The Joy and Pain
There is always a joy in teaching the young. I gradually saw the importance of education for the young as I live out my consecrated life as a Marist Brother.
I have been to a place in Manila where I learned to help these young orphans about their school homeworks and other tasks. I also experienced being with the children at a famous dumpsite in Quezon City, not only learning how to read and write but also to play just like the little ordinary kids on the streets. That’s how I found myself as an educator in a non-formal setting.
But just this morning at one of my classes, I nearly lost my temper after pupil misbehaved inside the class. He wasn’t around when I came in and checked the attendance. As I started to have a review of our yesterday’s lesson, he just came in and blurted a word contradicting to what I was still trying to explain to them. I was explaining to the whole class how to make a letter to their parents as they identify the good qualities they have. Was it out of naughtiness? Was it out tendency to look for attention? I didn’t know until I realized that I was still wrong whatever the reason why he just blurted out a word while I was still talking. I shouted back at him out of my irritation.
He kept quiet and bowed his head. I realized that I hurt him. I understood how an experience in the family made him do it. I didn’t wait for an hour, right there and then, I bowed down and whispered asking for an apology and he nodded while getting his activity workbook which we were using. I was relieved. He made a letter for his mother with heart caricatures. That part touched me. After I checked his work, I learned something form the letter that made me realize I indeed misunderstood him. What a pain, what a joy.
Attending a national convention of Religious Brothers in the Philippines in Bacolod, I learned the verb form of being a Brother. “To brother,” means to care or show compassion to others. To brother the pupil I had today was supposed to understand him and his difficulty and what made him misbehave. I wasn’t suppose to reprimand him in a bad way. Instead, have talked to him a nice way.
I don’ want to compare the learning between a formal school and a non-formal school setting. What matters most is the learning of a child. And so tonight, an hour ago, I made sure that I must be fair to all my students at the Evening Class. They are, in fact, stress relievers for me. There is so much fun in learning most of the time; which is really different when I am teaching at the Day High. At the end of the day, I can be very thankful to this little kids for they seemed completed my day and made me once again, pray for them, ask sorry for my lack of preparation and being too strict to them.
The joy and pain of being a teacher is always with the tasks. But since it is not just an ordinary task, the joy and pain give meaning to what I am doing as a Religious Brother in the school.
Here, in this blog, for the readers, I can’t just talk about Gabriel Canizares. It adds to the pain… and anger against the lawless elements and towards the “inutil” government we have here in the Philippines.
Lord, open my eyes to see you in the eyes of this young; that you entrusted them to me as your own so that I may see and own you in them. Amen.
taga-bundok said:
there is so much happiness that’s being filled in your heart when you see them learn. and wishing you can take away the pain they have in their lives, the burdens they carry.
you teach them lessons as you learn from them too.
a child misbehaves not because he really wants to, sometimes it is just their getaway for some reason.
(pag-uwi ko ng Pinas, gusto ko magturo… sana matupad.)
God bless Bro. Vince!
taga-bundok´s last blog ..bitiw
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taribong said:
I would say that your act of shouting back at the child was warranted by the circumstances. Perhaps, it is one way of showing some discipline to him. While there may be reasons for him to do that, there are others in your class who might have been offended, too. Moreso, the other children might have even worse (and yet, they did not act the way he did).
I admire your ability to understand the child’s personality and your courage to ask for an apology. I pray that the child would see your goodness to guide him in his daily life. That how he was treated by others need not be the standard of how he would also treat others.
May you be blessed with so much joy in your work (and strength of character to withstand the pain of trials) as you continue to touch the lives of your students.
God bless you always.
taribong´s last blog ..Ka Omeng
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Adnos said:
i wish all teachers are like you!
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brVince Reply:
November 12th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Thanks for that affirmation
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Random Student said:
yeah, circumstantial lang naman. ang importante ay may process kang dinaanan to resolve the situation. the word “understanding” came to me halfway your post and it appeared there as I discovered. about gabriel, i put it off (posting about his death) for a day but I couldn’t anymore. i was compelled to write about it… like i owed it to myself to do so.
