The Maker and the Shaker

 

Narrative of the life of Dr. Velvet C. Alva, A Filipino Teacher

By: Lynneth Mariz M. Libued

 

What makes a teacher a leader?

 

Being a teacher is not only focusing on making lesson plans, preparing instructional materials, teaching the students in a four-wall classroom, assessing their abilities, checking their outputs, and giving them grades. It is more than those when you see the big picture of the roles of a teacher. 

 

When I was starting to teach in the public school, I cannot forget how challenging those beginning years were yet how fulfilling it was up until today now that I am a headteacher. Remembering how the studentss experienced tough seasons due to memorizing a lot of information, enhancing their comprehension and analytical thinking through different exposure to pieces of literature, current issues, problem solving, and more, pressuring themselves to get high scores during the exam in all subjects, and giving their best for their final output, which makes a teacher smile. While some students were struggling because of financial deficiency that led some of them to work while they study. Also, I found it heartbreaking every time I see students in our school walking going to school, and going home for the sake of getting closer to their dreams.

 

The journey of being a student is tough, so the teacher’s is, but those difficulties will never hinder a person who has a dream to make a difference in her students’ lives. As a teacher who is more than willing to commit my life to be part of building the nation however big or small I may share, I started to change what is within my control, which is myself. Aside from the experiences I encountered in teaching, and I am continuously taking, I sent myself to another level of difficulty, which is pursuing my Master’s and Doctorate. With the learning experiences I gained from the different situations and the wisdom shared by professors, colleagues, and even to the ordinary people with extraordinary perspectives in life, I gained a much better understanding of the importance of hard work and discipline to build up my leadership skills.

 

To become a leader is not about being the person who sees herself higher than others. A great leader is all about carrying yourself while carrying and looking out for others with no self-interest. Through the years, I have been dreaming that my students will also see their greatest gain after losing mediocrity, self-doubt, and unbelief to reach their dreams. While witnessing those battles, I work harder to improve myself as a person, and as a teacher my students would want to have. It was a pressuring moment every time there were so many tasks to do together with the personal challenges I was dealing with. It was overwhelming taking all the responsibilities, but through consistent hard work and discipline, every challenge, indeed, can be overcome. 

 

I believe, reaching the stars is more than the hard work exerted by a person. Through leadership, hard work and discipline are being manifest, which serves as the light to the students. Leadership through hard work and discipline gives a big impact on the students that transforms their lives from no one to someone. According to Dorfman, “Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from the expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear – and doubt. Self-discipline allows a person to feel his individuality, his inner strength, his talent. He is the master of, rather than a slave to, his thoughts and emotions.” 

Being a teacher is not only focusing on making lesson plans, preparing instructional materials, teaching the students in a four-wall classroom, assessing their abilities, checking their outputs, and giving them grades. Yes, I am repeating that we are more than those you usually see in us. We are more than conquerors finishing a lot of battles ahead of us.

 

A teacher gives vision and hopes to the students by setting an example to them. Leading them to their dreams through hard work and discipline as you show to the student your life as a living testimony that their efforts and sacrifices today will not be put in vain. As a headteacher today in Tibag High School, I see the students we are taking care of like the people who will serve the country soon. Today, that is a vision, but with the supervision of the teachers and the passion of the students to study harder, the Filipino youth is the next-generation leaders. 

 

In the new normal, everything we used to do becomes so different today. The sense of assurance established in the previous years becomes uncertain all of a sudden due to the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic last March 16, 2020. The situations may change as time passes by, but not the truth, which is the power of leadership to unite people whatever circumstance may come. The path stepping on by the leaders during the pandemic is difficult, but nothing is impossible. The same goes for the education sector. I believe that the teachers are the leaders fighting for the students’ dreams even during the pandemic. When everybody wanted academic freeze, I was one of the teachers who were so desperate to let the students continue their studies. Through the hard work of the teachers, master teachers, headteachers, the school principal, and other stakeholders who work hand in hand and with the proper discipline to follow the safety precautionary measures mandated, Tibag High School became ready to meet the students’ learning needs positively. Through great leadership, this accomplishment became possible.  

 

Now, what makes a teacher a leader? A teacher is a leader not because she is destined to be, rather, she strongly chose to make a distinction to be the head and not the tail.