English at home, in school

I was a new teacher then. It was my second year in teaching and I was a substitute teacher for six months after passing a qualifying test just after graduation. Then right away I was sent to open a new extension school in November at a nice community in a valley nestled between mountains. But this will merit another good story next time if I may.

Up the mountain my head teacher and an uncle accompanied me to my new station in July after classes started in June. I was assigned an extension teacher position. All excess pupils from Grades I and II were combined into a class who were then ushered to a newly constructed one-room attachment to the big main building.

I learned later from friendly teachers that the pupils sent me were “rejects”, which meant they were naughty, slow in class, poor and unwanted from their rooms. I didn’t mind then as I was just so excited to teach, and went on teaching until the end of the school year.

At the start of the next school year, we teachers sat in front of our rooms in the corridor to welcome pupils coming for enrolment. I was surprised and glad that I was busy listing enrollees and chatting with parents who came forward to talk with me in English. Then we heard the other teachers complain in loud noises in Ilocano, “Apay nga kaykayat yo ienrol ti anak yo dita? Baro nga maestra dayta” (Why do you like enrolling you children with her? She is just a new teacher). I was shocked and embarrassed. I did not know how to react. But then some parents shouted back, “Wen, kaykayat mi ditoy ta aginingles isu” (Yes, we like her because she speaks and teaches in English).

I was taken aback but pleased, “Is that me?”. Just then our head teacher who heard everything turned to me, nodding his head as he came towards my crowd of pupils and parents, and greeted me with, “Congratulations Madam Helen!!!” I learned later that my fellow teachers were advised to follow me and stop using Ilocano/vernacular in teaching (which some used to insult and speak unkind words to pupils and their parents, leaving them hurt and disrespected).

Later my husband and I started conversing with our children in English, their first language. Until now that they are adults, we converse with them and they with each other in English. Whenever our friends and others compliment me on this, I say “If I was able to teach many pupils, why can’t I with my four children?”

HELEN M. MENDOZA is a retired elementary school principal in Baguio City.