names made my pupils laugh  but I was also sensitive lest I offend,so,  when I see a frown or a smirk especially among the girls, I apologized then stopped. But generally speaking,  we had great laughs and fun.

I am a sir and not a ma'am!

It makes me smile every time a pupil calls me “ma’am”. I can’t blame them because 90 percent of the teachers in the school are women (5 out of 50). Teaching in the grade school is a woman’s domain and male teachers are still a novelty among the pupils proof of this is that more often than not I am called a ma’am than a sir.

I have often wondered why this is so. Why it is that the teaching profession both in the elementary and the secondary is dominated by women. Is there some sort of sexist or feminist or whatever factor that could be attributed to this phenomenon?

Since the Philippine’s educational system is patterned after the American system it is only logical to look at bits of American history of education in search of explanations.

The Americans drew most of its teachers from its population of young women during the early part of the mid-nineteenth. Though this may seemed like a sort of liberation and recognition for the feminine gender for equality and economic emancipation and may even taken as recognition of women’s role in the shaping of the American society, but actually the reason why the US Department of Education seek out women as teachers was economical and may even be exploitative.  

 Since the beginning of the organization of the US public educational system one of the issues that challenged them was the cost of employing teachers. One of the solutions was the employment of women. Women teachers were paid less than their male counterpart and because of this disparity in compensation it became policy to recruit teachers from the female population.Add to it the fact that women did not have the right to vote during those times so they did not have representation.

Also women there were stereotypes for women that made them fit for teaching. These stereotypes were, of course, looking at today’s situation is already outmoded and could even be considered as misconceptions. They were the ff:

1. Women have the maternal instinct hence the patience and the affection in teaching children.
2. They are more focused and less ambitious.
3. The children have a more fully developed sense of affection hence women teachers hold the key to their whole being.
4. So, the generalization is that women have the capacity to influence children through their emotions. (J.K. Conway)

  Though teaching became women’s domain still the policies adapted were against them. Aside from the disparity in salary, the opportunities for promotions were also denied from them; it is seven time more likely for a male to be promoted to administrative and curriculum administrators.

 Anyway, all these things are now history since generally speaking the gender issues in education is now a thing of the past.

I therefore conclude that the reason why most of our teachers are women is that the American brought the trend with them. In Europe, from what I read, majority of the elementary school teachers are men because they have a different philosophy about employing men.

Just wondering.

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Flood

(My gulay…My English is getting badder by the day! Re-reading my last post almost gave me a heart attack. Hehehhehe...)

It was raining very hard when the class ended. I hurriedly left the school so that I could go home early. Kick started my motorcycle, revved it up and went as fast as I could only to find out that a part of the road was flooded and impassable to small vehicles like my motorcycle. I roamed around Taytay looking for a passable street but I didn’t find any. So, I went back to the school and left my motorcycle there. Last year I tried to run the motorcycle through the flood with disastrous result; the motorcycle’s air intake was submerged in floodwater drowning the carburetor. I had to shell out five hundred pesos for repair.

This time  I did the best thing to do, I walked home.

I was walking in the flood when I noticed corrugated steel bars protruding form the unfinished drainage canal. There were pedestrians and children walking and if one of them slipped they would either be barbecued (hmmmm or speared or hmmm what is that word? hmmmm....ahhhh  pierced!)...pierced by the bars or they could fall into the open canal to be carried by the current into the polluted Cainta River. Safety.

Got home to find my daughter wet and cold sitting by the door. She could not enter the house because she had no key. Her mother locked the door when she left for Cavite to visit her aunt.

ICT Misconceptions and Problems/ Highs and Lows of Teaching

I was talking with my one of my co-teachers about the computerization program of the Department of education and I felt some tinge of doubt and even antagonism in her voice. Most teachers in the school have doubts and some are even against the program. This is understandable since most teachers are threatened by technology and especially the more mature ones are not open to changes ,and, also, they have difficulties adapting with trends in technology.


