My kind of #TBT

I was browsing through my past journal entries (those I managed to save from multiply.com) to look for some inspiration when I saw this entry. Reading this again brought back so much memories of myself as a young and struggling SpEd teacher. I remember telling this anecdote every time I'm called for a job interview that teaching was the last thing on my mind when I finished college. I thought teachers were boring, grumpy, and without social life! But when I was exposed to the field, I was proven wrong by the countless happy/fulfilling/blissful experiences I've had as a teacher. Seeing my students progress - no matter how small those achievements are, those are still worth celebrating for - gives me so much fulfillment and indescribable joy. And it comes in tons of different forms! (E.g., student pinches teacher; teacher is physically hurt but sees the brighter side of things - "awwww...he can already do pincer grasp!" - so, teacher sheds tears OF JOY and is happy for fulfilling a skills objective!) Haha! You see, it's just a matter of looking at a different perspective! And now I can proudly say that this is the BEST JOB EVER in the world!

MY VIOLET PATCH OF SKIN

I absolutely believe in balance: symmetry, yin and yang, matter and antimatter, black and white, left and right, up and down, synonyms and antonyms (?!).

I have a great story to attest to this so-called equilibrium.

This morning, I received great news about one of my students. According to her recent evaluation by her Dev.Ped., she has improved a lot and was able to catch up with the other kids her age in most of the developmental areas. I got teary-eyed (and actually cried at home) upon learning this. Those were tears of joy, of course. :)

In the afternoon, I got freakingly soaking wet and mud-dirty. I was running after my student (for reasons I’d rather not disclose) who was about to go to a “forbidden place.” I was able to get hold of his polo (nice reflex, jay-ar), and so I tried to stop him. But no, he was very strong. I felt like a sleigh (and he the reindeerS —emphasizing the plurality of his strength). In a split second, I just found myself losing my balance and splashing into the stagnant, mossy, cockroach-infested water. Scenes of me tripping down the UST Main Building grand staircase, falling from the UST Library stairs, bruises and cuts suddenly flashed back to my mind. The experience was so….”Jay-Ar.” I got teary-eyed (and actually cried at home) having gone through this. Those were tears of pain, of course.

Once more, it all came down on me. You’re happy one moment, and furious the next. You’re lucky in the morning, and jinxed in the afternoon. Life is just all about balance :) (Posted 5 years ago)