To Teach A Hero

teach a heroGREAT teachers are real, aren’t they? Do you see them everywhere? Have you been lucky to have crossed path with these individuals?

Stories of teachers touching the lives of the young sprout like mushrooms on a fertile soil. Books, magazines, and the Internet spread the word, reaching out to more souls seeking inspiration from their daily life. But, could there be something more moving than personally experiencing this?

Fourteen years ago (I was in Grade 6), I was given a chance to be with this teacher; on the contrary, I also was with that teacher, the opposite.

This teacher brought joy to my heart and planted wisdom on my soul. Excitement filled my being; boredom I never felt. Until she taught me how to write, and write I did. The land of experiences she brought me into shaped my character, and I started to write. The trophies and medals I won in the various schools’ press conferences were just the bonuses, for I had found my gem. She did the same thing with the others that came her way. Until the time when she and her pupils (Grades 5 & 6) bagged many trophies from the National Schools’ Press Conference in 2004; on their way home, their boat Super Ferry 14 exploded, from a terrorist bomb that took more than 100 lives, including that of my great teacher along with several brilliant young souls.

That teacher brought me into humiliation, taking my self-confidence away, and slowly torturing me. She didn’t like me; she favored the other girl, the classmate whom I had dethroned from the top. Well, I dreaded her subject. And although I excelled in all subjects, I couldn't summon my wit in front of her. How could I when she would readily hurl insulting words at me? There was one instance I wouldn’t forget. It was my turn for the graded oral recitation (Math), but before giving the question, she said something that hit me below the belt, and I flunked. “Unbelievable!” I said to myself. A failing mark for such an easy question? I hated her.

I now belong to the teaching world, and I made a pledge not to be the teacher I once hated. The outcome is more than I expected, for I am now living a dignified and happy life, all because of my students who love me and whom I dearly love.

I am far from being great, but I do pray that all the teachers around the world will have one heart, to do their responsibilities out of love for the students, regardless of how painful they are in the head and the heart, and to value the opportunity of being one with Jesus, who taught the children with such a big heart.

Presidential Proclamation No 242, signed 24 August 2011, declared September 5 – October 5 as the National Teacher’s Month. Enclosed in DepEd Memo # 109, series of 2012 is the celebration of the National Teacher’s Month bearing the theme “My Teacher, My Hero.” One of the activities is the Poem Writing Contest organized by the Department of Education. In preparation, our school conducted an elimination round to choose the best pupil (Grades 5 and 6) who will represent the school. This one I found heart-warming and true.

A Hero

By Sharmaine Ysabel A Fernando
(Grade 5 Pupil)

Innocent as a rose flower
As bright as the sun in the sky
Teaches me how to love myself
Corrects my faults so I can fly

Gives me light to face the darkness
Heals my wounds so I can be strong
Defends me from my enemies
Gives me the kindness that I long

Gives me power to face the truth
Comforts when pain’s like forever
And someday I’ll be successful
For a hero called a Teacher.

For us teachers, our only armor is our love and honest dedication to our vocation. There are no great monetary rewards, only a life that is more worth living, and little heroes worth believing in

Someday, my students and I will meet again, this time with dazzling smiles and radiant faces, for dreams realized and lives spent for the best.

I have never forgotten my great teachers. That is why I am here to teach all the heroes I can.

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