There are also misconceptions about using computers in the classroom because many imagine a classroom full of hardwares, technology, cables, screens etc. This is unrealisitc since the technologies available in the schools (pilot) are too few to even give all the teachers the chance to get acquainted with the technology. It has been clarified that an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) compliant classroom does not necessarily have to use the full gamut of ICT—a fully computerized lesson and classroom. Since the hardware and the technology available is very, very limited, a classroom or a lesson that uses a simple PowerPoint presentation can be considered an ICT compliant lesson. The presentation maybe done in the motivational, the discussion, or the evaluation part of the lesson. It does not necessarily have to be in all the part of the lesson and it does not necessarily must use all the features of the multi media packages given by the department.According to the authorities of the program, any multi-media tools used in the classroom may it be an audio, a visual, an
internet based (or lesson using the internet) lesson in part or in whole is an ICT compliant class. Small doses of ICT in the classroom lest the teachers are overwhelmed.
.

It is still impractical to use ICT in the whole lesson as of this time. It takes time to set the up the system. The computer hardware and software is unreliable and the Internet connection is slow and the router overloaded. In fact this is the most common complain why most teachers do not use the system--too much time wasted tinkering. It is still better to use traditional implements of teaching in the classroom because of this problem.

Another misconception that generates the most negative attitude towards computerization program is one of elitism. Many teachers feel that ICT key teachers are elite because of their access to the technology and their exposure to seminars, hence to some this may seems like a policy of prioritization and even favoritism. Somehow this misconception have developed a feeling of inadequacy and may I say a tinge of envy and jealousy to some of the teachers. This cannot be helped and I cannot disagree with them. Actually this may just be an incidental result of their fear of technology.

Anyway, these multi media trained teachers are still teachers. They are no better than any teacher. In fact, I still believe that the best teachers are those who could teach with less. Socrates for one developed one of the most effective method of teaching simply by mastering the art of questioning.

Computers are just tools.

I for one (though I am not an ICT teacher, it juts happened that I substituted for one in the seminar) , seldom, and at times do not use the multi-media package in the classroom becuase they are still novelties and as a result they distract rather than help focus the pupils' attention to the lesson especially if the presentation are too fancy for their short attention span. Small doses lest the pupils are overwhelmed.


The program is still in its infancy. The ideal ICT classroom is, for me, still fifty years ahead until the time that the computer to pupil ratio has become realistic.
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Teaching has it highs and lows depending upon the group of pupils that I’m teaching. Teaching homogenous section is fulfilling becuase  the pupils can relate and catch up with the lessons. They participate and are active during discussions. I feel like a teacher, a real teacher, with this group of pupils. 

Teaching heterogeneous group especially the lower sections on the other hand is frustrating. There is virtually no classroom discussion because most of my lesson time (or most of the teachers’ also) is taken up by classroom management. Just giving definitions and instructions take a lot of repetitions. I have to be very very patient and I have to keep repeating, re explaining and re-telling everything. Every time I ask them if they understand, they always say yeas, but, after a few minutes, I can’t help but notice the blank look in their eyes. I, of course know the reason for the blank look: they have no idea of what needs to be done!

I don’t know if they are learning anything. I feel like a prison guard with these pupils.

Teaching, talking, standing in front of tha class, discussing, these are not tiring. Physically these activities may be draining but then they are not really that exhausting. What is exhausting is teaching with the nagging doubt that maybe my pupils are not learning. They are not interested, they cannot catch up. The more I think about this, the more pressured I am to do better, to drive these pupils harder and when this happens, I become mean, angry and bad. This is what is exhausting. 

Maybe I need to be desensitized. 

Maybe this is how many teachers manage to survive.

