A fortnight ago, one sallied forth onto the campus of the San Vicente Elementary School, Liloan, Cebu following a circuitous route, on call of its principal teacher, Mr. Richard Acaso. He is one’s godson by marriage rites, and made a reminder that some years back, one had promised him that when sometime one’s humble learning be of use to his career, one is just a phone call away.
Richard, you see, and like most professionals with very humble beginnings from the farming village of Cabadiangan, finished higher education despite poverty – his father ‘Pare Tonyo was just a barber by occupation – and graduated from BSIE, LlB, and M.A.. Capping for now his academic achievements, Richard is the OIC of DepEd District of Liloan. Since his elementary school days in Cabadiangan, under rural lifestyle, he was at the top or at the upper echelon in IQ.
In fact, this simple write-up is more of a sincere accolade to Richard and his wife and family and, it’s not hopeless to foresee that someday he’ll reach the academic pinnacle of the doctorate level. And perhaps, he’ll also reach other higher honors and positions within DepEd.
Coming back to one’s stint with the San Vicente Elementary School teaching staff, it appears that they need some sort of advice and guidance in coming out with the school’s publication and/or newsletter. In one’s humble capacity, one reacted with alacrity to help out with their project.
In an informal rapport with the teaching staff for over an hour, and as incidental opportunity to discuss the basics of putting up a simple publication, some fundamental rules of grammar had been emphasized, especially in editing the pupils’ simple written contributions.
The informal discussions in a free-wheeling give-and-take with the 23 all-female teaching staff who are mostly beautiful and with pleasing personality in comely uniforms, appeared that they are with high IQ. In the lively discussions, one took the opportunity of taking up few intricate aspects of the English language and current usage that fall within the often-mistaken and taken-for-granted expressions, that is, “common errors, corrected”.
For one, there’s the prepositional phrase “with regard to” commonly misused as “with regards to”; or the correct “as regards” without “to” instead of “as regards to” For another, saying “jumping into conclusion” should be “jumping to conclusion”.
Still others, “prophesy” is verb form, “prophecy” is a noun; “advise” is a verb, “advice” is a noun; “bid” to offer a price in a bidding, is still “bid” for the past tense, and “has bid/had bid” for the present/past participle; or “vote” or “voting” is correct usage, instead of “votation” which has not yet become of correct usage; or, “instruction” means teaching, whereas “instructions” mean orders for compliance; and the basic meanings of “provincialism”, “colloquialism”, and “vulgarism”.
Other intricate usage in grammar were touched in passing, like, “Drive slow”, not “slowly” because short sentences of command use adverbs without “ly”. But in sentences that emphasize the condition or state, not the action of the verb, the correct adjective is used, instead of the adverb, thus: “The vine clings close to the wall”. Or “Pedro erased the board smooth”.
With time constraint, one’s happy encounter with the San Vicente Elementary School has been an unusual experience beyond forgetting. Lest Mr. Richard Acaso and the teachers deem it as an obligatory imposition on one’s part, they better erase the idea because it was such an exhilarating experience, because one feels that basic teaching is a self-satisfying profession in life; perhaps, more than the boredom of just preaching law or the nettlesome practice of “lawyering”.
A parting note… With the active and able leadership of its principal, and the diligence and knowledgeable capability of its teaching staff, the San Vicente Elementary School is in good hands. Perhaps, the parents and their children should be thankful that they have mentors molding the pupils’ young minds, instead of putting molds in their minds, for inadequacy of knowledge of the teaching-learning craft in interplay.