Peeringintothecosmos: AnthologyforTeachers'Day2022 THEBLUEBRDIGE
Peering into the cosmos: Anthology for Teachers' Day 2022
Copyright © 2022 by The Blue Bridge
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Published in Davao City, Philippines
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The Blue Bridge
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The Official Student Publication of Ateneo de Davao University Senior High School MacArthur Highway, Bangkal, Davao City, Philippines
Cover Art "Guiding Star" by Lorraine Gaye Pineda
Peering into the cosmos: Anthology for Teachers' Day 2022 A Literary Compilation for Teachers' Day 2022 A Y 2022 2023 Editor-in-Chief Elliot Dimasuhid Art Editor Shazmeen Claro Associate Editor | Head Layout Artist Trisha Espadero Literary Editor Rena Christine Bustamante Feature Editor Kent Empedrad Assistant Literary Editor Alyanna Castañares Staff Writers: Fiona Sophie Balaod Nathalie Cole Sirach Del Fierro Alexia Despares Phoemela Gutierrez Lawrence Medija Layout Artists: Giane Bagotchay Louie Del Fierro Judd Gasendo Illustrators: Mika Alacrito Allyza Aranaydo Alliana Borbon Yuri Miranda Lorraine Pineda @ashsbluebridge @ashsbluebridge @ashsbluebridge ashsbluebridge@gmail com Copyright © 2022 by The Blue Bridge All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or other methods without the prior written permission of the publisher
Foreword
With each page turn of this folio, you may wonder how we wrote all these
Looking back over the days that we always dreamt of heroes, stars, unicorns, and rainbows made us realize who we consider our heroes throughout the years. Aside from our parents, who gave us their flesh and blood, we had our teachers, who taught us and encouraged us to become our own kind of heroes in the future
If you ask us, what made us believe that our teachers are our heroes?
Of course, you don't walk into a classroom expecting to see a teacher wearing a cape and a tight suit flying around and firing complexly pronounced superpowers at villains with the tip of their fingers This imagery doesn't appear to be correct Instead, you may expect a stern look from an all too familiar face or maybe a passionate kind with a heart of gold
Each student is a highly unique individual. Some kids learn quickly, while others take their time. However, because of our teachers' passion and determination, we all feel like we students are on an equal footing. "No one should be left behind," they said. The burning passion they pour into what they’re doing makes a difference and impacts every student Their magical conversations, banter, compliments, empathy, and compassion in this society have greatly influenced us and helped us grow as individuals They should be hailed as our modern day heroes and always remembered for this.
With that said, The Blue Bridge presents “Peering into the cosmos: Anthology for Teachers' Day 2022,” crafted by the students as an homage to those who have searched for our strengths and helped us nurture them inside the corners of our classroom This literary folio honors the lives of the teachers, educators, and mentors in our lives the superheroes of our childhood.
Alyanna Stephanie Ross Castañares Rena Christine Bustamante Literary Editors
Contents Ode to Educators 2016 Paragon of All Seasons Revered Companions Directions of the Forest Superhero The Butterfly Effect Heroes in Disguise Timeless Role Hope Within the Shadows 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 12 14 15
ODETOEDUCATORS
byRenaChristineBustamante
Thisisanodetoeducators.
Theoneswhoshapetheworld,onestudentatatime,
Theoneswhogiveustheknowledgeweneed,thosewhohelpusclimb, Wholearnalongsidetheirstudents,astheyareonlystudentsthemselves
Yes,thisisanodetoeducators,
Theoneswhocarrytheweightofchildren’sworriesontheirshoulders,
Theoneswhofightbattlesintheclassroomlikesoldiers, Whoenforcedisciplineamongthenovices,likebooksarrangedon shelves.
Thisisanodetosuperheroes.
Theonesdisplayingstrengthinthespaceofthefeebleminded,
Theoneswhobuildbackcitiesthatthevillainshavedestructed, Whoinnovatetheworldwithsolutionstoourproblems.
Yes,thisisanodetosuperheroes,
Theoneswhocomeindifferentforms,withdifferentsuperpowers, Theoneswhoriseearly,helpingandservinguntiltheweehours, Wholookallthemorefamiliar,wecanfindtheminourclassrooms.
