Inside a teacher’s bag

With me 24/7 is a magic bag, a big old rose magic bag that perfectly matches my school uniform. Inside this bag are things I need to survive each day in school. These are things that I need in order to deliver my job as an educator effectively.

Lesson plan. Red and blue pen. Ruler. Class record. Folder. Transparent short envelop. Notebook. Receipts. Lists. Loan forms (sometimes). Coin purse. Flash drives. Laptop. Projector. Lapel. Cellphones. ID cards. ATM cards. Lipstick. Press powder. Blush-on. Eye pencil. Tissue paper. Perfume. These are normal everyday things that a teacher needs for the day.

Hammer. Nail. Screw. Screw driver. Paint brush. Paint. Thinner. Grass cutter. Brooms. Dustpan. It’s nice to know that a teacher can be this awesome. Carrying these things makes her a teacher-carpenter or a teacher-gardener or a teacher-maintenance worker. 

Biogesic. Diatabs. Band-aid. Betadine. Gauze. Plaster. Whiteflower. Pain reliever. Sanitary pad. It’s comforting to know that a teacher is always ready for minor emergencies. She is a teacher-nurse inside the classroom.

Brochure. Menu. Soap. Imported can goods. Jewelry. Perfume. Pre-ordered snack. Online shops. Having an additional source of income is not new to many in whatever agency or company, either for those in a high-ranking or a rank-and-file position. 

Teaching is a calling, but the teacher still needs to supplement his or her income to buy what is needed for herself and her family. It’s great to know that a teacher can also do business outside of her official time. We are teacher-entrepreneurs.

The list goes on and on and on. What you see outside is just an ordinary bag but what is inside speaks volumes of the teacher’s many hats.  A smarter teacher of today can bring you a variety of essentials.

(Carmela Doydora is a teacher at La Union National High School, the biggest public secondary school in the province.)