by Jessamy A. Ogbac
“A choice from no choice.” At first, becoming one of the noblest professionals was neither a dream nor a goal. My first public school assignment at a far-flung school made me feel like giving up and surrendering. However, it turned out to be a blessing as it only took a month to enroll and arrange for a substitute. Even though the school was far away, it was also regarded as one of the most visited schools in town, ensuring that you wouldn't have to go unprepared. It took more times to realize and embrace where I am now. Nine months of serving young people, who spoke a mix of Tagalog and Mangyan, gave me the courage to overcome challenges in this profession, made me realize that I inspire them, and made me reflect that I still have the guts and can give more.
What made me here? What is my goal and how could I achieve it?
I am a simple teacher, driven by a simple dream. While simplicity brought me contentment, there were times when others believed in me, so why shouldn't I? This experience taught me the importance of ASPIRE, PERSPIRE, and INSPIRE in life. It was written on one bottle of mineral water, and I accidentally read it. I was able to relate these three words to various topics, particularly those related to life. These three words will remain etched in my memory, as they continue to inspire me every moment.
ASPIRE. From simplicity, positivity and productivity emerge. As someone says, it is free to dream, so why not grab the chance to do so to the fullest? As teachers, we are dreaming for our students and ourselves.
Dreaming for our students. In the everyday scenario in a class, there are queries on my mind. How could I impart knowledge? How could I inspire my students? How could I become an effective teacher? How could I make them learn and excel? How could I make my students understand the importance of education? How could I assist them in realizing their dreams? This was a daily challenge for me, as it likely is for every teacher. Who among us, teachers, is not dreaming of foreseeing our students being successful someday? I believe that nobody can deny the desire to see their students succeed in the future, which is why we are actively seeking various strategies, techniques, and interventions, participating in trainings and seminars, and pursuing postgraduate studies and beyond. When searching and implementing strategies, we take into account each student's performance level, skills, and abilities, as well as their individual personality, enabling us to select and implement appropriate strategies, effective techniques, and useful interventions. We are attending trainings and seminars despite our busy schedules and limited budget, with the aim of learning, imparting, and applying this knowledge for the betterment and success of our students. We are also striving to enroll as many postgraduate courses as we can afford, not only for our own personal growth and development but also for the benefit of our students and colleagues.
Dreaming for ourselves. As humans, we are also striving to pursue ourselves. Even a billionaire still needs something. As a wife and mother, I aspire to enhance my skills and achieve success in the correct manner. Seminars, training, and post-study can greatly assist us as teachers not only in educating our students, but also in advancing our careers. I’m not a hypocrite for not saying that I’m dreaming of a higher position to apply what I have studied; I’m dreaming of a higher salary to support my family and my children’s education and give them a better future, and I’m dreaming of having a good heart and supporting my own scholars with my salary. Yes, I am dreaming of all these things and praying for them to come true in God's perfect will and timing. I’m praying not only for my own desires but for my desires for them. I’m praying without degrading anyone’s dignity or trampling on their rights.
PERSPIRE. Dreaming without action is useless. I believed the fruit of hard work and dedication is success. In education, we require a significant amount of hard work and dedication that surpasses our limits. Any good deed will reap rewards from another good deed. As teachers, we are all aware of our duties and responsibilities, and we strive to fulfill them to the best of our abilities. However, I have taught that one of the most challenging duties and responsibilities, one that demands passion, dedication, and perseverance, is the completion of tasks related to teaching. No matter the nature of the task, we as teachers must perform it with utmost dedication and professionalism. Sometimes, we struggle to complete these tasks because we find the job itself hallenging and perceive it as an additional responsibility. Because of that related task, sometimes we forget that we still have our family that needs us because we only focused on school matters, or we also have children that we need to attend to and need our assistance as teachers at home. No job is easy, especially being a teacher. All jobs demand hard work and performance to earn a sufficient salary. As teachers, we have many designations such as teacher, manager, guidance counselor, artist, director, storyteller, writer, illustrator, dancer, cook, nutritionist, nurse, technician, policeman, judge, janitor, designer, painter, etc. Doing those jobs requires a lot of hard work and dedication. As we aspire, we must perspire. It is free to aspire but not free to achieve what we are aspiring for, so we must perspire.
INSPIRE. After we aspire and perspire, the most grateful feeling is that we inspire. Not only should we seek inspiration ourselves, but also strive to inspire others. We find it difficult to articulate the emotions we experience when others appreciate or idolize us, particularly our students. This serves as a reminder that we should do good deeds for others, especially our students. Sometimes in class, we are shocked when our students imitate our actions, particularly our positive traits, but we become angry when they mimic our negative traits. This only served to highlight our role as teachers and the impact we have on our students. The eagerness of our students to attend our class every day indicates that we are inspiring them. Completing the assigned tasks will also be beneficial. Initially, I was uncertain about my ability to effectively manage such a class. I simply continued to observe other teachers and apply the lessons I had learned during my on-the-job training. When I received the item, I felt happy. During those times, my mind was filled with confusion, not only because my first assigned school was far away, but also because I was handling combination classes, which were unfamiliar to me. Not only was it a combination class, but my students also spoke a combination of Tagalog and Mangyan.
Thank you for the trainings I was able to attend. In summary, I gave it my all. I worked at that school for nine months, during which time I encouraged them to participate in and win a contest. From that point on, we actively participated in all school-wide and district-wide activities and contests. I also believe that some acts of charity transcend my responsibilities and boundaries. They inspired me, but I didn’t notice that I also influenced them. My principal told me that my students behaved during my class, especially the naughty ones, as expected. She said, "Isang tingin mo pa lang timo na." Her words inspired me and made me realize that I could manage multiple classes, and my students respected me as their manager.
When I have to transfer to a school closer to our home, my heart breaks to see my students cry as I leave. I was unable to turn away, as I didn't want to witness their tears. This time, they let me feel that I am a teacher. A teacher that inspires them. And I must continue inspiring. Being an inspiration is a rare occurrence, as it is extremely challenging to be one. We cannot say that only those with perfect scores and honors inspire us; sometimes it's the poor reader or the poor students in the class who inspire us. Someday they will come to you and tell you how we inspire them. We have the potential to inspire not only our students, but also our friends and colleagues, which would be beneficial. If that were to happen, we would be able to work comfortably and enjoyably while fulfilling our duties. Having a good relationship with others or co-workers is a blessing, but inspiring them is an added bonus.
As a simple teacher with a simple dream, I have no deep-seated ambitions for this profession. I believe that God has a purpose and a better plan for why I am choosing this profession, bringing it into my life, striving to conquer its challenges, and achieving what I deserve in His perfect timing. Let us continue to ASPIRE, PERSPIRE, and INSPIRE.
Jessamy A. Ogbac, a Teacher III with over a decade of experience in elementary education, exemplifies dedication and passion in her role. She earned her Master of Arts in Education, majoring in Mathematics, from Mindoro State University’s Bongabong Campus. Known for her commitment to nurturing students' potential, Jessamy has coordinated numerous extracurricular committees, fostering a supportive environment for growth. Guided by her belief, “If others can, why can’t we?” she champions teamwork, valuing each individual’s unique skills and talents to drive positive change in education.
The Teachers' Guide International Magazine, October 31, 2024 Issue (ISSN 2984-9799)