My Daily Experiences and Pedagogy

Today, I’m gonna share to you what I saw in a weekly tv program helping and granting simple wishes of Filipino people. This Saturday they were able to help a former teacher who’s now mentally unhealthy. Her name is Julieta Gonzalez Dy. A Graduate of Marketing and had  her masters degree in Education majoring English Communication. She was able to teach 2 schools in elementary and one in college. Furthermore, she’s a former PUP professor!

This lady in her  40’s is very proficient in using the English language, She’s got the accent and able to apply correct usage of grammar! When I saw her video, she really speak good English! I felt sad of loosing her in the field of Education because I know she’s one of the best that we have as of now! However, with her illness she’s no longer employed.The worst thing is she’s living alone in the streets. Her home for her is the Ortigas Post Office.The guards are allowing her to stay there for so long. The people aroud the area know her.

Most of time she uses English than “wikang Filipino”- official language of the Philippines. Many were saying that her intelligence affected her brain too much making her out of her normal thinking. Others say that she was a former activist in their school and was hit in her head.The ex teacher keeps on writing. She’s very alive and she always wears her smile.

The people observed that she’s very aware of the issues going on in her environment even improper disposal of garbages done by people. She hates it. Moreover, she acts like a teacher then like a student. According to some people, her mental imbalance is cause by too much hunger,not  getting enough sleep/rest, too much thinking and excessive depression of having a broken family. She got one child and they don’t know where the head of the family is.

With the help of Wish Ko Lang, teacher July is now sent to a private hospital where she can be treated. She’ll be staying there  for 2 months for her complete treatment.In addition, she was given free board and  lodging and now she can continue her medication for faster recovery.

Her condition falls under schizophrenia. This kind of mental illness is hereditary by 40% and is caused by too much attachment to a heavy burden that made herself burst and lost her normal mind set. Teacher July started to have this in 1996. The family weren’t able to sustain her hospital needs that lead to live all by herself in the street. Her medicines were no longer taken thus making it worst. Having this kind of ailment really needs maintenance. Proper treatment and continuous medication will help the teacher to go back to her normal life.

May God bless her. She’s an asset to the country but now, she’s in a medical institution curing herself. I wanna see her again in 2 months having a healthy physical body and of course healthy mental condition.This episode made me think that educators should also be given, mental and emotional support. Teachers also need guidance. In times of troubles sometimes even if we are professional we also need somebody to give clearer views in life  and heal our aching  hearts.

The conflict between the government soldiers and NPA’s is still not over. Killings still happen. Kidnapping still occurs. Didn’t we realize that the most affected in this setting are the civilians ? These poor people are living peacefully with their families and yet they are threatened by bombings and unpredicted wars! Thus, affecting the education of most of the kids living in near the war zones.

These events shook the hearts of our soldiers and education officers. An extended program of Department of Education or DepEd together with Philippine National Police or PNP was launched. The project is called ” Police Ko, Titser Ko“- ” I’m a police, a teacher as well”. This is to allow the Filipino soldiers to teach some points in academic lessons. The target are the schools located in upland areas or the place where the people are affected with the growing misunderstanding between AFP and NPA- New People’s Army.

Our policemen will not just fight against criminalities but will also become an instrument to continue the learning of the children in affected areas. Since there’s scarcity in the number of teachers needed, our brave policemen will be the substitutes. They’ll partially put their armaments aside and start holding a chalk and stick.

A large number of Education graduates who entered in PNP gave the bright idea to make use of their knowledge while in service.They’ll be teaching in writing, reading and arithmetic.

I’m proud knowing about this idea that DepEd and PNP had came out. Great job!!!

A mentor,a coach,a counselor, a guide, a guru,an instructor or a disciple are other terms for a teacher. Teaching profession to other people may just seem a very simple and unchallengeable field of work. They didn’t realize that it is the teacher who fills children’s blank minds or tabula rasa with meaningful things that are helpful

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