MI Kind of Teachers' Day

On February 10, 2012, Friday, Multiple-Intelligence International School celebrated its one of a kind teachers’ day.  I have been an MI teacher (a proud one, may I say) for almost a year now and this year I was baptized with the MI way of honouring and appreciating its teachers.

Last year, I told Brandy, my co-teacher, “I wish we’d join the world’s celebration of teachers’ day.  I feel jealous of the other teachers and I want to feel that I belong to the world community of teachers.”

She said, “No, mas maganda ang teacher’s day dito.  Mag-pre-prepare ang students for us.”

I said, “Ah well, it would still feel better if we are one with the world out there in celebrating teachers’ day.”

It was February 10, 2012, during MI Teachers’ Day celebration when I said to myself that I would never trade our teachers’ day for the world. J

I witnessed how our celebration made much more difference to us as a community of teachers and to our students as well. 

V-Day is MI Teachers’ Day

          It might be by purpose that MI Teachers’ Day is celebrated near to Valentine’s Day.  While the rest of the world was looking for a date and preparing themselves to go on a date (most especially teenagers), our students were brainstorming how to show appreciation to their teachers.  In the faculty room, instead of the teachers looking for possible dates, or places to go for a date, we looked forward to what our students have prepared for us.  As a first timer, I must admit, I didn't know what to expect.  What I knew however, was that I was excited.

           The celebration opened with the first year HS students.  Wearing red, they sang Seasons of Love from the famous musical, Rent.  It was only the beginning and the hall was already filled with love.  (I won’t talk about II-Industria yet because it is my homeroom class.  I reserve the right to save the best for last. J)  II-Liberalitas created their own version of Pinoy Henyo with Ms. Navia, their homeroom adviser as the last contestant to guess “Liberalitas”.  She was able to guess it to the section’s delight.  II-Veritas had their Dance Showdown with the teachers following the steps of the students.  III-Castitas gave each of their teachers simple but meaningful gifts that remind them of their teachers.  III-Frenum did an impersonation of Sir Nio, their adviser.  He wasn’t around but with CJ, he was.  Maimai also delivered a poem for each of the teachers and man, how she could rhyme.  IV-Prudentia gave a rose to each of the teachers and serenaded them.  IV-Iustitia ended it with a futuristic skit of how they would be talking about their teachers 50 years from now.  It was an amazing closing performance that told us teachers that we wouldn’t be forgotten. J

Attitude with Gratitude
     I have always liked listening to Teacher Joy talk.  Be it a simple message, or in a seminar, she always conveyed her ideas with passion and clarity.  As the founding directress of MI, she had always empowered her listeners by giving them messages to remember and live by.  I remember during the presentation of CMLI officers that was held in MI with empowerment of leaders as the main theme, she spoke about how letting students plan among themselves actually empower them to act, serve, and lead.  This was in view of the CMLI students organizing the event that was held that day. 

      In MI teachers’ day celebration this year, the students were empowered yet again to act for they were tasked to initiate a program and presentation of their own; to serve because this time, it wouldn’t be their teachers in front singing and dancing to make the lessons lively, it would be they serving their teachers by a gesture of appreciation; and finally to lead – to lead others, and to lead one’s self to make a difference by a simple act of kindness.

       In her closing, teacher Joy said that “attitude with gratitude” was one of the values this kind of event hopes to instil to its students.  She quoted the story of a student who went back to the village to give his teacher water from the desert that he ladled using his cantina (leather jug).  The student excitedly brought it to his teacher and his teacher drank from the student’s cantina. 

       The teacher said, “Thank you!  It tastes sweet.”  The student then walked away.

      Another student who heard the teacher’s remark asked if he could also drink the water, and when he drank it he spat and said, “Why did you tell him that the water tastes sweet?  It’s bitter and stale and it tastes like leather!”

        The teacher replied, “You tasted the water.  I tasted the gift.”

       Teachers don’t ask much.  We just ask that our students show us their appreciation and gratitude.  More than the water, it is the gift that makes us happy and today we received lot of it from our students.  Happiness!

               

MI Homeroom, Industria

           II-Industria, this is for you – saving the best for last.

I am usually able to express myself through words even when there is a stressful situation, or even when there is a heated exchange of ideas, or even when punch lines are required to make people laugh.  I have always believed that even if words are insufficient, one can choose words and construct sentences that are as closest to the truth, and that are as closest to one’s own reasoning as possible.  I also don’t break easily.  I know how to explain my emotions in my head in such a way that my emotions are transformed to concrete ideas and reflective observations.  As nerdy as it sounds, when I feel something, I am able to think how emotions are actually a product of the activity in the hypothalamic area of the brain and that certain chemical changes are involved to enable a person feel a certain way.  (I should stop talking about this now before I inevitably and excitedly go to topics this blog is not about.J)

The presentation started with the different nominees for different awards.  From the formal attire to the videos they presented, one could tell how much they prepared for it, and how hard they worked to come up with it.  They made me so proud because I could tell how their section had grown from 1^st quarter (and they had grown beautifully well).  During their preparation period, I inadvertently learned about their presentation while I was snooping around (Sorry class!).  It was my job to know what was going on inside and outside my classroom if it had something to do with school or their being the school’s students.  And trust me, it was a broad scope of my job responsibility that I enjoyed doing.  To cut the story short, I already had an idea on how things would go and when they found out that I knew about it already, they hated me (hate loosely used as “got mad or pissed”).  They were calling the nominated teachers one by one and they awarded them accordingly.  But even when I had an idea what the other teachers would receive as awards, I had no knowledge of mine.  What touched my heart was the picture of a father holding his child’s hand while they were both walking to the light with the song playing in the background, “You Raise Me Up”.  At my back, JM (who’s now becoming brighter and more positive), put a ribbon on my neck that said, “BEST DAD AWARD”.  And when I looked back at the video, it was the same award written on top of the picture with the dad and his kid.  They cheered and asked me to stand up.  (It was during this time that I couldn’t find the words in my head.  For a moment, I felt that my brain circuitry was reading codes I couldn’t transform into words.)  A bunch of balloons were carried by the boys from the hall entrance and after they gave it to me, they all knelt down (This time, the words were, “Geez!  Stand up!  Stand up!  No need to kneel down!”).  I saw some of the students and teachers wiping their tears.  (Again, I couldn’t find the words.)  I suddenly felt warm inside and the outer side of my eyes moistened.  Somebody shouted “Group hug!” and they all rushed to me.  “THANK YOU!  YOU MAKE ME HAPPY!  YOU MAKE ME PROUD!” were the only words repeating inside my head.  While looking at all of them, I thought, “Is their hypothalamus also feeling the same way as I do?”  That thought prevented my tears from falling because I myself found the question funny.

To II-Industria, I am proud of you and I love you.  You will forever be the first in my heart. J