Teacher's Pet

Don’t we wish all teachers were progressive, intelligent, and never boring? I’ve had my share of unforgettable teachers—those who have made a mark in how I view things. Until now, I still consider them the unsung heroes of my life. Let me tell you some of them.

1.      Miss de Guzman- How can I forget the terror of my Philippine History? She never accepte answers that are not taken from the book—word for word. My high school years had always been exciting, not to mention, sometimes terrifying, with Ms. de Guzman's scowl in front of the gate to check on the latecomers. Being the adviser of the SMA student government, her presence gave us always the chills.

2.     Miss Cadiz- Thanks to our prim and proper english teacher, we were trained how to properly pronounce English words. For me, she was a true-blue English teacher because we never found fault in her pronunciation and grammar. It was because of her that we Maryans, who were lucky to be under her tutelage, became well-versed in English.

3.     Miss Bautista-My Grade 6 class adviser. She was like a mother and a friend to us. She never went home unless all the cleaners for the day were gone. She never failed to answer all those curious questions we had. That was precisely why even the non-cleaners wanted to stay behind just to have a chat with dear Ms Bautista.

4.      Miss Insigne-The chemistry wiz. s1, double s1, double p1, double t1....Oh, it still rings a bell. It sounded like the sales lady at SM department store when you order for a shoe size. Were those atomic numbers? Shoe sizes? No one really found out the mystery behind her accent. She was our most loved 3rd year adviser just the same.

The last time I heard, Ms. Insigne heeded the call of single blessedness.

5.     Mr. Delarmente--Our Glee Club mentor. I had to include him in this memory lane because I think he contributed so much in opening SMA to become music lovers. He formed the SMA Glee Club, which I became a pioneer member. We went to NAMCYA and performed in the hallowed stages of the CCP. We even went to the Makiling Arts Center to participate in the national music arts activities.

Sir Boy still makes beautiful music at my former school. Although he has garnered numerous accolades both from the international and local scenes, it's assuring to know that he is still sharing with the Marians his love for music.

Until now, Mr. Delarmente and Ms. Insigne continue to touch and transform students' lives by being true to their teaching vocations.  How lucky are these children who still have the opportunity to know them.

It’s funny how I turned to be a teacher myself, because never in my imagination when I was younger did I wish to be an educator. But now that I am sort of one, I try to be someone my students can learn from and have fun with at the same time. And hope I can be one of their unsung heroes as well.

Movie Review: The Dead Poets Society (1989)

The Story:

Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His room-mate, Neil, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each, in their own way, is changed for life.

My Review:

One of the greatest dramas in a classroom setting I have seen. One can easily relate to the characters, for who hasn’t felt being stifled by authorities in his high school days? The story of moral dilemma and personal demons experienced in a teenager’s life was poignantly captured in this film. The last part when almost all of the students stood up on their desks to salute their ‘captain’ never fails to put a tear on my face.

Trivia:

Liam Neeson had originally landed the leading role to be directed by Jeff Kanew, but lost it to Robin Williams when director Peter Weir came on board. What attracted Robin Williams to the role of John Keating more than anything else was that John Keating was the type of teacher he in his school days always wished he had.

When the boys show Professor Keating his old senior yearbook picture, it is in reality Robin William's high school senior picture when he was a student at Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, north of San Francisco.

(www.imbd.com)

And my tear ducts always fail me