“We must toil strenuously. With spirit and determination, we can prevail in all things.”
My first years in the academe
When I graduated college 10 years ago, I was certain that I could teach English. In 2013, I was assigned to teach lower primary levels; it was tough at first but eventually I got the hang of it. I loved teaching primary levels. Though, when I was assigned to teach middle and senior high school levels, I began to embrace teaching literature, academic writing and research subjects. For the past five years, I was teaching the following subjects and even writing them for an online educational platform. My experiences made me believe that I could make wonders in my newest journey as a volunteer teaching English to both primary and middle school levels here at Xavier Jesuit School – Cambodia. But I was wrong!
Did my experiences really prepare me? I thought so. Prior to the opening of classes, I prepared my course syllabus, lesson plans and other teaching materials. On the first day, I stood in front of my class and set the materials we would need for the first-day activities. Equipped with the little Khmer I knew and my English communication skills, I introduced the activity. Thirty minutes passed by quickly. In those 30 minutes, my brain was trying to do many things at once. It was busy assessing my students, recalling my entire course syllabus, redirecting my pre-planned lessons, devising strategies for my students and I to understand each other and panicking because this was not something I expected.
My first few weeks as a volunteer teacher in Cambodia
The only way I could describe myself on my first few weeks of teaching here was that I was struggling. I was struggling to revise everything I had prepared. I was struggling to understand the different principles in teaching English to non-speakers of the language. I was struggling to translate parts of my lesson for my students to understand. I was struggling to make my students accept the English language. I was struggling to feel like a teacher. It was difficult.
But time keeps moving on. I reminded myself how much I wanted to volunteer here. And it was in that moment when I began to see how my students are striving to learn. It was only then that I noticed the little steps my grades 1 and 2 are taking as they begin to pronounce the letter sounds. It was only then that I noticed that my children in grades 3 to 5 are now improving in writing letters and words. It was only then that I noticed that my grade 7 students are now starting to use the words we learned in their conversations. Something is actually happening. These are concrete results. They are learning.
My first few weeks of learning to be a teacher again
Now, I believe nothing could have prepared me for this except for my spirit and determination in wanting this experience to be meaningful. Now, as I teach, I quietly observe the fresh, eager faces of my students as I ponder on the definition of success and accomplishment. Maybe I couldn’t teach in the manner I had hoped or planned for. Maybe I couldn’t achieve the results I had wanted. Maybe success and accomplishment are still a long way ahead for both me and my students. I suppose I can never know exactly how much of an impact I would have on my students, but I know for myself that I am in the process of learning how to become teacher again.
Ma Kristina Velez from Xavier School in the Philippines is the first volunteer teacher of JCAP Education Secretariat’s Teacher Volunteer Programme, which seeks to respond to the needs of newer and lesser-resourced Jesuit schools in Asia Pacific. Kristina has been missioned to Xavier Jesuit School in Sisophon, Cambodia where she is teaching English for a year.