A teacher’s love

March 4, 2017 Educator's Corner Opinion

If you love someone… you will always believe in him/her, always expect the best of him/her. (1 Corinthians 13:7)
Teachers are gifted with big hearts. They do this by doing their duties with love just to mold and guide their students. Last November 2007, Readers’ Digest featured the story of a Cuban girl, Gloria, who went to the Unites States together with her family because they wanted to move away from their chaotic situation in Cuba during Castro’s reign. Transferring to a new location was difficult for Gloria since she has to adjust to the culture and lifestyle in that place. What made things more challenging was her inability to speak English. Being the only Hispanic girl in school, she was bullied and was even given the nickname, stupid.
However, she managed to adopt to her new environment with the help of Mrs. Collins, a teacher who gave her trust and confidence to Gloria. She cheered her on and motivated her to continue enhancing her English speaking skills. She did not give up on her. This kind of love encouraged Gloria and enabled her to get the Reading Award. From then on, Gloria worked harder in school. In fact, she earned A’s in her classes. She was also motivated to study French and succeeded in her singing career. Every time she was interviewed, she always mentioned Mrs. Collins, the teacher who believed in her and inspired her to be great.
This story reminds us how love helps people excel. As teachers we are given the power and opportunity to love our students. The way we talk, the words that come out of our mouths, the actions that we make create a mark in our students’ lives. Thus, we must be mindful of our actions and we must also feel grateful of the achievements of our students. We must continue to bring out the best in them because behind every great person is a teacher. ANDRE PAOLO C. GALONG, Pines City National High School, Baguio City