Thisisanodetoeducators.
Theoneswhoareoureverydaysuperheroes.
byRenaChristineBustamante
Ourstorybeganin2016, Iwasmerelyavest-pocketchild, Thetiniestinaroomofknights, Butyouaskedmenevertodimmylight.
Ourstorycontinuedin2016, Thestakeswerehighbutyoutaughtmetoclimb Pastmycomfortzone,andintogreaterheights, Iclamberedoutofmyfears,andnowIstartedtowrite.
Ourstoryendedin2016, Iwasmerelyawitlesslyscaredchild; Likeachevalier,youfoundandlitmebright, Myteacher,youhelpedilluminatemylight.
2016
PARAGONOFALLSEASONS byNathalieCole
Teachersarelikespring,
Theymightbethelandthatnourishesnewfangledbud, Equippingeveryonewithbenefitssothattheywouldn’tberubbed Promisingthatallwillkeeponflourishing Asthearmsoftheclockkeeponturning.
Theyarealsocomparabletosummer, Thesunthatgiveswarmthanddelight Whommaybesometimesgivesusafright
Nonetheless,theynevergetexhausted Sothatwecansecureabrightfutureahead.
Perhapsthatiswhytheyarelikeautumntoo, Thatismostlikelytoimpartmethodsandtechniquescrispand clear,
Givingdifferentshadesofhuetothelessonsandviews
Thatgrantsusstudentsanenthusiasticatmosphere Forustoconquerformidabletasksthroughouttheyear.
Lastly,theyarelikewinter, Apulchritudecoveredinchalkysnow Canbecold,noxious,andmaybeahinder; Sowatchoutforgradesthatmightbelow Butkiddingaside,theyarenotthatshallow.
Sotocogitateonhowyougiveeffortstoeachteaching, Forallthededication,patience,andunderstanding, Withstandingallthetrialsandmanagingtocrackusthroughyour exquisitesmiles
Henceweareandwillbeforevergratefultoyou, Ourteachers,theparagonofalltheseasons
REVEREDCOMPANION
byNathalieCole
Toeverymentorthataccompaniedus,
Yourextraordinaryknacktofurnishuswithwisdom
Andyourheartthatsincerelycares
Istrulyanadmirationthatisn’tmeasurable.
Youattachalotofdevotiontoeveryknowledgethatyoushare
Sparkingcreativityinallstudentsthatyou’veinculcated;
Wenevergettostaywithyouforlong
Butyouneverknowhowmucheachofyouchangedus
Eachofyourpresencecontributedtowhowearetoday.
Thuswearebeyondpleasedtohaveyouallbyourside Aswetraveledonthispeculiarroadtowardourfate.
DIRECTIONSOFTHEFOREST
byAlexiaC.Despares
Ifthesceneryweretoshift, Fromcrowdedbuildingstothecanopyoftrees, Andlightswereonlyinthesky,amillionmilesaway, Wherewouldeverythingandeveryoneallbe?
Stumblingalongwouldbeyou, Butwhatofeveryoneelse?
Themoon,whoselightoutshineseventhedarknessthatsurroundsyou Wouldn’titbethepeopleyoucarefor, Thatevenfar,theechooftheirlovebrightensyourway?
Thetrailofmuddyearthandthefootstepsyouleave, Wouldbebyyourownfeet,capability,andstrengths. Butthesignsthatbecomeyourdirectionandtheguidethatshowsthecorrectpath, Becometheeducatorsthatleavebehindtheirteachings.
Yourmindbecomesaresoundingthoughtthey’veshapedandmolded, Andasyouwalkacrossapathyoudonotrecognize, Undertheguidanceoftheburningstars,theunyieldingmoon, Andmostimportantly,theirteachingsthatbecameapartofyou, Youfindthatyouwillbeokay.
Athousandcheersfortheheartandcore ofeverystudent’smind; Educatorsandteachersalike.
SUPERHERO
byAlexiaC.Despares
“Who’syoursuperhero?”
Theansweringchoruswouldring, Superman,WonderWoman evenWolverine! Butmineisneither;myheroissomeoneIcallateacher.
