Teachers Blog #5:BNW Photography Reaching out To Students (Home Visitation)

Essentialists hope that when students leave, they will possess not only basic skills and an extensive body of knowledge but also disciplined practical minds capable of applying schoolhouse lessons in the real world. _{William Bagley}.

To a teacher seeing her students succeed is such a great achievement. Seeing them fail challenges us to impel them to strive harder.

It has been a month since I last saw my student attend class. I wondered what had happened to her since she had missed a lot of lessons already. During the Second Grading I have been asking her classmates about her whereabouts.

Finally today I can not contain the feeling of not knowing what had happened to her.

_{(Our means of transportation for 5 pesos)}

I have asked three of my students to accompany me to her house since they live nearby. According to my student we have to ride one tricycle and walk 10 minutes to her house. Piece of cake, I don't mind the heat of the sun since I don't want her to fail in her subjects.

_{(Let the walking begin)}

Part of our intervention is to visit students that has the potential to drop school. As a teacher as much as possible I don't want that to happen.

_{(It was scorching hot but it was all nothing )}

Whatever reasons students have I believe they have all the right to explain why they stopped going to school. Walking to the path they had to pass by everyday made me think that the distance could also be a reason that they could be late for school.

_{(Malayo xa mga besh,no joke!haha)}

Getting to experience this made me ponder, our class starts at 6 am and yet there are so many students who comes to school early. These are the struggle they have to encounter everyday. It must have been so dark walking through this way.

In Mactan there are only two high school nearby. Mactan National High School and Punta Enganio High School. Nearest school to most students is Mactan National High School. But undergoing this I won't consider it near.

_{(Who says I'm exhausted?haha)}

I saw my student at this small shed. There I saw her mother carrying her little sister. A mother of 8 children. My student is her fifth child. Surprised at my arrival she asked why I was there.

She was unaware of her daughters absences. She knew that her daughter has been going to school. Doesn't have any idea that her daughter skipped classes for already more than a month.

In my five years of being a public school teacher there are various reasons that a student drop out or skip school. Here are the common ones:

• Poverty
• Hunger
• Laziness
• Not enough Allowance
• Peer Pressure
• Personal Problem
• Family Problem

Most students in public school are struggling for their daily living. Food is one reason students don't come to school. When they are hungry they choose to be absent rather than seeing their classmates eat delicious snack.
Another common factor is Peer Pressure, when you are a teenager you are struggling in making an identity. Finding a friend is sometimes difficult. If your lucky you'll be one of the famous and respected ones. But for those unfortunate ones will be left unnoticed. So to be able to get friends students are willing to do anything just to fit in.

My student at the age of 12 had found friends that tells her to skip school. Invites her and stay outside late at night. Since she goes home late she can't wake up for class the next day. Aiming to belong she struggled balancing school and having peers.

This is a common scenario in public school, there are even worse situation than she is. Hearing her reason disappointed me, but I am not giving up on her. I asked her to come to school tomorrow and let her promise that she will try her best to come to school and never to skip class.

_{(Off we go to the next student)}

Another student of mine who is always tardy in class. It has been a habit of hers to be late at school. She has never taken any remedial class that would help her in passing her subjects. so since she leaves nearby I decided to visit her too.

_{(Arriving at their house my student was not at home)}

I get to talk to my students brother. Their parents were not at home. According to her brother she goes out and hangs with her friends even on a school day. She stays out late and that results to waking up late too. I informed her brother about her performance at school and what are the chances of failing is she continues her habit.

I let them sign and let them promised to prioritize school. A student who fails one subject shall remain in the same grade level.There will be no more summer class or any remedial classes after the school year ends. So that is how important students should pass all their subjects.

We head home having a feeling of fulfillment. I hope with the simple acts I have done will help them realize that life is not about what they have for now but for what they aim to be in the future. And things will not just fall into their hands they have to work for it.

_{(Smiles from my little helper,guided me all the way till we finished)}

Being a teacher is not limited in the four walls of the classroom. Anyone can be a teacher but a chosen few has the heart to dedicate their life in helping their students.

Enjoy the rest of your day Steemians
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