“Receive the Gospel of Christ, believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”--- is my favorite statement and the important words of the Bishop every diaconal ordination, the first entry to the holy orders. This reminds me of the seminary formation and all my experiences becoming a teacher.
I never aimed to be a teacher. I dreamed to be a journalist or a political scientist. The aim of becoming a priest is just a product of the formation in the seminary. During my first acquaintance party in the seminary, I costumed myself like a teacher idolizing my mother. Because of my low academic grades, I challenged God. Every time, I prayed, “Lord, if you let me pass the examinations and grading periods, I will become a priest.” That was my continual prayer. until I continued my philosophy formation in the college seminary. That prayer became a resolution that I wanted to be a priest.
After the college seminary, the Bishop gave me a scholarship to study education in one of the prestigious schools in the Philippines. I was even told that a priest is not only tasked to administer sacraments but primarily to teach doctrine, dogma, worship and morals. In that educational experience, the training involved pedagogy and andragogy that as seminarian, I don’t have to only process my reflection but I have to deliver them systematically. Teaching tools and methods became productive that they help me as I communicate to the marginalized, least persons of the society and everyone, I encountered, dealing about faith, philosophy and theology. By teaching methodology, reflections about Christ and the gospels became a source of joy to the people whom I was with in the basic ecclesial community wherein I went to their level through ordinary communication.
I also realized that becoming a teacher does not mean I have to really be a BEED or BSED major. In every area of life when one has the maturity, he or she has a responsibility to share not only his or her thoughts but also morals and good examples. In the family, our first teachers are our parents to emphasize that since they have the responsibility, their main task is to form the manner and conduct of their children and that is their primary obligation more than providing needs.
I am not able to be priest by now, but the message of that Bishop’s words in the diaconal ordination is always in my heart whenever I go to the classroom, I talk to seminars, I handle retreats or recollections and also as I educate people who come to me for meaningful conversations. As we receive fruitful and meaningful knowledge, we always have the task to share them. By sharing them we become teachers. Not that we are trained and educated as teachers but we have the responsibility to lead everyone to the purpose of life that is happiness. Reflecting that statement of the Bishop, our teaching should always be based from our readings. These readings don’t only mean texts and words from the books but also experiences of our daily life. We are to teach certainly that is why we have to always prepare that we become confident in delivering the truth. By preparations, students clearly understand discussions being clear and certain. The important thing in the learning process is that we become examples of what we teach from our usual language and actions inside and outside the classroom, with or without the presence of our students and everyone. It is one’s living that one’s teaching becomes authentic and genuine. Education is lifetime that once one become a teacher, he or she is always be a teacher. HAPPY WORLD TEACHER'S DAY EVERYONE. GOD BLESS.
“Receive the Gospel of Christ, believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.”--- is my favorite statement and the important words of the Bishop every diaconal ordination, the first entry to the holy orders. This reminds me of the seminary formation and all my experiences becoming a teacher.
I never aimed to be a teacher. I dreamed to be a journalist or a political scientist. The aim of becoming a priest is just a product of the formation in the seminary. During my first acquaintance party in the seminary, I costumed myself like a teacher idolizing my mother. Because of my low academic grades, I challenged God. Every time, I prayed, “Lord, if you let me pass the examinations and grading periods, I will become a priest.” That was my continual prayer. until I continued my philosophy formation in the college seminary. That prayer became a resolution that I wanted to be a priest.
After the college seminary, the Bishop gave me a scholarship to study education in one of the prestigious schools in the Philippines. I was even told that a priest is not only tasked to administer sacraments but primarily to teach doctrine, dogma, worship and morals. In that educational experience, the training involved pedagogy and andragogy that as seminarian, I don’t have to only process my reflection but I have to deliver them systematically. Teaching tools and methods became productive that they help me as I communicate to the marginalized, least persons of the society and everyone, I encountered, dealing about faith, philosophy and theology. By teaching methodology, reflections about Christ and the gospels became a source of joy to the people whom I was with in the basic ecclesial community wherein I went to their level through ordinary communication.
I also realized that becoming a teacher does not mean I have to really be a BEED or BSED major. In every area of life when one has the maturity, he or she has a responsibility to share not only his or her thoughts but also morals and good examples. In the family, our first teachers are our parents to emphasize that since they have the responsibility, their main task is to form the manner and conduct of their children and that is their primary obligation more than providing needs.
I am not able to be priest by now, but the message of that Bishop’s words in the diaconal ordination is always in my heart whenever I go to the classroom, I talk to seminars, I handle retreats or recollections and also as I educate people who come to me for meaningful conversations. As we receive fruitful and meaningful knowledge, we always have the task to share them. By sharing them we become teachers. Not that we are trained and educated as teachers but we have the responsibility to lead everyone to the purpose of life that is happiness. Reflecting that statement of the Bishop, our teaching should always be based from our readings. These readings don’t only mean texts and words from the books but also experiences of our daily life. We are to teach certainly that is why we have to always prepare that we become confident in delivering the truth. By preparations, students clearly understand discussions being clear and certain. The important thing in the learning process is that we become examples of what we teach from our usual language and actions inside and outside the classroom, with or without the presence of our students and everyone. It is one’s living that one’s teaching becomes authentic and genuine. Education is lifetime that once one become a teacher, he or she is always be a teacher. HAPPY WORLD TEACHER'S DAY EVERYONE. GOD BLESS.
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