Home-School Teacher

Teachers are said to be students’ second parents. They teach and guide the young students they consider their own children. On October 5, 2021, the Literacy Coordinating Council was proud to present one of the winners of the Public Service Announcement (PSA). The video on literacy produced by Santiago City National Highschool called ”Nanay“ is a tribute to teachers in celebration of world teachers’ day. It showcases a teacher’s love and unwavering commitment to her child and, likewise, to the students she teaches to even amidst the pandemic. Her determination to deliver quality education in these trying times is also seen in the tribute. The dedication of teachers, who are also known as ”education frontline heroes,” is an inspiration to many young learners; this is especially true for junior high school students in SCNHS.

On a dreary Monday morning, the seventh-grade students groan as the heavy silence blurs the humdrum of the city, the tension thickly pressing in on them as the first period of class ends. The teacher nods them a farewell, the disappointment evident in the young students’ curled lips. The first day of the week and their first hour of the day had been spent with the weight of early morning hours, and a gloomy feeling set in. The feedback on their studies tasted like bitter coffee on their tongues. One of the 13-year-old students found the lessons to be quite tricky. His lips press together as he compares the thrumming in his chest to a cauldron, spewing out acid discouragement fuelled by aging coals.

A few minutes later, a knock breaks the thick ice. Stiff postures slowly relax as their second-period teacher enters the classroom; her every step thaws the icy classroom as though it had frozen over. A warm greeting leaves her lips, and she starts the lesson with a gentle smile. The students listened attentively, appreciating the way their teacher had taught them patiently and with enthusiasm. “Why did everyone look so gloomy earlier?” Their teacher, Rosanna Cayaban, asked them. The students shifted in their seats until one spoke, then another, all of them sharing how their poor grades and recent classroom experience had discouraged them from continuing to continue studying well.

Soon after, the classroom goes quiet before the teacher starts talking once more; she speaks of how she had chosen her profession. Ma’am Rosanna also tells of the many trials of life that went her way, and despite all that, she and her family had pulled through. “My father inspired me to keep going,” she said. Just like her parent, she was determined to do her very best to provide for her child, Charles Lorenzo Cayaban, and the students she taught.

As the school bell rings, signifying the time for students to eat snacks and take a break finally, they leave the four corners of their room not only with the thought of filling their stomachs, but also with minds nourished and hearts quenched. They leave the classroom with their lips curled into a smile. They look forward to their next period lesson and to the days of learning that follows. Each step of their feet drips with enthusiasm to the soles of their school shoes, a newly found pep to their step. What once was ashes of spewed acid and coal blooms a firebird in the heart of a student who had dipped his hands in the cauldron of bitter disappointment; just like that, the years pass, a memorable story continuously sparking the flickering flames of dedication and hard work from the howling winds of discouragement. The young minds study with passion and eyes gleaming with the thought of what awaits in their years of learning and bright futures.

Just like in the tribute Rosanna starred in, many teachers juggle the responsibility of being a mother or parent, not only to their own children but also to the learners under them. They take great care and effort in providing quality education and support to students. With the current COVID-19 Pandemic, it has become a challenge to do these, especially in an online learning environment that limits what can be done for the learners.

The seventh-grade student who is about to graduate from junior high school says that he missed learning in a classroom where he could learn alongside his classmates and ask the teachers directly. Even so, he keeps in mind all the lessons he had learned from his teachers throughout the years; their advice and stories motivated him in the midst of isolation from the outside world and the challenges that came with the current pandemic. ”My teacher’s story moved me. It kept me going when I felt like giving up.”

The student was surprised to see that one of the winning PSA winners on literacy was the video called ”Nanay,” which his former teacher, Ma’am Rosanna Cayaban was in. The video speaks of her son and how she looks forward to doing her utmost best for her students, just as she hopes the same for her son. Her story and great resolve inspired the city highers.

The tribute effectively encapsulates the very reason why many students appreciate and look up to their teachers, who help them grow not only in academics but also as individuals.