The Lesson Plan

I remember the first days of June last year. We had Dr. Onofre Pagsanjan over to give an inspirational talk on teaching, and as his closing words he challenged one of the world’s most powerful cliches.

“The youth is not the nation’s hope for the future. You teachers are.“

Of course that was a rather selfish thing to say. But what can you expect from a talk designed to make teachers feel good about their vocation and its low salary? I digress. I actually agree, but we may as well transpose that to all other careers. Doctors are the future too. And engineers. And stockbrokers. And even politicians. Bottom line, we are all the future.

The only difference is that we need more teachers in our country.

As a teacher, I have a certain bias when it comes to investments made in education. Whether it be from the private sector or the government, there is a certain fixation towards developing the education infrastructure first and foremost. While there is nothing wrong with this, our understanding of infrastructure is limited to the four walls of a school building, the chairs within, and all other visible, tangible structures. After which, their concern shifts to the supply side: books, computers, TVs, etc.

There is no doubt that this makes perfect sense. However, I would like to challenge that priority by stating that the most important infrastructure in the school and the most important supply that you must never run out of is the teacher.

No four walls can contain a good teacher. Moreover, no limitations can jar a teacher teaching from the heart.

Given the chance, I would like to teach teachers, especially those in the rural areas or the urban slums who lack the facilities and creativity to become effective educators. I would also love to host an education class in the university to reach out to those with higher aspirations and encourage them to carry on.

But to whoever I get in touch with, I only have one message. I hope I get to say this one day.

Teach from your heart.

As teachers, inspiring your students is a choice you make. It is not a collateral effect of being an effective teacher. It is the essence of being an effective teacher.

Teach from your heart.

Let everything you say and do in class be a reflection of who you are. Believe not just in the importance of what you teach, but in the very matter of what you teach. And above all, have faith in yourself.

The essence of education is empowerment. We want our students to go beyond themselves. We want our students to go beyond their history. We want our students to go beyond even us! By adding to their knowledge, we add to the possibilities of who they can be.

Dream big so that they dream even bigger!

But at the end of the day, we can never tell them how to live their lives. That is a rational choice they will have to make on their own, and they may draw on what we have taught or they may not.

Thus, teach from the heart.

After everything you teach, let there be one message: that life is worth living because the future awaits them. And there is hope in the future because they will be there.

That is our curse as teachers, perhaps. That our success can only be seen years from now. But, rest assured.

Teach from the heart.

To many, you are already a blessing.

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This entry is dedicated to Mrs. Vicky Tantoco, my teacher, friend and biggest blessing.

This is also dedicated to Batch ‘09. You have made me proud, happy and fulfilled beyond compare. You are all awesome. Thank you.

Related entry: My high hopes for my students