“Goodbye, My Teacher, Goodbye”

A Tribute to my first-grade Teacher, Madam Rosario Camacho, Teacher par excellence Recipient of the 2015 MMLM Maria Dolores B. Maglaya Teacher of the Year Cherry Maglaya-Lee, MD September 20, 2018 N. B. This article is in response to a FB post lambasting parents who choose to assuage their children “okay lang bumagsak, anak.” Photo Credit: RomaYen Villalon There are many reasons why students fail. And although I do not condone parents encouraging their children that “it is okay to fail,” nonetheless, this is understandable. Growing up in Caba and having attended the Caba Elementary School system back in the 70’s and 80’s, my siblings, friends and classmates can attest to the fact that back then, school is about learning, balanced with good manners, right conduct and learning social graces and skills. Back then, we didn’t bring home our books because school administrators were averse to the idea of carrying heavy loads to the detriment of children’s health and musculoskeletal Integrity. Typhoons and other natural calamities then are no different from present-day dangers. Remember the great Pinatubo eruption that caused ground-shaking earthquakes for a month? Well, back then, SCHOOLS DID NOT CONDUCT SATURDAY CLASSES. I don’t recall any make-up classes on Saturdays because of a great typhoon that ravaged the locality for days that seemed forever. Also, with the exception of a few, and mind you, bad teachers were a rarity then, our teachers were not only educators. They were first and foremost, MENTORS. And this meant they walked the talk. We didn’t have much by way of technology, internet, e-books and gadget-inspired educational materials. Then, our teachers instilled the value of hard work, discipline and grit because there is a dedicated subject or course on how to live one’s life inside and outside the classroom. Boy, it would be horrible and shameful back in the day to score below average when it comes to GMRC-good manners and right conduct. At the beginning of the day, we prayed at times but all the time, we stood proudly inside the classroom and greeted our teachers, “Good morning, Madam Camacho,” insert your teachers’ names. And the same goes before we left the school grounds. In fact, we even sang a song prior to leaving the classroom. Remember the song, “goodbye my teacher, goodbye?” Advancement does not construe greatness or “better.” Because with the advent of new technology, there are more plagues and problems in society. No one writes love letters anymore like it used to be. A very impersonal I love you through text messaging is the norm these days. And I can mention here a whole bunch of socially unacceptable behaviors which have become the norm, so to speak. The Philippine educational system have come this far, but is it equipped to prepare the youth of today to face life’s challenges and act on their best behavior in the face of hardships? My siblings and I fared well in school and went on to live fulfilled lives not because we had good grades but perhaps due to the fundamental precepts we learned early on at home and emphasized at school:kindness, generosity, perseverance, sense of community, and a lot more values that one can depend on in times of difficulty. Our teachers then showed us the way to live. They had integrity and wore it high up on their sleeves. My life now is partly shaped by these great teachers who have come and gone. And with this, I am proud to recognize my grade school teachers for the person I am today. Grade 1: Madam Rosario Camacho Grade 2: Madam Abaquita Grade 3: Madam Esberta Cartas Grade 4: Madam Penny Timario/Madam Lilia Marigza, Madam Genoveva Agulay Grade 5: Madam Victoria Calica, Mr. Calica, Madam Adoracion Runes Grade 6: Madam Marilyn Maglaya-Castigo, Madam Nellie Pipo, Sir Walter Manongdo, Madam Vargas I don’t have monopoly of good teachers. But all these teachers I mentioned were respected in the community and worthy of emulation. Now, is it acceptable for parents to tell their children, “It's ok to fail” My short answer to this is, "it depends on the teacher."