  

Rizal's Birthday and Report

Yesterday was Rizal’s birthday. The whole country observed, with solemnity, the 150th birth anniversary of our national hero. Of course, Rizal was an incomparable Filipino (or Malay) because of his talents, achievements and gifts. He was a doctor, a polyglot, a poet, a nationalist, a painter, etc. His novels were the catalyst for the Philippine Revolution. The portrayal of the sufferings of the Filipinos and the tyranny of the Spaniards in his two novels inspired the nationalist spirit among the revolutionary leaders to organize that Katipunan to fight for the freedom and the independence of the Filipinos from Spain. The rest is history.

I attended, was forced to attend as ordered by the department, to attend the commemoration rites held at the Taytay Municipal Hall yesterday. I was partly amused and impressed when I saw the Knights of Rizal dressed in Barongs wearing sash and medallions calling each other “sirs.” Knights are really called “sirs”; it’s a British tradition.  That’s why whenever my pupils call me “sir” I feel like a knight in cotton armor. The speaker was Reghis Romero II a famous businessman known for his allegedly anomalous deals during the Ramos Administration but since nothing was proven; he was not convicted of any wrong doings. Well, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Hmmm… But what would Rizal say? That is, if he was alive.

It was Sunday and I did not attend church. But the whole thing, the ceremony, the patriotic songs, the message and the flower offerings to the statue of Rizal felt like I was in a church worshipping a demi-god.

Hmmm…too much coffee.

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I hate writing formal reports. Maybe it’s because they have formats and certain rules to observe. Another thing I hate about it is the necessity to check and recheck for grammatical errors (or lapses) and also the choice of words used. It must have the appearance of a…hmmm…an academic or an educated author. It must conform to format from the letterhead: from the Republic of the Philippines, to the department, to the region, to the division, to the district, to the school, to the logo, to the bullets, to the numbering, to the signatories, to the diapers, to hell… It’s the system. Hmm…

Anyway, without any format the report would begin to look like a blog. He,he,he…

One of the habits I have developed when reading, or writing reports or writing a post for this blog is drinking coffee. I drink from three to four cups of coffee to keep me interested in what I’m doing. I don’t know if drinking coffee is good for the heart because some coffee manufacturers boasts that their coffee contains good cholesterol or omega something which is, according to them, good for the heart. Of course their ads are always followed by the caveat: “No therapeutic something…”  But I have read that addiction to coffee is akin to chain smoking. Usually that what happens, nicotine addicts become caffeine addicts—from cigarettes to coffee. It’s the stimulants. I experienced that when I quit smoking a few years ago.

 Maybe it’s the caffeine, or maybe it’s the taste, or maybe it’s the hot liquid going down the throat stimulating the nerve endings in the larynx that stimulates the brain. Anyway…

Sabong, superstitions etc.

I saw my neighbor sitting while holding a twig. He was sitting and twirling the twig as if he was conducting an invisible orchestra. Curious, I went nearer for a look. I thought he was going nuts or something; he was not. Partially hidden by the leaves was a fighting cock. He was training his fighting cock. Maybe because I go to work everyday, I hadn’t seen him doing this ritual every morning. 

Raising and training fighting cocks is a serious and    multi million peso business here in the Philippines.

A couple of years ago on a Sunday morning, I was riding on a jeepney and beside me was a man with a fighting cock, a sabungero. He was talking animatedly with the driver about bets, odds and money. As the vehicle was cruising it met a funeral procession. The men became quiet. The look on the sabungero’s   face became sullen. He looked at the driver and said, “I hope we pass by a church with a wedding, or we meet a wedding vehicle.” Sabungeros have their own superstitious beliefs. Some of these beliefs are so strong that they would not even proceed to the arena when they met bad omens along the way. I could  see both the dirver and the sabungero scanning peering and looking and searching for good omens that would neutralize the funeral march. 

I do not believe in superstitions for they are illogical. They have no basis in reason and even in faith because most of them are obviously ridiculous and inane. But belief in superstitions does have power over the believer both psychological and supernatural. I have seen people literally get sick because they did not ask permission from a tree or a molehill when they pass by. Of course, the sickness may be explained medically but these people’s beliefs are so strong that they really get sick and medicine have little or no effect on them.  What's strange is that albukaryo's spells and cures do help them in most cases.

