The act of greatest charity
When I was at DepEd years ago I wrote a series of statements for teachers entitled "The Act of Greatest Charity" The following are excerpts reprinted by way of (delayed) observance of the Teachers Day last Monday.
ï Greatest charity- Teaching, says St. Augustine, is the act of greatest charity. Like a farmer, you take care of the growth of young minds and young hearts, watering these patiently everyday with your love and sacrifices. With knowledge and wisdom, you enrich the soil of their personhood until the seasons in later years will find them fraught with flowers and fruits, a delightful presence in their neighborhood.
Your work, you know, demands the best of you. All your strength, all your ingenuity, all your patience - these are asked of you to be inputted into the farmlands of growing minds in your classrooms.
ï Source of guidance -Know that your children look up to you for guidance. They are young, and are in their formative years. Their minds and hearts are very receptive to ideas and concepts you teach them. And even those you do not directly teach, but which they observe in you, these they learn. Take care therefore what you teach them. Take care too of how you behave in their presence. Should you make the mistake of imparting to them distorted concepts, you forfeit your noble mission.
Please remember: A wrong idea carelessly implanted upon the young is difficult to get rid of. Throughout the child's lifetime, this idea will be a directive force in all his thoughts and actions. And it could become a factor in his ultimate downfall.
On the other hand, a wholesome idea learned and internalized will forever become a part of the child's personality, and could be a major factor in his achievements in later years.
ï Teacher's first job- Your first job is to make your children love you, or at least, like you. This is necessary because a child is not disposed to learn from somebody he does not like. You, with your mature experience and seasoned outlook, exude a guiding force upon your children during your day to day interaction with them, and the latter will be receptive only to such force if they open themselves up. If they don't, the force simply bounces back. No change occurs. No learning happens.
How can you make your pupils love you? If you are a lovable person, such love will be felt without your trying to. But if you are not, it is a difficult job. Yet everyone can learn to be lovable, for everyone can effect a change on himself. What is a lovable person?
St. Paul has the answer. "Love is patient and kind, it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail".
A tall order, you might say. But the one who wrote this was at one time in his life not only unlovable, he was the nemesis of the early Christians. What changed him? The grace of God.
ï Being Friendly- A teacher who loves her children is friendly to them. She always finds time to interact with them informally outside the class hours. She listens to their talks and shows keen interest in what they are doing. Sometimes she helps them in their lessons; sometimes too she tells them about herself and her family life, her childhood or just about anything that interests their young minds.
Such strategy breaks down the psychological wall that normally exists between the learner and the learned, between the follower and the leader, and teacher and pupils get a chance to really know each other. On the part of the teacher, what she gathers from out of such friendly interplay of personalities will give her a keen insight into the character traits of her pupils, thus enabling her to adjust her treatment of each pupil according to such traits.
ï A Guardian Angel- Don't forget. You are the guardian angel of all your children. You are their protector. You are their champion. Each of these little ones looks up to you for your motherly love and care. To the extent you respond to their expectation, to that extent too will they be drawn towards you.
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