Of wider eyes and open doors

       In my previous blog entries, I have mentioned several times as to how I got myself in the education field. This particular experience of mine was really something I could relate to the philosophy of progressivism. Since progressive schools arose from a rebellion against traditional or bookish schooling for it wanted to go against rote memorization, routines and authoritarian management, I saw myself right away in progressivism’s shoes upon reflecting.

       They say that you are your parents’ fruit, pride and joy, but in my case, I could say that I was my parents’ “little me”; my parents’ expected me to become “them”. Both of my parents are in the field of accounting and are working in the banking industry. As far as I could remember, I didn’t really hate math when I was young because hate would be such a strong word to use. I disliked math eventhough I did pretty well in this subject in school. I guess it would be safer to say that I was more interested with subjects other than Math and not to mention, performed better on any subject without numbers of any sort. To add up to this, I had the quiet/snobbish personality when I was a kid. I wasn’t really much of a “people person” like other young children, which I think made my parents hope more that someday I will pursue the same career as them since it was somehow within my personality and abilities.

       I won’t deny that there were a few instances when I tried imagining myself being and working in the same field as my parents. The picture that I created in my mind was that I was working in a quiet office, sitting on my comfortable chair and working all day facing my laptop. It all looked so plain and boring to me. I’m not judging office jobs in any sense but I just think that it isn’t really my thing because it feels such a routinary and tedious job. This is why, maybe, I got into the field of education. I wanted to be part of something dynamic, ever changing, hands-on and interactive. These words perfectly describe progressivism. In its very essence, it is progressing, neither stagnant nor dormant. As I continue to ponder on whether I will strive to be in the teaching force for the rest of my career or venture into another profession, I think the theory of progressivism will always remind me as to what I really wanted.

 Osman (my Grade 3 student) and I

  With Razaq and Rauf (Kinder students)

With Jenera (Prep student)

       I know that I don’t want to go to work everyday feeling like I’m on a routine, that I always have to do step one first, then step two and so forth, and repeat the whole process when I report to work the next day. I know that I want a job where I could express myself more freely, be dynamic, and most of all, I hold great interest in. I want to go to work everyday having fun and not thinking that “I’m working just for the money”. I want a job that speaks to me in a voice that says “I go to school everyday because I love teaching and learning from my students”. As you could see, I look really happy in those photos above :) I know that staying and being in the education field will open a lot of doors for me in the future, especially now that I am pursuing my graduate studies in Ateneo. Perhaps not now, since I’m still in the process of adjusting for it’s just my first year of teaching, but I know it will get me far, and I strongly believe in that.