These  symptoms are really   psychosomatic in nature—it’s the mind fooling the body but its still they affect the believer so strongly. Really, superstitions are not harmless. They are to a certain level mental diseases.

 

What is the most important thing in the world? What is it that we seek?

I read an essay telling that what we, human beans, really want is peace of mind. All our religions, all our struggles, all our philosophical wonderings and meandering,  etc. are really geared  and expressions towards achieving “peace of mind.” In religion, all we are just beings seeking this state of bliss a state of eternal serenity. The essay goes on to say that if we all understand that we could achieve peace of mind in our own varied ways then there would be peace. Of course this idea is not new. This age, the post modern era, has made subjectivity diversity as one of its distinctive as oppose to the earlier eras where there were a lot of hang ups.

Anyway, if this all we need, if peace of mind is all humanity wants, then why not espouse suicide? 

What humanity is really searching is meaning. What needs explanation is what in the world are we doing here and why are we here. As long as this question is not answered, peace of mind will escape humanity’s grasps. 

Even religion at its limits could not offer anything except peace of mind. Hmmm…the circle begins again. 

Of course greater minds have explored and proposed answers to this question but still answers are inadequate. 

Maybe it’s the mystery; it’s the insolubility of the question that makes our life as it is. Hrrrrrmmmmmmm…

Day 4

Last night, out of boredom, I took a walk outside the building. It was dark and there were no sari-sari stores or by-standers outside the compound just vehicles zooming to and fro the highway. I had the feeling that I was in outer space—all black.

Again, we did sessions the whole day on how to use ICT integrated lessons. E-quizzes were demonstrated. How to construct quizzes, games and other teacher aids using MS applications. The whole was spent doing hands on.

I’m bored.

Day Three

Third day.

I slept lightly last night. One of my roommates was snoring so loudly that once in a while I was jolted from my sleep thinking that there was an earthquake or a tsunami of some sort going on out side. I asked my co-teacher if he heard it too, but he turned to me and asked me, "I thought it was you?" Now, I don't know who is snoring loudly me or my roommate. Maybe it was both of us.

Today is our post test for our computer hands on. I don't know why some teachers are afraid of the test. I mean its not a car test driving where failure means one is not going to drive any vehicle for a period because they may be a threat to society. Its just a test to assess whether you learned something from the sessions. Its about the them, the lecturers and instructors, as much as it is about us.

I'll update later. The session is now filling up with delegates eager to learn the basics of computing. Why was i grouped with them. Ohhhh...I forgot, I was stumped by the test item on adding and removing watermark using MS Word--an application which I used most of the time. Anyway, who uses watermark in their documents anyway?

Day 2--Random thoughts

Hmmmm…thinking. Hmmmm..thinking. It seems that two days of non-stop lecture on computers and hands on lessons drained my brain of its wet matter. I cannot think of anything but computers. I can’t help it because we do not even have breaks—I can’t call a working break a break. We are soaked in and bleeding out computers.

                     

The whole place is teeming with people sitting on lounges busy with their laptops. I am one of them too. Most of the participants are talking…even worried about what will be the result of their computer post test. There are those who already had their post test this evening. One of my co-teachers got excellent score. Our group, the ignoramus, will have our post test tomorrow and I expect to have a mediocre score. To tell the truth, I find it difficult to work under time pressure.

The speeches given by the directors yesterday seemed to be sinking in; it is just now that I figured out why the department is trying its best to catch up with technology: paradigm shift (there is that fancy term again). I will not attempt to muse about the whole idea; I am thinking about the role of the teachers.

This whole idea of a computerized classroom is giving the teachers’ the shivers. We cannot help but feel threatened because the possibility of a teacherless classroom is looming in our minds. Maybe it is not a teacherless classroom but a room less classroom, what ever...The possibility is scary: a roomless classroom, a teacherless classroom, a robot teacher, a paperless classroom, a limitless classroom, and the best of them all—a principal less school. (Not that I hate principals and particularly our principal.)

Imagine what the future would and all we are doing is just a preparation for this change. We are slowly and painfully preparing the foundation.

Of course there will be change in philosophy of education too. Though the catch word or the mantra being hmmm....hummed is that of a learner centered education but in reality the trend is towards a technology centered education.

What is troubling about this trend is the death of humanities subject (or humanities in education). During my college, humanities were limited to one literature and philosophy of man classes. Ideas like aesthetics are taking on different meanings now. Beauty is now described in technological language like pixels, editing, enhancement, file conversion etc. Music is now computer generated. It does not take that much theoretical knowledge to create music now, programming skills, an ear for beat, a thumping bass, digital sampling, human playback etc.

Discourse is now via social networking. Ethics is now depersonalized. Pornography, which used to be a hmmmm...so rare that even just a conversation about can be aorusing, is now desensitizing that even pupils talk about them as if they were cartoon series.

Hmmmm….

More tomorrow about this…I need to relax…maybe walk around the compound…or jump.

Day 1--Seminar

How was my first day at the DeEp’s computerisation seminar?

It was a soaking, foggy, wet Thursday morning when we arrived here in Tagaytay. It was fortunate that we had our own GI vehicle to bring us here; the advantage of having our principal, who is also the supervisor, accompanying us to the seminar..

We checked in to our rooms, had merienda and proceeded to the sessions. The opening program, as usual, was filled with speeches from the department’s directors for this and for that and blah, blah, blah, and then the introduction of this and that which I and most of the participants are not really interested with. The only time my attention was grabbed by the speaker was when he told the audience that the department would distribute laptops for every DepEd teachers. I am hoping that this would materialize. Caveat Emptor--half of the costs of the unit would be shouldered by the teachers.

One of the speaker’s points was correct: we were there for the certificates. Some maybe but not me, I was here because one of the ICT district coordinators was not able to come—I was a reliever of sorts.

Observing the participants, I was surprised to find teachers who are old. I mean really old. I am not an ageist or discriminating or a xenophobe but these teachers will retire in a year or two. I was joking my co-teacher why would a school head send these delegates when they have younger and “more” computer literate and competent people to send. That was one of the things that bothered me. Maybe, still, one of the criteria some principals followed in sending participants to the seminar was the doctrine of seniority.

 Anyway, I am writing this as the seminar is progressing and I hope the instructor will not notice me.

We had sessions from the morning until eight in the evening yesterday. I was already overflowing and I could not handle the information; I cannot handle my boredom which is my worst enemy. Once boredom sets in, that’s it; my brain shuts down and I become mean, irritable, evil and not myself..hehehehe….

The food. There are a lot of food and coffee and hot drinks that we were joking that once we get out of this seminar we would be heavier than when we came in…

More to come kasi nagkaklase na kami.

Pinoy Etymologies

 I’m blank. I want to talk about something, but my mind is blank. What do I expect, anyway?

Maybe I should talk about etymologies of Filipino words.

I have always wondered why a friend is called kaibigan in Filipino. The root word is “ibig” which is want or love. Ka-ibi-gan means lover or some one you love. Maybe the word itself shows how special friends or friendship is for the Filipinos. In English the word is “friend” which may have been derived from the word “fried chicken” or may even be derived from the word “fiend” or “fries.”  Naaahhhh…

How about pansit? I don’t believe in the Chinese etymology of the word about it meaning food that is easy to cook or something. I think pansit comes from two Filipino words “pang-siit.” Siit means shavings or a tiny piece of wood or bamboo. So pansit could mean pang-siit or food that is supposed to fill in, not a main course but a snack or something.

Sapatos.  The Spanish etymology zapata or sapata or whatever is way, way off the mark. Sapatos came from three English words. Yes, the word’s etymology is English: Zap-those-toes. There was this story of an American soldier who befriended a Filipino revolutionary during the Filipino-American War (or according to American history books “the Filipino Insurrection”). According to legends, the American and the Filipino solider were having a drink when the Pinoy removed his native footwear to the astonishment of the American, “Heavens! What is that?” The Filipino saw his friend looking at his shoes (actually the foreigner is looking at his corned toes). The revolutionary said, “Pangyapak!” The Americans shouted, “zap-those –toes.” “Heavens, those corns need to be removed by zpping them witgh branding rod! Zap-those-toes!” The Filipino revolutionary said, “Ang tawag sa inyo nito ay sapatos!” Yes! Zap-those-toes!  Burn them!”

Anyway, there was an interesting book I read a few years ago. It was written by the historian Ambeth Ocampo and the title of the book was “Looking Back.” According to the book, Mr.  Guillermo Tolentino, National Artist forwarded etymologies of his own which “the National Language Institute may not agree with.” He quoted the word “biyenan” or father/mother in law which came from the word biyaya or blessings. How was that? Here was his explanation verbatim:

“Children in Philippine culture are seen to be blessings or gifts from God. The people who give up this biyaya (their children in marriage) became biyenan from the contraction “biyayang pinabayaan.”

In my case i.e. I have wonderful in-laws; the etymology is appropriate—nagpabaya ng biyaya. But for the people who do not get along with their in-laws, they would have different etymology. My suggestion is that the word biyenan came from the Tagalog word “bayaan na iyan.” If you say them faster you’ll have a better appreciation of my theory. “Bayaan na iyan…bayan yan…and still shorter…bayae yan…more mutations and it becomes, “biyenan.”

 .

I ask my friend how his in laws are doing. His reply, “bayae yang mga balewalang biyenan na iyan!”

 .

When I was still courting my wife, my brother in law, when drunk, would lay a sleeping mat in front of me and say, “I’m sleeping. Quiet!” Of course, now, I get along with brother in laws well. The Filipino word for brother in law is bayaw. According to Tolentino, the etymology of bayaw came from two Tagalog words: “aba ayaw.”

I don’t know if this is a feasible explanation but I have a better theory. I think the word “bayaw” came from the word “ba tagay.” I’m serious because that’s how I won my brother in law’s heart, “Ramil , ba tagay na!” Which with more drinks the word becomes, “bwwwaaarrrkkkkkk…complete with the pulutan spewing out from his nose.”

Nahhh…I’m not making any sense at all.

Musings...

Tomorrow is the start of the new school year. I am excited about it, but I am also a little scared about it. Just thinking about what happened last year makes me wish that vacation could be extended to two more months. The stress of classroom management and lesson preparation add to it the activities that must be organized makes me wonder if the pupils are aware of all the efforts the teachers have to put in just to make their school year fun, memorable and meaningful.


Last year was difficult because I was new. But this year, I am hmmmm…or I have adjusted and I am now receiving my salary, plus I do not have any advisory class….who knows…

It is disheartening to see pupils take for granted their parent’s effort just to put them in school. I don’t know why they don’t understand the importance of education. But sometimes, I sort of do some time travel by imagining what I was doing when I was their age; I figured I am not different from them. I am in fact one of them. I did not take my education seriously until I was in my thirties—I was 38 years old when I graduated from college.


No more for today…

Enrollment stories

I was informed by the grade chairman that part of our personal development plan was the advisory of a student organization. I am one of the advisers of the student publication, and I told her that it’s enough to fill in the blank in the form. But in reality, I was just trying to avoid another responcibility because just like any ordinary teacher, I didn’t want extra work. Anyway, we were talking about it and when she told me, being the music teacher, I was expected by the boss to create a glee club. I told her that I didn’t like the trademarked “Glee.” I’d rather call it a singing group maybe a music maker club or whatever…. Though not a singer, for the sake of fun, I would do it with the help of my grade six co-teachers, of course.

