My class finally had our Acquaintance Party yesterday evening and it was well attended by both students and parents. While we could have enjoyed more time and a cooler venue, the evening did what it had to — begin the school with new acquaintances and partnerships made. Thank you to everyone who came!
Sampaguita ’12 may be my 4th advisory class and yet one thing I’ve learned over the years is that there really is no one way to be a class adviser. Having been a batch adviser didn’t help either. I began the year with a more professional, business-like approach to my class, but being a class adviser requires being not just a facilitator and teacher, but a counselor and guardian too. It was only when I caught them during a free period and just had an informal conversation about dealing with school stress did we really warm up to each other. We’ll do our best to have more of those moments.
As students, Sampaguita are good and appreciative. I couldn’t ask for a nicer bunch. But they can be too nice (read: quiet). And as they themselves admit, they need to work at working hard. What I hope to impart to them are my own experiences in dealing with stress, failures, and setbacks. All those make us stronger. Pretty soon you’ll realize how you ‘can do everything by doing nothing.’ As Bruce Lee says, “Be like water.” Don’t think — feel!
I also met with their parents, and throughout the evening I met each one and answered a question they all put to me, “Kamusta na po ang anak ko?” It is an important question to ask, and I made it a point to answer each one as honestly and frankly as I can. One thing I’ve appreciated about PSHS parents is that they fully understand the challenges in front of their children. Nonetheless, they depend on us teachers to explain exactly what those challenges are and what they, as parents, can do to help their child meet those challenges.
One aspect of education which I feel the PSHS has overlooked is maintaining the partnership between school and home. Even without much support or direction from management, I’ve made it a point to keep that link open and alive. Besides the practical realities of our lack of funds and sources, making sure our students learn isn’t just a matter of making sure they do their homework — it’s also about putting away the videogame, making sure they don’t waste their time when they’re online, and teaching them the value of hard work.
Once again, thanks for the very simple and pleasant evening. I look forward to the year ahead. This is just the beginning!
