Points of Authority

You know what’s the difference between a student and a teacher? It’s the authority. Both have the capacities to teach. Both also learns. But a teacher is someone who is paid to educate people, most especially the youth, or persons who decided to learn through schooling. It is a prerequisite that teachers should be professionals; that is, these people must have a bachelor's degree in college, but not neccessarily taking B.S. Education. Of course, anyone could teach! But expertise in the teaching field is a requirement to ensure the students quality education.

The bottomline is: teachers have the authority over the students.

But what happens when students are given the chance to take over the job of the teachers? In short, students are given the power to teach their fellow classmates.

If I remember correctly, UP High just held a Know Your School Day or KYSD activity on the last week of January. That is, teachers can have their rest days! Even though it’s just a two-day event, it was to be remembered. Just like what I said earlier, prospective student-teachers were given the chance to educate their fellow classmates, and luckily, our beloved teachers did have a break!

KYSD is an annual event here in UP High. This school activity is alloted for students who will be given a chance to educate their classmates. Subject teachers will assign the topics to be discussed by their respective wannabe's in the class. But not only that. Students can also apply for a position in the faculty, either they wanted to be a principal for a day or two, or the faculty clerk.

More often than not, aspiring students, who want to become teachers or one of the school's faculty staff, doesn't have to be that brilliant or experienced. Students actually apply for a position because of willpower and passion. It is also a very great opportunity for students to know what is it like to be a teacher. So, you see. An effective teacher has to have the DRIVE to spread knowledge to the people.

Honestly, I never wanted to teach. I even dreaded the thought of speaking in front of the class. I also hate class reporting. And so, I haven’t got the guts to apply for a position in the faculty. But I am glad that some of my friends took the chance.

But looking at them, who stood in front of the class to discuss the assigned topics from the teachers, made me think that teaching is not that easy! They were, shall I say, tough enough to continue lecturing and lecturing even if we were very unattentive and apathetic! Thank goodness, they were really tolerant towards our behavior in class. Maybe because we were much comfortable to them rather than to our real mentors. And so, we were relentlessly abusive! But anyway, we appreciated their efforts and for enduring the situation.

But just like other ordinary students felt, I was at ease with the student-teachers. I'm sure that most of us were not afraid of asking questions to the student-teachers or responding to their queries. They also take into consideration our intellectual capacities.

Although it was a 2-day event, we enjoyed and made the most of it. After the struggles in the part of the student-teachers and even our real professors, we, the ordinary students, paid tribute for all their efforts and their great deal of understanding towards us. I guess every year level had their chances to thank their dearly loved mentors. The freshies gave memorabilias to the teachers. The sophomores accoladed them by showcasing their talents in playing the flute. Singing, with matching choreography, was the Juniors' way of thanking their mentors. And lastly, the Seniors paid tribute to the teachers by means of giving them stuff worth to be remembered, and at the same time, sang a song piece composed by one of the musically-inclined seniors in honor with our beloved professors.

The world really needs teachers... They teach us the concepts in almost everything from Language to Mathematics. They make us understand why things happen and why did it happen. They have been part of our lives since they have an influence over us. And most of all, teachers shape our minds. If not for them, a bigger part of us would be empty. Aside from providing us with the knowledge that we once don't know, they encourage us to develop our potentials through their promising wisdom. KYSD is UP High's way of making us students realize that we should be grateful to these people who sacrificed all day to make lesson plans, tolerated our unruly manners in class, and even accepting the worst criticisms from us in order to improve their teaching strategies. A regular laborer is paid according to the number of hours that he/she spent working. Teachers are also laborers. But, teachers aren't well paid. They do not only work for 8 hours, but more since they have to prepare their syllabus. But they weren't totally complaining, even though they were striving to give us students the best education they could give. And I think it's unfair if we don't express our gratitude towards them.

We salute our teachers for understanding and giving us wisdom and intellect as we enter the four walls in our classrooms. We salute them for helping us grow.

We also hope that our mentors will be successful in directing their major purpose, to educate more and more people. And as we walk past the tough times in life, we will cherish them in our hearts and remember that they have been with us in lighting the roads we have passed.