Last month, I have been thinking about my career in the next few years. After completing my thesis and graduating, what am I to do next? Should I continue teaching where I am at? Or should I teach in special education centers or schools? Should I pursue doing social work and teaching or developing programs for communities? I do not have any idea.

Then I came upon this quote from Malala Yousafzai in the United Nations Facebook page.

Source: UN Facebook page

I believe in this quote. I believe in a child. I also believe in myself that I can teach. It was not an obvious career to take though. I was not the brightest kid in my classes. I was not even chosen as a student teacher. But I knew deep down that I have the heart of a teacher and a great influence from a great family of teachers. When I was little, I would act out as a teacher, holding the chalk or whiteboard marker and standing in front of a room ready to teach a lesson. My students were my cousins or my family. I just could not remember what I was teaching or if it made sense. So being a teacher grew into a dream before I graduated from high school. I wanted to take Elementary Education major in Special Education in order to make a difference. However, it took 2 years before I was able to transfer from Manila to Diliman. Still, I was so blessed to know what I really wanted to do then.

The dream became a reality. 2015 marks my fifth year of teaching. Within those years, I have taught in 3 schools, 1 ESL online tutoring firm, and 1 reading tutorial center. Though I truly love what I do, I can't help but ask myself if this is really what I want to do in the following years to come. But every time I recall the reason why I'm teaching and the calling that God gave me, I always change my mind.

One question was left for me and my co-teachers to answer during the first week of classes last July. This was the question:

WHAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE

WITH TEACHING?

It seems like a tough question to answer. But here are my answers to the question:

In teaching, you will never stop learning. You will surely get tired of teaching. But you will never get tired of learning from them and from your experiences. The art of teaching involves all areas. You are a performer when you teach. You use various skills. Though there is a tendency to become a master of none, teaching is an art itself that consists of a set of skills that you can master simultaneously with your heart, mind, and body. It God is a great example of a true teacher. He is my inspiration.

Changing the world can be done by reaching one child at a time. Being part of a village that has a huge heart for children is already making a difference. I truly believe that it takes a village to raise a child. I am blessed to be a part of a village in church and at work.

Now, I am going back to the questions I proposed in the beginning.  I think I already have an idea. I keep teaching. And I will do it wherever this heart of a teacher takes me.