Ateacherteachesathousandthings; Science,Arts,English,Mathematics. Butwhatmyteacherteachesbest, Ishowtobecometheverybrightest.
Tolovemyselfandothers, Tosharepieceswithpeoplewhoneedthem. Tousemyknowledgetoreflect
Everythingthey’veshapedmetobecome.
Mysuperherodoesn’twearacape. Myherodoesn’tfly,nordoesmyherohavesuperpowers. Butmyherotaughtmeeverything Ineededtobe.
Who’syoursuperhero?
HEROESINDISGUISE
Heroesarecommonlyfictional, byPhoemelaNicoleGutierrez
THEBUTTERFLYEFFECT
bySirachDelFierro
Ourteacherslovebutterflies
Duringnurseryschool,anunknownwomanheldmyhandstightly.Shepattedmybackand offeredmeatissueasIuglycriedthroughthesepanxfrommyparents.
Duringkindergarten,Irememberamanwhoalwayshadatrustypairofscissors,andevery timeIapproachedhim,hesmiledwidelyandasked,“wouldyoulikeyoursnacktobe opened?”
Duringelementaryschool,shetaughtmehowtowriteaparagraphwhilehetaughtmehow todoPEMDAS.
Duringhighschool,thewomanheldmyhandstightly,pattedmeontheback,andsaid, “congratulations.”
Ithenlookedforthemanwiththescissors.Finally,aftertwistsandturns,Isawhimathis deskandaskedhim,“canIborrowyourscissorstocuttheextrathreadoffmytoga?”
AsIturnback,Irealizehowthesemenandwomendedicatetheirlivestotheirbutterflies Theyteachtheeggnottobreakevenifitseemslikeeverythingisnotintheirfavor. Theyteachthecaterpillarstofocusontheirgoalofgrowingandguidethemthroughit. Theyteachtheirpupastobloomgracefullywhentheyarereadytoseethebeautyofthis world.
Eachmentorhastheirownsetofbutterflieswhomtheycareforandloveliketheirown.
ToMaam,Sir,Teacher,Miss,Mister, thankyouforgivingustissues,foropeningoursnacks, forgivingusadvicewheneverwefeellikeweareonthevergeofbreakingdown, andmostimportantly,forbeingthewindbeneathourwings.
TIMELESSROLE
byLawrenceMedija
"WhatisaTeacher?”
Ateacherismanythings avillain,afriend,amentor Peopleareboundtohavebadexperiences withthemyetstillsomehowmissthem.Thosewhomoldusintobecomingbetterversionsof ourselvesarethosewhostriveforustotryevenharder tohelpusmakeafuturewearemost proudof Ihaveseenandfeltwhatgoodteachersdofortheirstudentsandhowhardtheytryto keepusoutofharm’swayandsucceed.
ItwasinelementaryschoolwhenIwasacademicallythriving;mygradesweregood,aswellasmy performance. It was met with a need for maintenance from my parents, pushing me to work harder,evencommissioningateachertoworkasatutorforme Duringthisordeal,Ifoundone ofthemostwholesomeexperiencesofmyacademiccareer,evenifIwastooyoungtorecount everything.
Theteacherputmeintoasmallgroupofthreeorfourstudents.Iwasgiventasks,assignments, andmoreworktodo andsomehow,itwassomewhatcomforting.Theafterschooltasksthat mysmallgroupandIalwayshadtodobecameapartofmyroutinethatIwaslookingforwardto
Butwitheveryschoolyearcomesbothgoodandbadexperiences.Minecameasasmallfight betweenanotherschoolmateandmeoversmall,trivialmatters.Weclashedinaverbalfight.Fora youngstudent,thelanguageImusthaveusedwouldbedeemedscandalousorshameful.When theteachercaughtwindofthis,shesentmeintoherclassroom Iwasapprehended
Onewouldthinkthatthiswouldmeanthattheteacheryelledorreactedviolentlyinsuchaway thatwouldensureIwouldnevermakethesamemistakeagain;andwhilethismaybetruefor some,thiswasn’tthecaseforme.
