Another tedious work accomplished this day. It’s time to reward
myself a rightful rest and as I was lying my back against the two soft pillows
piled-up together, a song from somewhere else caught my ear that goes like
this: “..♫I don’t have the heart to love you..♫♪..”. That was a ballad song
revived by James Ingram. Eventually, I found myself humming for I wasn’t able
to produce the correct wordings since I am not familiar with the lyrics of the
song. I was at the peak of my performance when sudden thoughts popped-in in my
mind. What if the lyric of the song is like this? “♪♪ I don’t have the
heart….to teach you.” My enthusiasm slowly went down. What if a teacher like me
doesn’t have the heart to teach? Or did I ever use my heart to teach even from
the beginning of my career?
I started to
contemplate and for the first time in my life I began to interrogate myself.
Every time I gather important hints in my thoughts that could prove, that,
indeed I do have the heart to teach, my mind just kept on mocking me. As if an
alter-ego of mine laughing at me and yelling inside my mind saying “oh, I don’t
have that heart so you don’t have that heart either!”. Until again, something
in me stood up and said, “yes! You have that heart and you had that heart even
before. I knew it! Coz I am that heart!” It sounds crazy but it does make
sense! Yes, I am sure that I have the heart. I have been a multigrade teacher
for several years here in Monte de Tanay Elementary School.
Only a teacher with
a heart can overcome the everyday travel from the town to far flung area where
the school I am teaching is located. Only a teacher with a heart can withstand
the burden of sleeping late to finish my lesson plans and to wake up early to
prepare myself in meeting my pupils whom I considered my sons and daughters
though they are not from my womb.
I may never been
recognized like Marieta Geraldino, who received “Big Apple Award” for being one
of the best Mathematics teachers in New York, or the one of the co-founder of
Instituto de Mujeres in the name of Susana Revilla and with many more great
teachers who emerged and created highlights in the field of teachings! But, in
my own right I know I owned a heart like the heart of those noted great
teachers.
A Rizaleña, who always offer learning with love as the main
ingredient, despite of the imminent danger in everyday travel still unhesitant
to fulfill her duties. A proud Rizaleña
who inspired by Rizal who, in the midst of his exile still took care of the
children who wanted to learn. Yes! A great teacher does it by heart! With
pusong Rizaleña!
