“I would rather be a teacher than a salesman. Though a salesman makes a lot more money than I do, I would not change places with him for he sells washing machines and fountain pens and cars and other material things; I sell ideas.

I would rather be a teacher than a stenographer. Though she may have a mahogany desk in the magnificent office of some great chief of industry for she helps write letters; I help write careers. She touches keys, I touch lives!

I would rather be a teacher than an artist, fascinating as the subject might be in its wealth of beauty, color and symmetry. For an artist paints on canvass; I paint pictures on the memories of little children. An artist makes impressions on tablets of clay; I make impressions on the tablets of soul.

I would rather be a teacher than a great business executive. For he works with facts and principles that grow.

I would rather be a teacher than an accomplished musician. For a musician plays on violin and piano strings; I play on the heartstrings.

I would rather be a teacher than a potter. For he shapes vessels of clay; I shape destinies.

I would rather be a teacher than a statesman. For he deals with finished citizens; I deal with future citizens.”

This is my favorite poem by an unknown publisher. It was handed to me by my favorite professor, Dr. Olive Legaspi of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas. It was taken from the yearbook of De La Salle Lipa. It dawned upon me that these were only some of the reasons why I wanted to be a teacher when I was a young girl, why I took up education in college, why I am still a teacher now, and why I would not leave teaching. Before it was a dream, now it is a passion.

As a young girl, I always dreamed of becoming like my mother who is still a teacher. I must say I got my dominant genes of patience and passion from her. I could not compare anyone else in her passion in teaching because as she grows older she becomes more passionate in her job. She manifests the need to be updated in everything and to make her students the best. Every year, students flock our house on weekends because my Mom is training them for a contest, this activity starts a month before the event. Her efforts does not go futile, her students always win. Thank God I had a mother who is always a model of passion and enthusiasm in her job. I am not surprised why I followed her footsteps and became a teacher too.

It is not only my Mom who lit my passion in teaching but my teachers as well. I had very good English teachers in elementary and high school who confirmed my desire to become a teacher and to share knowledge to others. I admire them so much. I also have a big respect to my other teachers. My words are not enough to thank them for their incomparable skills on building my foundation of education and seat of knowledge.

I first put my fancy into practice when I volunteered to become a Sunday School teacher in our Church. I was in high school then. I was very enthusiastic and modesty aside, my students had a strong attachment to me. I was very pleased when they answered my questions correctly especially if they identified the values from the Bible stories we discussed. My daughter hopes to become a Sunday School Teacher too.

When I went to college, my first choice really was to take up Education for I want to share knowledge to others and make a difference on the lives of my students as my teachers touched and made a difference in my life too. I was idealistic diligent in my studies. I poured my time in studying and in singing in a chorale. When we held a concert, I took the effort to have a copy of our video which later on in my years of teaching was used by my co-teachers in the PE department for their lessons in music, specifically folk and Asian songs. I was also able to use the video in our church for I help in teaching the choir of vocalization technique, breathing and correct placing of voice.

When I was a new teacher, I discovered this television series of CONSTEL in Channel four. I love to watch this series because I really learned a lot and I always try on class the lessons techniques that I think were applicable to my lessons. Years after, this desire in me was doubled when I was given a chance to attend the FUSE seminar. I felt honored because I met one fo the brains behind CONSTEL. I remember how eager my colleagues and I were in distributing the CDs and manuals to each of us for study and reference then we would exchange. While I am pursuing my master's degree, I felt luckier for I met another professor who worked with Dr. Sunga in making the TV series. Dr. Ruth Rozul is still my professor now. They have both touched my life long before I met them in person. They did not know that they had kept me alive, awake, alert and enthusiastic as the song goes. Like them, I would really rather be a teacher because I want to deal with the future citizens of our country and I want to make more teachers like my mom, my professors and me.

Ruchelle A. Baysan
ellechur@yahoo.com

Founded by Dr. Lucio C. Tan on December 1, 1994, FUSE seeks to improve the skills in English, Science and Mathematics teachers. Its programs include regular teacher training workshops; a post-graduate scholarship program for Science and Engineering teachers; production and distribution of telecourses in English, Elementary Science, Chemistry, Physics and Math; and a host of other educational programs in partnership with government and private learning institutions.