Do you remember your first ever job? Or your first day of work? Well, I do.
As I am looking at my albums and looking for pictures for my recent blogs, I scroll down at my gallery, and I saw my old pictures and it was my first day of duty on my very first station as a teacher since hired at DEPED (Department of Education). The memory started to flash upon my head, and I felt joy as I reminisce the moments almost a decade ago.
I was assigned before in a far-flung area and to get there, from home, it was two-bus ride and 1 Habal-habal ride - a motorbike to the foot of the mountain, and then a two-hour hike just to arrive at my station. I was so thrilled to land a job year after I graduate and get my license. So, wherever my station could be, I wouldn’t mind. But I didn’t expect to be so steep that I need to catch my breath every 10-15 steps.
I remember my first time climbing to my station, I started traveling at 12 noon and arrived 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I walk with my very frail and thin legs, I endure the tiredness that I felt, for excitement surpasses it because this is the job I been praying for.
When I get there, a day before my official working date I started to fix my room and cook for a meal with the help of my student-aid, one of my working-students. The place was freezing that I need to wear 2 jackets, a bonnet and a scarf just to ease my chill. And as I try to put my mosquito net to the nail above my bed I did fall on my knees and I can’t stand anymore, I loses my strength to just even to properly kneel. Maybe because the fatigue from my hike hits me now and the coldness made it worse. I feel the pain all over my body and sleep early. and I thought I could sleep properly but No! HAHAHA, the coldness wakes me up every now and then, it’s so cold and my body cramps is waking me up too. But Thank God I feel good and energetic in the morning. The body pain is now gone and went to school just literally 15 steps from my door.
I was welcomed warmly by our school head and co-teachers and been introduced to the students and community. The students and the community are 90% Subanen and around 10% Cebuano. At first, I was afraid because I do not know their culture and their traditions, but their friendly nature and accommodating gesture made my mind at peace in a very short time. The students were so shy that they afraid to greet me, but I saw them that they secretly giggle as they are so excited to have me as their subject teacher. They were so kind and silent on my first class as I introduce myself as their new class adviser but eventually, they gain confidence to speak up as I present myself as a humorous and jolly teacher.
The people in the community are hospitable that when there is a fiesta, you should go and eat at their table yet there are plenty who invited us to what we did is just eat a little every house, so we still have room for next meal to the next house. Their dialect is different, yet they speak in our mother tongue (Cebuano) for us so could we understand each other. It is just their tone, and accent is different that speaking calmly, or soft tone is not their style, so at first, I really thought they were angry or disrespectful, but it is just their tone.
I’ve been teaching in the community for 6 years and now I am teaching in my current station for 3 years now and remembering my first station, I do remember my lots of first in there. There are many first-time experiences and indeed first are not so easy to forget.
Life Lesson:
The first steps in any journey are often the hardest, but they are also the most meaningful. Endurance, humility, and openness to people’s culture can turn challenges into cherished memories. What seems like a struggle at first often becomes the story you’ll treasure forever.