________________________

I was accepting enrollees this afternoon when a parent approached me asking me to let her son choose his section and teacher. I was surprised because this was not how it’s done. The school had its own system of classifying or grouping pupils and the pupils were not privy to it and they had no say in it unless there is an exceptional circumstance like bullying or something. I couldn’t stop myself. I told the parent that pupils do not choose their teachers because if the sectioning of the classes would be based on the pupils’ preferences, there would be chaos. She told me that she tried talking to her son but he insisted on choosing the section he liked.

This was unbelievable. I looked her in the eye and told her, “You are the mother and you have all the right in the world to tell your son what should be and what should not be. You are in charge and not him.” But her facial expression told me that she was bent on insisting her sons demand, I didn’t know if she has a spoiled son, or she was afraid of her son or something…So, I continued, “He is still under your care so you are the one who must be obeyed. One of the Ten Commandments stated that children should obey and respect their parents. It’s not the other way around. Parents were not expected to be obedient to their children.” I was preaching already. I referred her to the grade chairman and the civics teacher for further indoctrination hehehe… (Actually we were talking when she came back…)

Enrollment was fun. I was sitting behind the desk listening to music, accepting pupils and once in a while there were parents who would sit and talk. One told me that he was an alumnus of the school and so was his father and so on; generations of their family had their basic education at the school. Another, a grandfather came in to enroll his grandson. When I showed him the class organization, he was disappointed to find out that his grandson was grouped in the lower section. The grandfather started to preach with all his heart to, “study very hard, your hope is in education….” The pupil just stood there oblivious to his grandfather’s words.

I smiled and asked him, “Are you his guardian?” “Yes," he replied, “both of his parents are dead.” So, I joined in the preaching and told the enrollee that he should study while his grandfather is still able to support him. There we were the grandfather and the teacher preaching to a pupil who judging from his academic and character education grades had no serious plans about continuing his education.

Fishkill, classes

Being a floating teacher and having no homeroom to attend to, I appointed myself as the enrollment officer for today. I waited all day for grade six enrollees but only a few enlisted. This means that the enrollees would flood in during the start of the classes. I don’t know why the parents have to do this since enrollment is free; no fees whatsoever are being collected. They just walk in with the report card and then enlist the name of their children and it’s done. Filipinos nga naman, parang ako.

Final preparations are being done. Last minute repairs, paint retouching, armchair repair, curtains check, I envy the teachers who have homerooms but preparing their homeroom means doling out personal money because this is not part of the department’s budget. The costs of paint and the labor could reach as high as 5,000 pesos.

 I am quite happy that I was saved from the expense. Also a floating teacher does not have to worry about homeroom PTA, collections, consolidating the grades, etc—less administrative work. But the setback is that I have no homeroom to come home to, and my teaching load is higher than the advisory teachers. But its okay and, I think, only fair.

I was also appointed as the Flag ceremony coordinator. This means I have to report to work early.

Though I have no room to call my own, I was permitted to stay and maintain the CMPC room (Class Mate Personal Computer—notebook computers). Anyway, I’m excited, like a pupil, about the start of the classes.

I hope that fish pond holder learn their lessons. They are part to blame for the fishkill. The bureau of fisheries has warned them of the oxygen depriving effect of overpopulation and overfeeding but they did not listen. The number of fish killed is way beyond the capacity of the lake to support, which means they have violated the …hmmm…the standards set by the bureau.

Of course scientists explained that this is part of a naturally occurring phenomenon, but still a well managed fishpond would have lessened the impact of the fishkill. Now, like an aquarium, they are using compressors to aerate their fishponds.

The fishkill brought the worst in some of the fishermen. To salvage what they could, the fishpond operators sold their “double dead” bangus to the consumers. They mix it with the fresh fish.

The incident of fishkill is limited to two provinces but because of this operation by the unscrupulous fishermen, no one would eat bangus now.  

 The whole industry suffers.