However,theteacherdidn’treactinwaysthatconditionedmetofearmakingthesamemistake again;instead,shemademeunderstandatthatyoungagethatwhatIdidwaswrong,whyitwas wrong,andwhatIcould’vedoneinstead Itmademerespondmorehealthilyandmaturelyatthat age,helpingmeunderstandtherepercussionsofwhatIdidandhelpingmeimprovebecauseofa teacher’sadvice.
Aconflicthandledgentlybyateacherhasallowedmetogrowmoreasaperson,teachingmetobe moreconsciousofmyactionshasbeenestablishedinme,justasotherteachershavesetbetter virtueswithinme
Thisismerelyanexampleofwhatteachersdoandhowtheycontinuouslyplayaroleintheir students'lives.Thoughastudentmayhateateacher,thestudentcannotdenytheimpression theirteachersleaveuponthem.Timeandagain,teachers bothhatedandloved aretryingto improvetheirstudentsintheirownways Ofthemanythingsteacherscanbe,thewordthatbest describesthemwouldbeheroes.
HOPEWITHINTHESHADOW
byFionaSophieBalaod
“Onechild,oneteacher,onebook,onepencan changetheworld,”aquotebyMalalaYousafzai,a Pakistani education activist and a noble peace pricelaureate.Simplywordedyetstrikesadeeply ingrainedmeaningthathasbeenwiththepeople alongwiththeyearsthatpassed Itbringsforththe messagethatoneteachercarriesanundyingflame of responsibility in educating today's children, raisingathrivinggenerationintheyearstocome
Every child in every generation encompasses varying capabilities strengths, weaknesses, and needsinlearning.Somelearnfasterthanothers, some excel in sports, and others strive in academics; one writes articulate essays, and the otherdrawsexceptionalartworks Inschool,oneis taught in a structured curriculum wherein the children’s needs aren’t catered to the extent of theirability Thoselackingfactorsinthatlearning process hinder a child from growing their knowledge and talents, especially those who do not learn at the same pace as others and have special needs that call for direct guidance and assistancefromoneteacher,whichbringsustothe worldofshadowteaching
Shadowteachingmaybeanewwordtomost people a term unfamiliar to the majority as traditional educational institutions and organizations do not generally introduce it Shadowteachingcomeswithmorethansurfacelevellearning;itisintendedtoworkwithstudents with special needs and particular disabilities and assisttheirskillsandandstrengths Theyoptto workwiththeparentsandtheclassroomteacher toevaluatethefocalneedsofthechild,recognizing their background, learning style, academic skills, talents,andsocialbehavior.Theyprovideoptimal supporttothestudentwhereinwhileattendinga standardschool,theyareaidedonebyonebya teacherfillinginthegapsintheformalcurriculum that is suitable for the child's special needs Managing students' complex and dynamic behaviorisoneofthemostchallengingaspectsof teaching apredicamentthatshadowteachersare notsparedfrom
Anarticleentitled“Theroleofashadowteacherin theeducationofautisticindividuals”byGoel(2020) presentstheexperienceofGauravGoelwithshadow teachingshowingthepositiveimpactshadowteachers bringtoachildwithspecialneeds Heisaparentofa 9yearoldautistickid,andhesharedthattheshadow teacherassiststhechildintheiractivitiesthroughout theday Therearepromptsandinstructionssuchas “takeoutabookfromyourbagsandopenpage70,” andifthestudentishavingdifficultyperformingthe instructions,theshadowteacherwillcomeintoplace andprovideaphysicalprompttoguidethechild.With socialinteractionproblems,theshadowteacherwill giveverbalandnon-verbalcuestothestudent
Like traditional teachers, shadow teachers are constantly responsible for guiding and mentoring a childtothebestoftheirabilities.Theyneedtotake intoaccountthespecificneedsofthechild Theyneed constantpatienceandunderstandingastheymanage thedynamicbehaviorofthechildtheyteach.Thereisa needtobuildconnectionandtrusttohelpthechild developself-confidenceandindependence
Teachersestablishnotonlylearningandbooklevel knowledgebutalsorelationshipsandlifelonglessons Shadowteachersspendalittlemoretimewiththeir students ordinary weekend andfilial students thepeop ofexisten they bui students
Ascal world.N teachers every stu build ch undying thehope studento
