To The Teachers Who Are At the Verge of Giving Up

By Daisyree Lorraine D. Jamito-Montes, PhD

I know you are tired. Understatement. You are exhausted. With all the workloads
placed on your shoulder, you have barely some time to attend to your own needs. Your
supposed weekend relaxations are turned to paperless dates, while your free hours
during weekdays are sometimes spent for home visits. You have to fill-out different
school forms, beat the deadlines of annual, monthly and weekly reports and submit
daily lesson logs. Thus, you extend the hours of your duty from 8-5 to 8-8. There are
even instances wherein you have to shift your house into a personal office to give room
for paper works you weren’t able to finish at school. And at the end of the day, you feel
like giving up.
But you noticed how a pupil learned to scribble her name after you placed your
own hand to guide her fingers. You witnessed the spark in that young learner’s eyes
after being able to finish reading a story while you listen with your own heart. You saved
a soul of a high school student needing guidance and parental care with your own
gestures of concern. You were able to inspire a struggling senior to graduate by never
leaving his side when he needed your support and advice.
Just when you’re about to make a career shift, a guardian sent you a thankful
remark for taking good care of your students. Another parent texted you an SMS full of
warmth and appreciation as they mention how you helped their kid surpass the non-
reader level. And believe me, no amount of monetary value has given you the same
rewarding feeling.
Yes, you may be tired, exhausted and you felt like giving up.. but you see, you
were able to able to make a difference in the lives of the children and the youth. You
have somehow touched their hearts in a manner quite concrete yet inexplicable. You
have shared a part of your being to the younger generations and have contributed to
shaping their better future. And that, dear teachers, goes a long way.
So when you feel like giving up, recall those rewarding moments of
breakthroughs in the lives of your pupils and students and remember that your
sacrifices as teacher are never worthless nor in vain. #