"TEACH TO LIVE, LIVE TO TEACH" - A TEACHER WAS ONCE A STUDENT

Hello to you, my new Steemit Family!!! This thing is really new to me, but I'm very excited to learn a lot from everyone here and explore never ending possibilities. I'm Teacher Glai from the Pearl of the Orient Seas. Let me introduce myself to you by sharing my story.

A common adage goes, "Teaching is a noble profession, but it is indeed one of the most difficult and taxing jobs."

Never had I imagined myself teaching inside the four walls of the classroom. I definitely never thought about teaching. I can still remember what I put in my high school yearbook as my dream job - To be an accountant.

Growing up in a poor family with five children and a single mother, I had always thought of taking up Accountancy and Business Management as my course when I get to college. I thought that if I learned how to do business and earn a lot of money, it would give me the ticket to change my status and my whole life.

(I was wearing blue-green dress)

When I graduated high school, my mother still cannot afford to send me to college since my two older siblings were also college students and the two younger ones were also studying in high school. Despite that, I did not despair and stayed positive. I looked for a part time job and ended up as a service crew in a McDonald's restaurant. The monthly pays that I received were used to support my older brother's tuition fees and helped with some house expenses.

(left, beside the manager)

Two years had passed, and it was finally time for me to enter college and start the new page of my life. When I checked on the available courses, the only course that my savings can afford was Education. It was so saddening at first since it was the ONLY option I got, and I don't have any other choice. Nevertheless, I had convinced myself to give it a try. To really continue my studies is what I had been longing and aimed for anyway. I studied in the morning and I worked in the evening. Yes, I was a working student for four straight exhausting years. It was a never-ending sacrifice!

With a lot of determination, perseverance and hard work, I graduated with a Bachelor of Technical Teacher Education, major in English and have become one of the Outstanding Teacher Demonstrators of our batch. My six years of service in McDonald's had finally come to an end too.

Right after graduation, I landed my first teaching job in one of the reputable private schools in our town. And guess what? The first assignment that was given to me was to teach CHEMISTRY!!! Isn't it ironic? Well, life is really full of ironies. I didn't even know how I passed that subject?! It was a real tough challenge, but still, I accepted it. With God's help, I was able to pull the whole school year off and learned a lot from the experience. I unexpectedly enjoyed my first year of teaching and loved my students. I was always looking forward to greet and meet with them everyday.

However, despite all the good experiences and the established love for my students, I was still having difficulty coping with our financial struggles. I then came to realize that the wage was really not enough for me and my family's needs. I was struggling to make both ends meet. My heart was telling me to stay but my situation was telling me to find a new job. Because my love for my family prevailed, I switched from being a teacher to a customer service representative in a BPO company.

Working as a call center agent offered me higher earnings and benefits. I started with a higher basic pay as compared to my previous job as a teacher. I also got paid extra when I worked during holidays, night shift, and overtime. It even included HMO coverage and different allowances. I was able to go to different places I have never been, dined in different restaurants and tasted the food I had never tried, and bought stuff I was never able to buy before because I didn't have means. Above all, I was able to make my family's condition better. Finally, I'm getting what I want!

(fifteenth from the left)

After four years of great comfort and indulgent living, I felt that there's really something missing inside of me. I'm missing the TRUE MEANING of my mission; I'm missing the sense of SELF-FULFILLMENT. And so, I went back to where and what my heart really desires - TO TEACH MY STUDENTS.

Now, I am an English teacher in Georgia Academy, and I'm in my fourth year. I want to be a "real teacher" who will prepare my students to face LIFE. Teaching is really not an easy job. It takes a big, caring and passionate heart and a lot of patience and sacrifice to teach young minds.

At last, I have realized that classroom is made up of a lot more than just four walls, some tables or desks, and shelves. It is made up of knowledge, generosity, love, respect, and hope; it is made up of the lives of students.

"I have never dreamed to become a teacher. The only reason why I got into the field of education is that it was the cheapest course I can afford during the time. I had to work very hard to pay for school. My goal was just to graduate and get a degree -that's it! Only later did I realize why. I'm here to INSPIRE and BE INSPIRED; and I'm here to see my real WORTH and VALUE. I made a lot of sacrifices along the way but it was all paid off with nothing but FULFILLMENT."

Now, I can proudly say:

"Teaching is not only my profession, it is a career, and a big responsibility. Teaching gives meaning to my life. I TEACH TO LIVE, AND I LIVE TO TEACH!"