There was a time that I really wanted to quit teaching. I really could not take the hassles and the burden anymore. I had to sleep late at night or even wake up earlier than the usual time just to finish the lesson plans. I had to clean and prepare the classroom for the evaluation, all by myself. Clean the restroom. Pour an original muriatic acid just to wipe away all the accumulated stains. Buy the rugs and electric fan, repair the blackboard, do some visual aids, and lot more. And the take-home pay I receive every month does not compensate these hard works. A never-ending sacrifice of a teacher of a public elementary school.
Reminiscing the past where I stood up in front of my classmates and declared boldly that I wanted to become a teacher someday, made me smile and tickled. I had idolized my teachers in elementary and promised myself that I would be like them someday. Then I would become a principal. Then I will become rich.
That was my dream. So, I studied hard in my college years. I should pass the licensure exam for teachers. I will be a teacher. And so, it does. On my first take, I passed the exam. I was very proud then. I was then very eager to apply for work. And I landed in this public institution. I was very happy, doubly happy.
But as years had gone by, I realized that this is not what I dreamt about. This is not a promising job. I would not become rich in this profession. How would I, if I have to dole out my meager income just to buy the things I needed in order to decorate my classroom? How would it happen if I, myself, would buy an electric fan just to ventilate the room? The floor wax? The broomsticks? All the cleaning materials?
All these negatives happen. For almost two decades.
Yes, I had been a teacher for almost twenty years. And every year I entertain the idea of quitting. Everytime that I forget to make the lesson plan, the idea of quitting sprouts to my mind. But yet, I still manage to submit the lesson plan on time. No record of being late in going to school and almost had a perfect attendance if not for some sick leaves. And every year I still manage to decorate my room and update the learning station.
That's my love for teaching. Amidst all the difficulties in this profession, I still manage to wear my uniform with pride. Heads up. I am a teacher. I always will be, until my last breath. This is my vocation.
Doris A. Sanoria
Alaska Elementary School