what if
First, I’ve been hook to Gwen Stefani’s 4 in the Morning and Dashboard Confessional’s latest album "Dusk and Summer."
And then… classes have officially started yesterday and as expected traffic has worsened. Today, I left for work at 6:09am and I was quite surprised that as early as 6:09am, tricycles have ran out already… and traffic was bad going out of Carsadang Bago until Nueno Ave. in Imus. I didn’t expect students to flock to school this early. Well, I underestimated students’ excitement over first week of classes. I am sure by mid-July their excitement will wane. Anyway, I saw some of my former students on my way to work (as the school where I used to teach is just along the way going to Aguinaldo Highway). Of course, they didn’t see me. Seeing some of my students, I couldn’t help but think what if I didn’t leave my teaching job. Most probably, I would feel the same mixed jittery-excitement feelings I had last year. It was also June 13, when I officially could say I was a teacher. I remember my first day as a teacher. Carrying a chalkbox and the must-have teacher kit (which is a green folder containing the lesson plan, syllabus, and later on, seat plans), I entered room D-401. It was a 7am class with 3-Radon. As soon as I stepped into the classroom, I was quite surprised that the students are there already… and when they greeted me in unison, I knew that was the start of my (short) journey as a teacher. That day rolled swiftly… and day by day, I got to know each one of my students. Who is participative… noisy… restless… smart… intelligent… shy… funny, etc.? Looking at and being with them had somewhat transported me to my own high school years. My HS years were not so special. Anyway, you come to think of it, high school people are fairly similar. There will always be the cool clique, notorious group, the beauties, the nerdies, the jocks, the rockstars, the plain janes and joes, etc. Then I remember my own bloopers and mistakes. And I guess, if I am still teaching, I would try not to make those same mistakes and do things differently.
