DISCLAIMER: I am not the author of this blog, rather, it is a shared blog by my good friend Joy Waniwan

–

I am supposed to be doing my project for my grad school right now when I realized the date – four more days until Moving Up Day, the final event of the school year. It made me look back on all that’s happened for the past ten months.

–

This school year has been really tough for me – maybe the most difficult year since I started teaching. It’s because this year, I’ve decided to go back to school to take up my Master’s Degree. And aside from this, the workload that I have is much heavier than the previous years. I have the most number of kids, which means more kids to assess, more kids to teach, more kids to get to know. In other words, more responsibilities. So it’s overloaded work plus grad school on the side. Adding to the pressure is the fact that the preschool and the university are not in any ways walking distance from my house. One daddy even told me once that it felt like having a tour around NCR, from south to north then back to south again. However, I do not blame anybody for this because it’s the choice I’ve made. I hold myself accountable for the jam-packed days and sleepless nights. Haha! Oh well, enough about me. Given that I have established how difficult this school year has been for me, there are still good sides though. I’ve met new people and experienced new things.

–

Of course, if there are kids, there must be parents. I’ve met different kinds of parents. There are those parents who are very supportive of their child’s education. I feel that they trust me too much and I feel truly appreciated by this kind of parents. There are parents who are too busy to visit or to schedule a meeting with the teachers. There are a few who make teachers feel like the villains in their child’s life. This kind makes me feel like I always have to prove myself to them because they act as if they rule the school, as if they can change its policies, always giving negative comments. There are also those parents who are yuppies, who are very easy to talk to. They treat me like an old friend, joking around and exchanging stories. No matter what kinds of parents I’ve met, there’s one factor that bring us together. And that is, WE ALL WANT THE BEST FOR THE CHILDREN. This same interest motivates both the parents and the teachers, like me, to work together despite the differences in ideas and characters.

And the best part of being a preschool teacher is being surrounded by three to four-year-old children and having meaningful relationships with them, even just for a short while. I do not know if I am weird but I am secretly happy and touched whenever my pupils call me “Mommy” unconsciously. Maybe it’s the feeling/realization that these kids are comfortable with me, that I give them security, love and attention close to the ways their own moms secure, love and attend to them.

–

–

Just ten months ago, some of these kids cling to their moms, dads or nannies (yayas), scared to be left alone to a stranger (ehem! me). But now, every time I enter the classroom and the kids are waiting for me (because some kids are just too early or sometimes, I’m really late), they always welcome me with a hug and nobody even tells them to do that. They just imbibed the practice in their morning routine. Then, there’s this part of seeing them outside the school setting, comfortably and confidently dealing and socializing with other people. I do not understand how in just a span of ten months these children have really grown. It’s funny how fast they are in picking up my ways, imitating my voice tone and expressions as well as my mannerisms.

–

The other day, I was trying to explain to the children the meaning of Moving Up Day. I know that they cannot fully grasp the concept yet since 3/4 years olds do not have concrete sense of time, days or months yet. I simply told them the sequence: Moving Up means they’ve done a lot of good things so its time to present on the big stage what they have learned. Then after this day, it’s summer vacation. The kids were so happy upon hearing this, shouting “Yay!” and jumping up and down. Then I told them that after vacation, they will go to another school, a big school, where they will have new classmates and teachers. Some of them just looked at me innocently, no reactions. Some were excited with the idea of big school, bet they do not know what is in store for them. But this one particular girl caught my attention. It was as if she was taking every word I was saying. She tilted her head slightly, looked at me with her bright eyes and said, sincerity overflowing in her words, “I’m gonna miss you, Teacher Joy.” Of course, I just smiled at her and to all those innocent happy faces. I did not say anything because at that moment, if I say something, I might just cry in front of them (I’m iyakin like that).

–

So my realization is that if kids have separation anxiety during the start of the school year, teachers do have, too. But it happens at the end of the school year. It’s my fourth year of teaching, yet I still find it difficult not to be sad on Moving Up Day. I know these kids may just remember me by name or by pictures and some won’t even remember me at all after a year or two, but it’s okay. I feel honored to be part of their childhood. Ten months might be fast but it’s enough to share with them laughter and joys, silly stories, and simple how-to’s in life (how to share, how to say thank you and sorry, how to wait for one’s turn etc.).

I want to end this with our Friday goodbye song by Joonie Garcia.

♪♫ “The day is over, our work here is done. Now it’s time to say goodbye to each and everyone. Goodbye dear teachers. Goodbye everyone. See you next week for more sing and play fun.” ♪♫

Only this time, we won’t see each other next week.  The more apt expression is “See you when I see you, kiddos!” :D

–

To my children for ten months: You have been my little angels on crazy and messed up days and calm and sunny ones. Thank you so much!  I am really proud of you! :D Hugs to you all! <3

DISCLAIMER: I am not the author of this blog, rather, it is a shared blog by my good friend Joy Waniwan