A farewell that never say goodbye

February 15, 2010


It marks the final day of my first shifting. I have to say goodbye to my students who don’t want me to leave. I have noticed how their faces portray sad emotions since Ma’am Phine had told them last week that I will be leaving them. When I attend the meeting for student teachers every Tuesday afternoon, they thought it was the time for me to leave. So, I always gave them an assurance that I will come back soon, tomorrow or the other day.

If I can only request not to be transferred in other grade level, I would probably do. I make this day as ordinary in such the way that I will be leaving this class. We had our cooperative learning in a form of experiment-making a rainbow out of food colors, waters and sugar.

Last night, I was worried since I always failed in making a trial and error just to make sure that our activity will surely create a good output. So, I prayed for the success of our activity. Thanks GOD. All groups have done a excellent output of a rainbow. They enjoyed the activity.

We had our conference with Ma’am Arlene Mabeza, the Principal of San Jose Elementary School. The conference was about comments (positive and negative), learning, and suggestions.

I appreciate her because she really cares for the welfare and development of the curricular performance of the school. During my In-campus teaching, the Elementary Academic Coordinator has never done it throughout our stay at Naga College Foundation. We just leave the elementary department by ourselves, without even knowing how we find the teaching experience in private school, specifically at Naga College Foundation.

It is a good effort. At least she may know the strengths and weaknesses of the students, of the teaching staff and of the school as a whole. Through the strengths, she would probably develop it. And for the weaknesses, it is one way to make a move to pave the way.

We almost spent the lunchtime hour for the said conference. The bell rang. It was the time for us to come back at 1:30 pm to know our grade level for the second shifting. My students told me to hide or not to go to the Principal Office so that I may not be transferred anymore to other Grade level. But I have to so I went back at the office. I was assigned, in Grade V under the advisory of Mrs. Arlene Claro.

After this, when I came back to my room, I don’t know how to tell my students that we were already assigned to other grade level for our second shifting. Then, I told Ma’am Phine and she was the one who told the class. Some started to cry. It made me laugh since I was never expecting that they would become emotional for that day. I never felt this when I had my In-campus teaching. My strictness became a gap for me and my students. Here, even though I am strict, they still like me to be their teacher since they know that the way I discipline them is for a common good. Perhaps, they found a teacher who makes learning fun and interesting. I admit that I was about to cry that time but I just kept it.

I left in the room of sad faces. I was amazed when they all came to my room to visit me. Some of them told me that I should always visit them. Some were telling me that they will not attend the class or they will get absent most of the time since I am not anymore their teacher. Some were telling me that school life get bored since there are no more activities, action songs and a jolly teacher.

So I told them that at least once a week, we will have an activity- an experiment, new action songs and cooperative learning activity. I also told them that they can still sing the songs I had taught them even though I am not anymore their teacher.

It is so emotional. As I am encoding this journal while reflecting my teaching experiences with them, I could not avoid getting my eyes watered with tears of joy, remembrance, and enjoyment that I choose to be an elementary teacher.

I will miss Grade II-J pupils and Ma’am Phine. I will miss them so much.