Nothing happens until it happens in the students.

(excerpt from the reflection paper of Mrs. Olga C. Alonsabe, delivered during the graduation ceremony of the SEAMEO-Innotech ExCELS -Excellence in School Leadership Scholarship Course held at Xavier University last January 29, 2008 representing the 69 graduates who are elementary and secondary school adminsitrators of Region X).

Nothing happens until it happens in the studens.

This concept is translated in how well the curriculum
is implemented which results can only be assessed through the
students. Since the curriculum is the total learning experiences
that the school designs for the learner, it is best to reflect on its
implementation, particularly in the school I am managing, the
Aplaya National High School.

In my day-to-day activities in the school, like checking
lesson plans, checking the campus, conferring with teachers,
monitoring instruction, I come to think of what particular way can
I influence the teaching-learning process given the realities and
problems experienced in the public school system.
The concepts I learned in enrichment curriculum made
me realized that this is the answer to what we, school heads aspire
for: to be empowered so that we can introduce and implement
a curriculum that will suit the needs of our students. While
making the core curriculum as the guide in designing mastery
learning approaches, the enrichment curriculum is a way to
supplement student learning while still targeting mastery of the
desired competencies. But since every school is unique in itself,
the culture of the school has to be considered in enriching the
curriculum, making learning more meaningful to the students.

As I studied the school environment, I come to realized
that our students need to be taught the value of the soil. While
they take TLE subject, focusing on industrial arts and computer
education as their electives, I come to think of reviewing the
educational qualifications of teachers and found out that one of
them has a background in agriculture. So I designed the electives
in such a way that all the students will be exposed to the
world of agriculture, homemaking arts, industrial arts and computer
literacy. Our students need to be taught about modern
technology, but since they are living in an agricultural area, they
should also be provided with opportunities to enhance their skills
to develop their God-endowed rich environment. The value of
work has to be inculcated which they found as they see the
fruits of their labor. Seeing their plants grow after they labored
for it is a joy for them.

Designing learning experiences that will make the
students enjoy while learning will lessen students’ boredom in
school. Excitement has to be introduced and this can be through
the enriched curriculum. These activities need not be reduced
into competitions instead, it supplement the classroom instruction.
With the teachers’ creative juices, the enriched curriculum
can surely translate the school into the best avenue to develop
responsible and productive citizens in a country and the place
where God’s most precious creature is nurtured and developed
in heads, hearts and hands.

Mentors for all season

Second semester of SY 2006-07 a new circle of friends were formed. It was because of Dr. Ellen Martinez, whose passion for research made them enroll in Capitol University, a way to establish friendship with educators from Zamboanga, Iligan, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City, all with a common goal of finishing a Doctoral and Masters Degree after "sleeping" for years of being contented with a Complete Academic Requirements. Ma'am Ellen finds her way to invite the group to enroll at Capitol University. With the agreed "killer targets" on the process finishing the degree despite the pressures in work, they finally achieve what they aspire for.

But more than the diploma that they finally got during the 2008 Commencement Exercises, the group treasured the friendship established and the personal concern that the Martinez Couple showed. Special occasions, like the birthdays, made us gather together, a time to remember those busy times we had with the two great mentors: Atty Martinez and Ma'am Ellen. Truly, they're the mentors for all season.

On Becoming a Mentor

There are lots of things to consider in choosing life's career. One needs to assess firstly, his/her field of interest. For sure, many of our high school students today don't include teaching in their list of course to take up in college. If given the chance, they would rather choose nursing, engineering, accountancy, and the like. But college entrants would then settle to "teaching na lang" if things wont come out well or there are problems along the way especially relating to finances.

There are considerable number of education students who admitted they were "forced" to enroll in education department for some practical reasons. But thanks to the inspiration of their instructors/professors. The students find joy in learning the "whys and the "hows" to become teachers, which made their learning more meaningful as they went through the process of becoming a mentor someday.

Why choose to teach? Education students got excited when I shared to them the ideas presented by one of the great teachers I know,Dr. Antonio N. Torralba in his book, The Joys of Teaching (1997). He gave six reasons which overshadowed the seven reasons of why not to teach which include: low pay, low prestige, too much paperwork, too many concerns, too many hard heads, little time for oneself and that teaching is "love-threatening."

With the above reasons of why not teach, the education students were convinced that there are a lot more good reasons to stay and continue their course in teaching. Dr. Torralba shared the following ideas, that teaching -

1. is the profession with the most sterling nobility.
2. is the divine delight.
3. is the best means to develop any person's sense of wonder
4. is one great human adventure
5. leads to great reward
6. makes us reach to our final divine destiny.

Truly, the above reasons inspire more the young education students to understand the great reasons why many of us, teachers, remain in teaching through the years despite all the negative reasons.

If we, mentors, will not pass on the torch to the next generation, who will teach our children in the next generation? Lets continue to inspire young people to follow us in the field of mentors who find joy in the effort to make good, better and best teachers of God's most precious creation: MAN.