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bluguy said:
salamat bro for sharing this wonderful story of pain and joy…marami akong natutunan dito….sana nga lahat ng mga teachers maging kagaya mo…well…iba ka! kasi di lang nman subject matter ang tinuturo mo….tinuturo mo paano maging mabuting tao…
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vinceleste said:
@taga-bundok, why don’t you try submitting your credentials to us?
Baka naman pwede ka magturo in one of our schools?
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taga-bundok Reply:
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:50 am
Bro. Vince, i would love to. kaso undergrad ako eh…. hmmmn.
how i wish na sana makapagturo ako. i am planning to continue pagbalik ko sa pinas. In God’s grace.
taga-bundok´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
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brVince Reply:
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
aral uli, hahahha!
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vinceleste said:
@taribong, thanks for that… to understand is a gift, I’m grateful to Him for this…
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vinceleste said:
@adnos, I think there are two kinds of teachers; teacher for a career, a teacher for eduaction… tama ba ako?
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vinceleste said:
@random student,
Thanks for the comment. I think, understanding comes when we’re able to understand ourselves. That’s one secret of understanding. For sure, it comes from Him….
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vinceleste said:
@blueguy, kakaiba nga rin ang subject na tinuturo ko, may kahirapan… Values Education (Religion) naku….
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Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD said:
typical student sa isang classroom…
hehe ganyan din ako minsan sa dami ng makukulit at attention seekers..pero ito rin ang beauty ng ating missionary life. at the end of the day, we are thankful that we are given the chance to contribute to the growth of others…
Fr. Felmar Castrodes Fiel, SVD´s last blog ..JANSSENVILLE
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jasonhamster said:
napaka nakakainspire mo kuya vince idol!!
kahit ako rin dati nng ng fieldtrip kmi sa boystown, gusto ko talagang tulungan mga bata. aw.
kamusta kuya vince?
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brVince Reply:
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
uy Jason, ilang beses ka na dumaan dito? hahaha! sensya na, medyo busy ako to bloghop, di na rin nga updated ito eh
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Apple Thea said:
hello bro,
This article really speaks of a reality that is happening inside the classroom, indeed being a teacher is not just a profession but one should have a heart to burn the passion and the conviction to nurture the vocation. In your life, you are a Marist Brother who is a teacher.
Though our tempers sometimes come across our passion and vocation that maybe because we only want to give our best and with that, we can always humble our hearts because after all the best way to teach–is to show compassion.
God bless you my friend as you continue to share the love of Jesus
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J.Kulisap said:
Masakit na masaya.
Masakit isiping may mga batang nakikibaka na para mabuhay sa mundong ito, masaya dahil may isang ikaw na bukas sa loob na kumakalinga at gumagabay.
Salamat sa iyo.
Salamat sa magulang mong iniluwal ka at ipamahagi sa nangangailangan.
J.Kulisap´s last blog ..BALARAW SA DIBDIB
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brVince Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Hi J. thanks for the comment
Meron ngang mga batang ganyan… na dapat nating tulungan…
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J.Kulisap Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Sila ang mga batang isang sining na nagbibigay kahulugan sa mga “kolektor”. Hangga’t maari titingnan lamang para maisaulo ang kapalarang kaniyang tinamasa kaysa sa sining na kanyang ginagawa lamang obra ng pagtingin.
Sila ang sining na totoo pero sapat na ba ang tulong mo, ang tulong ko at tulong niya?
Bakit may isang sining na hindi natatapos Vince? Dahil ba may “kolektor” na nag-aabang?
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brVince Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
ahh, napakalalim na katanungan na di ko masagot-sagot… bagama’t merong mga kolektor… sila man din ay tagapag-masid ng sariling koleksyon; di upang itago kundi ipamahagi din sa iba…
may mali ba sa iyong email address? nais kong magpadala ng offline message pero di naipapadala at bumabalik sa akin…
J.Kulisap said:
Ito ang aking sulatronikong adres
kulizzap@yahoo.com.ph
J.Kulisap´s last blog ..BALARAW SA DIBDIB
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The Joy and Pain | The Itinerants Path said: