1. Why did you decide to become a teacher?

One of the greatest surprises in my life is waking up realizing that I have been being called to become a teacher all
along. The realization of the call came about out of my constant struggle of knowing my self even more—seeking for
meaning and purpose. This constant questioning of ‘Who am I?’, ‘What am I?’, and ‘What on earth am I here for?’
lead me to ask some more bigger questions like ‘Who made me’ and ‘What has he had planned for me?’.
Questioning my existence and in my attempt to fully grasp of who God is made me wander and venture to many
countless paths. Thrown away to distant places in search for meaning, I saw and have found not really myself and
my life’s meaning but ironically have found and became aware and understood the complexity of life of others. It is
this complexity of the life of others, from happiness to loneliness, and from comfort to daily struggles that made me
seek more to be connected with others. It is this connectedness to others that I realized that no one should live
alone. I truly believe that a person is created to join in communion with others. This perspective of connectedness
with others made me aspire to be of service to them. Without noticing it, I think God manifested and revealed
Himself in these people and in their situations. Disturbed of the sufferings of others due poverty made me seek of
the ways I can help. Eventually, I woke up to the idea that one of the best way of helping and improving the lives
and the dignity of every person is through education. There is a need for me to be where I am needed the most. I
think I am very much needed to become a teacher, the most excellent and dedicated teacher I can possibly be,
because there are those “others” who are very much in need.

2. What is your effective way of teaching?

There is no single effective way of teaching. There is a need to acknowledge that students are
not the same. There is a need to really assess the aptitude, needs and learning styles of
students. Personally, as a teacher the best strategy for one who considers himself an excellent
teacher is by being ultra-sensitive to the needs of students.

Furthermore, since students are not the same there is a need to look at the context of every
learner. Students learn in their context. As a teacher I promote contextualization in the learning
content, learning performance, and learning competencies. There is a need to craft leaning
materials, guides, modules, and test materials as contextualized.

As a behaviorist, socialist, and existentialist as a teacher, I firmly believe that for the teaching
process to be effective, there is a need to integrate the core values in all of the curriculum.
Students should be prepared for the society—students who look at their life’s meanings as the
embodiment of values, where values are manifested as one seeks to improve the social
conditions he/she is exposed with.

3. Do you think that your students are well oriented during your class hour?
As much as possible I seek to prepare well that students may always get the best from my
classes. I want them to be well oriented of the classroom processes, however, there is need to
understand that learning-teaching is a two-way process. Students learn not just because of the
teacher but also by himself. Students are not always motivated to learn. Different types of
students have different levels of motivations. Sadly, no matter how good a teacher is, although
I can motivate my students, but the biggest challenge to motivating the students is the social
factors they dwell in such as the family structure, family economic status, and the likes. As a
teacher, I cannot address these conditions outside my classroom that are affecting my
student’s motivations to learn.

4. *What approach or strategy do you use to learn new information?

 A teacher is a dispenser of knowledge. As an excellent teacher one must be able to utilize the
varied information and knowledge sources. There is a need to make use of both traditional
and modern day libraries or the e-libraries. Aside from the libraries there are the news sources
in varied format such as print, broadcast and web, as well as the ebooks and e-journals that
can be utilized. However, in the aim to contextualize learning process the teacher needs to
acknowledge the organizations or institutions as well as the environment as a vast learning
resource. Furthermore, the teacher need to acknowledge that students themselves are a very
rich learning and information resources out of the accumulated experiences in their ordinary
day to day life.

5. *How do you evaluate students?

I believe in that every student is a potential genius. They are capable of learning given the right
opportunity and given the most appropriate intervention the teacher could give. Students have
different capabilities and they need to be developed in the manner making use of the innate
potential they are designed to be.

6. What frustrates you the most in a classroom?

I am a firm believer of the law of readiness. Students only learn when they are ready to learn. With this in mind,
students therefore must have acquired the necessary skills, such as literacy and numeracy, that are requisites to
the learning of the new concept. Honestly, it is frustrating that students did not learn the basic skills that would
unlock the more complex levels of learning. This frustrates me, but feeling accountable of these student’s
learning, I acknowledge that this is a problem I also need to address.

7. What can you bring to your school that makes you unique?
I am unique as a teacher because of my view of the purpose of education. I look at this
profession as a mission and a vocation. These views of what education should be and how it
can be purposeful is serves as thrusts in carrying out the profession.

8. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher?

As a teacher, I acknowledge that learning is a lifelong process. I continuously seek to learn

and improve not only my being a teacher but my entire being. I’ve always have seen myself
as a passionate and dedicated teacher. These are my strengths.

I am weak as a teacher for being overly concerned of this profession and the people I have in
this profession. I am weak for making these individuals become part of my life that somehow
I allow them to make an impact and modification of the life I am having such that in the end I
am no longer be the same person forever. I am teacher who is always ruined for life.

9. What is your teaching philosophy?

I am an existentialist. I am more concerned of the meaning and purpose of my students. As
an existentialist, I always make sure I can guide my students and I can provide opportunities
that they are able to realize the meaning and existence of their being.

10. For you, what are the qualities of a good teacher?

The best teachers are those that do not remove his/herself from the students. The best teachers are those
teachers who are humble enough to identify themselves with the students. The best teachers are with students.
The best teachers are always students.