Teacher Cecilia was very kind and a dedicated Grade One teacher at Isla Bato Elementary School. Prior to her teaching position, she came from a very poor family and she experienced a lot of struggles before she reached her dream of becoming a teacher. Their family belongs to the informal settlers of Tondo, Manila. Her mother was a vendor and his father was a garbage collector.
Although she knew it was very hard for them to send her and her five siblings to school Teacher Cecilia did not quit dreaming and she also helped her siblings to dream big for their future in spite of their condition. They help their parents for whatever they can contribute to ease the burden in their works.
Teacher Cecilia has already taught in the public school for 30 years. She had a lot of experiences on how to handle her classes especially the Grade One pupils who were just starting to learn everything from reading, counting writing, and having good manners. Since then, Teacher Cecilia never gets tired of teaching young children. There were times she encountered to have pupils of her former pupils many years back. She was very happy when parents would tell her “Ma’am I was your pupil when I was in Grade One”. Then, she would always reply, “I was glad you became successful in life and now a good member of your community”.
Whenever Teacher Cecilia met her former pupils and told her their success stories, Teacher Cecilia felt something in her heart, she would almost cry in joy because her sacrifices when they were still young were not put in into waste. Even without anything or big rewards she receives as a teacher, her satisfaction was measured by the number of successful students she created.
I remember one time when she talked with me, she said,” You know teaching is my life, my passion, and once you are a teacher you will die as a teacher”. My heart belongs to my pupils no matter what happens. I am theirs and they are mine. The happiness I felt every time I saw them succeed in life was beyond compare and that thing I always call a “A Teacher’s Pride”. I believe when I leave this world, God knows about everything I have done and it is my earnest desire that a better place in heaven awaits me for embracing God’s plan for me which is making my pupils successful in life and God-fearing individuals.