A Kindergarten teacher. This is my Story

April 15, 2019 Educator's Corner Opinion

It’s been my fourth year of teaching kindergarten pupils now in public school. I can say it’s really challenging and a multi-tasking profession.
Courage and patience must be your best character to stay lengthily in this career.
There are chances I wanted to quit but in the end I find myself helping my colleagues preparing for our pupils’ moving up ceremony which means I am about to surpass another school year of
teaching kindergarten pupils.
Indeed, it’s tiring most of the time but when you see them improve in the end of the school year, the feeling is rewarding.
After witnessing pupils crying on the first day of classes until the third month of the school year because of separation anxiety that strikes too long, and when learners with special educational needs from inclusive education enter your class, sometimes I couldn’t imagine how I had gone through it.
What I am assured about is that I managed to handle them successfully. Yes, there were many times I’d wished to transfer to another grade level but I always ended up teaching kindergarten pupils.
Some of my colleagues even asked me why I like teaching kindergarten. That’s when I also stopped and thought why I chose to take Pre-Elementary Education as my major back in college when actually my first major subject was Mathematics.
I only thought of getting Pre-elementary subject to fill in my vacant time and consider it as my minor subject. Then I recalled failing in one of my major subjects in Math. When I thought of pushing through to pursue it, I will be left by my batch mates and will have another year in college.
I already extended one year because I am a working student. Staying another year would be too much for me.
That’s the main reason why I am a certified kindergarten teacher now. Before our scheduled graduation, my batch mates and I went around to different private schools to submit resumes and application for a teaching job.
Surprisingly, I was hired immediately by one of the private schools in La Trinidad, Benguet. I managed to teach nursery pupils and
graders in that school for 2 years.
I learned so much and improved my skill in teaching because of
the very witty educational consultant from that school. I was a little hesitant to submit my resignation letter to that school because the administrator and the staff were very supportive to me back then.
My timeline must continue, though, and I hastily went on to apply in a public school expecting a greener pasture as a teacher.
Finally, I ended up as a Kindergarten Teacher Volunteer in one of the big public schools in Baguio City back in 2010.
No salary, instead a P3,000.00 honorarium was promised and I remembered receiving it in December that same year. Again, I couldn’t imagine how I survived that year but I did.
After a year of volunteering, the prize has finally arrived. I was hired as a grade 1 teacher in one of the public primary schools in Baguio in June of 2011.
I experienced the same thing as when I was given a chance to substitute for one of the public schools in Benguet and will continue to take the place of the teacher who I will substitute after 3 months.
I was given two opportunities. Maybe because of the intense eagerness to experience greener pasture, I applied in two nearby divisions.
I would say God must have loved me so much and tried my capability in decision making.
After deliberating on the advantages and disadvantages, I chose to accept the opportunity in the division of Baguio City. I taught grade 1 pupils for almost 4 years until another opportunity came my way in October 2015.
I was then transferred to my alma mater as a Kindergarten teacher in a school that is nearer to my place. That’s where my kindergarten teacher’s life started.
Now, I wonder how many more years will I survive in teaching kindergarten. What I only knew is that, God has chosen me to teach His favorite creation, that is the little children. Not accidentally
but well-planned by Him.
 
by: Catherine I. Mang-usan(Fort del Pilar Elementary School)