April 23, 2010
Eight years ago today I still remember this photo. It was the first encounter I had in school. It was where I had first laid my eyes on what was a learning environment inside the classroom really was (aside from my experience when I was still in high school).
That time, I was very shy to approach the teachers and students. I needed to take a deep breath every time I ask someone - hoping they are good and approachable. There were teachers and students who would actually ignore you even in asking questions. Well, you cannot please every one.
But that time was a great challenge in my part. I shouldn't look like I am a loser. I must manifest confidence within and outside of me. Thank God my mentor appeared.
She was an adviser of second year high school section Love (the pilot section). I heard she was strict, and I saw it in her facial expression. But, when I sat down in her class, my assumptions were wrong. She was very accommodating and very jolly as well as the students!
I had really memorable moment with them especially when we posed for photos. It was really funny because my mentor has this sense of humor.😊👍
We can't judge the book by its cover. It might be a clichè to every one, but it was really true to any one. We often judge the person based on our own perceptions and standards. With this, we committed prejudice already in the same way we look at our students. We judge them because they were hardheaded or noisy. However, we don't really know what they have been experiencing in their home emotionally and physically.
In life, we often misinterpret the actions or gestures of people. Although that is one of the basis in communicating people, yet most people consider it a facadè. They cover what is really true because they don't want to get hurt. That is why, most people are denial of their feelings. They would rather hurt someone than letting them discover the real meaning.
Like what happened in the story "Pride and Prejudice" written by Jane Austen. Mr Darci and Elizabeth both had prejudiced with each other. At the end, they just realized that pride dominates between them. What they really felt was, they both love each other.
As teachers, we need to guide our students properly so that they would not develop the attitude of pride and prejudice; hence, it would lead to bullying.
If we impose behaviorism all the time in the classroom, it would create an odd between the students and the faculty.
In the movie entitled, Les Choristes, teachers in the boarding school imposed reactionary policies - "Action- reaction!" If the students commit something not good for the teacher during his class, he will immediately be punished or punched out.
We don't like to create monsters inside the classroom, but instead, future individuals who are sensitive to the culture of every one. Future individuals who have a big heart.
It is hard to teach attitude in the classroom. But if we let our students be exposed to different problem-based learning and multicultaralism, we could create a difference in their point of views about the world they live in.
We want to be like Mr. Clemènt Mathieu in the movie, the teacher that never surrendered his students. He never gave up eventhough how bad his students towards him because he believe that something good was left hidden in their hearts. He just needed to dig deeper to unravel the diamond within those hearts.
And that is how he introduced and integrated Music in the classroom, and it changed everything.
In the 21st century world, we ,teachers, should discover our students' potentials. Instead of focusing on their bad actions and not so good facial expressions, we need to find an effective way to win their hearts and their trusts in order to establish a rapport between them. That is part of being the life of a teacher. We face challenges in and every day, not only with our students but also to our environment and other stakeholders.It just takes patience and perseverance.
So, from now on, do not be blinded by the lights. Be sensitive!👍😉
Source of photos of Les Choristes: Google