UNDERSTATEMENT

Understatement
Guising a maroon long-sleeve polo shirt, bagging a laptop with one lesson plan, and adding board markers and
erasers to my pencil case—such day was obviously different as consciousness with my knowledge and poise stroke my day.
Becoming a “sir” for one day echoed the need to poise myself as a genuine teacher, engaged with vast array of knowledge
and committed to discipline and understanding, thus, the pressure was switched on. Acting as an educator even for a single
day was chalked up with thrilling experiences, wisdom of the students, and resounding solitude at the setting of the sun.
Little FAMS seemingly became a thrilling roller-coaster experience amid the whole period of preparation, beginning
with my approach to Mr. Chris Jerimel Hernaiz who was a teacher of Oral Communication and Media and Information
Literacy as I already was pressured to exemplify his enthusiasm, considering his teaching style when he was our pre-service
teacher in Grade 11. When I and Ms. Cefrie Baltazar observed in Grade 11 STEM Saint Joachim, I was quite surprised how
a teacher whom I often perceived as benevolent and soft-spoken easily asserted his authority by disciplining the students
through highly impactful words, which I quickly noted as I knew I needed to discipline my students to avoid losing a
productive day to chaos. However, these excitements peaked at the Little FAMS Day as facilitate students, beginning with
Grade 12 STEM Saint Casimir where typical impishness of students lurk—someone playing mobile games during the
activity, students who refuse to write, an individual focusing on her makeup, and a student asserting his dizziness while
refusing to proceed at the clinic. Fortunately, the first class was succeeded and it was followed by a vacant period, thus, we
utilized the time to physically and mentally prepare us for the day. Our next class came at Grade 11 ABM Saint John Bosco
where we formally started a lesson which we began by engaging with the students first, based on the activity from the lesson
plan provided to us by Mr. Hernaiz, which was about asking their opinions about the rules in various settings. I reminisced
amid the discussion my moments in Oral Communication being the one to answer those questions, yet I am now the one
who asked those questions, causing me not only to remind myself of my knowledge but also to grasp the wisdom of others.
Acting as an educator was a day filled with learning even since the preparation as we obtained the lesson plan from
Mr. Hernaiz and I already studied it repetitively amid my dizziness as I knew that students may ask questions and assistance,
while also clarifying the ideas in my mind that I never asked before. As we proceed on with the day, we learned about the
academic and personal experiences of each student through recitations, some are serious while others are humorous. The
calm was, perhaps, reserved for the last, Grade 11 ABM Saint Vincent de Paul, where we learned the most from their
statements as they were notably quiet yet responsive in recitations, with one time more than half of them raising their hands
with one particular student speaking English more fluently than I ever did. Meanwhile, the main thrill and anxieties were
reserved for the Grade 11 STEM Saint Aloysius, the advisory class of Mr. Hernaiz, deemed by some teachers and students
from higher sections as the worst class as my class, who they were teamed with, spoke regarding their discourtesy when we
were inviting them to assist us in creating our float. All of the three of us were outrightly annoyed by the amateurish actions
of the students, beginning with someone speaking unnecessarily and students coming out for the restroom repetitively.
However, we could never deny the learnings we unconsciously grasped from this section, specifically the patience and
understanding as well as the ability and inclination to understand each student and still behold those who have hope to learn
and become active despite being designated in one of the last sections, making them also my source of inspiration and
solitude.
A section of some students with possible potentials becoming neglected by some teachers and students was rueful
as I have experienced such situation wherein I, together with my class, were discriminated as we do not conform to similar
standards of intelligence with other classes. Mr. Hernaiz enduring the misbehaviors of his advisory class marks his
dedication not only to teaching but also to caring and discipling his students to prepare them for heavier challenges in the
following levels of learning. Despite the disrespect and snub some students offer to their teachers, the latter patiently
understand the individuals they treat as their children that they provide exaggerated care amounting to restraining themselves
from referring their students to the Prefect of Discipline (POD) as they do not want the learners to suffer more consequences.
As we packed our bags to travel back home, I am not only saddened that a special day concluded—provided that this is my
last time to experience the Little FAMS program as this is my last year at the University of La Salette, Incorporated—but
also because we have only experienced a particular dust from the heavy weights that our teachers carry daily. While we are
to proceed with our regular night, the teachers continue to perform their duties beyond school hours as they still had to
correct quizzes, formulate their lesson plans, and create future learning materials as well as reviewing for their postgraduate
degrees and performing their household duties while enduring the physical stress and mental laments they received from
their so-called children’s sentiments.
Within a single day of trying my very best to embody the wisdom and values of the classroom heroes, I realized the
sacrifices and dedication teachers conform to every single day in delivering quality education as well as in comforting the
students they treat as children. Salaries, incentives, and surprises can never equate with the gift of wisdom and care they
unconditionally provide to the society and its inheritors. Educators do not only serve as torches to future but also as
instruments of spreading remarkable principles, determination, and positivity despite such hard work costing their physical,
mental, and social health. In their life of sacrifice and commitment, they only have on mistake in teaching—they have never
taught any word that could genuinely and precisely describe their dedication to education.
Valencia, Mcjanrey D.
Grade 12 HUMSS Saint Angela Merici

UNDERSTATEMENT

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