The Best Teacher I Ever Had

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"Boy I couldn’t wait to grow up and skip elementary! I wanted to become her legitimate student back then. "

I knew her ever since I was a kid. She was well-known in our community as a kind and approachable English teacher. Many positive feedbacks I heard about her from her former students. Some of them are young professional already while others remained to be common faces in our place, yet all of them have one thing in common- they keep on uttering words of praise and admiration as they pay tribute to their ever beloved Madam Ellen.

Back to my childhood days, I used to stroll inside the campus of a private school where Madam Ellen once became a member of the faculty. Our house was a stone’s throw away from the school where she’s teaching back then. During those days I had access to stay inside the school campus. I played with the freshmen; had snacks together with the sophomores; watched the juniors marched during their CAT and became a mascot of the seniors during the intramurals. Being popular and familiar with the students I got the chance to sit-in with them during their classes. Of course I acted the way they did. I had my own pen and paper and even my own seat as well! When their heads were bowed down during quizzes and exams, I was also busy on my paper writing my name in every line of intermediate paper. During recitation though, I was the quietest person inside the room since I didn’t care what they were discussing about. And during those days I had seen how energetic and enthusiastic Madam Ellen was.

Her students liked her very much. Neither did I see her scold nor embarrass students in front of the class. She also had a reservoir of stories- from her childhood days up to the time she first landed a teaching job. During her class, I couldn’t remember a single moment when I saw someone sleeping. She had this magnet to attract the eyes of her audience- call it charisma as other people describe it. Boy I couldn’t wait to grow up and skip elementary! I wanted to become her legitimate student back then.

Soon my glory days were over. Gone were the days where I rubbed shoulders with high school students. I was no longer a saling pusa during PROM nights, Christmas parties and intramurals. Reality bit me. Time had come to go to elementary. I felt so bitter back then, no more time to sit inside Madam Ellen’s English class.

During my early years in elementary, I admit my luck ran out. I was tortured emotionally by my teachers. I was humiliated in front of the class. I was compared to my classmates for being so slow in Math- my waterloo. My teachers back then where traditional in nature wherein they believed in the mighty power of wooden stick to discipline us. They were far different to Madam Ellen. Compassion and authentic love to pupils never became a part of their system. In other words, I had a terrible stay in elementary.

Years passed by and I graduated in elementary. Deciding where to enroll in high school was easy as pie on my part. I went back to the school I used to hang out when I was young. I was so lucky Madam Ellen was still there, though I never became her student at once. I waited more till my junior year. The long wait was finally over. I finally became her formal student.

She was still the same. She had some gray hairs and wrinkles in her face but the enthusiasm to teach and tell exciting stories of her life was still there. I envied the way she spoke English with ease and how articulate she was. Because of her, I grasped a better foundation in English language; fascinated by the history of English and American Literature and captivated by Filipino-English literary works. Because of her I fell in love with writing.

Beyond all the knowledge that she imparted to our young minds, her personality outside the school was even more astonishing. She was a devoted Catholic being an active individual in our church. She was also a loving and generous neighbor. During calamities, she never hesitated to lend a helping hand by providing canned goods and noodles from her small store. Even though she never talked in front of the class about her good deeds, her actions were loud and clear for us, her students to imitate. Indeed she was well-loved and respected in our community.

After high school I went back to Baguio City and bade farewell to my beloved teacher. I kept our communication lines open. A year after she became a school registrar and she still managed to have some teaching loads. Then I received the saddest news about her. She got ill and for three years she dealt with excruciating pain brought by her ailment.

I frequently visited her during her ordeal. Even though she was weak she still managed to draw a smile on her face. Her physical stature deteriorated but the warmth of her heart and her never ending stories remained. My visits to her were all filled with laughter, stories, hugs and tears. All of them are still fresh in my memories. She was indeed far more than a teacher inside the four walls of a classroom. She was a teacher of life.

All beautiful songs have to end and the melody of Madam Ellen’s life was played on its finale. She passed away peacefully on 11th of August 2004. Her former students paid their last tribute to their much loved mentor. Her stories are now passed on to the next generation by her students. Indeed the legacy of a great teacher was made for eternity. The legacy of Madam Ellen will be forever evident in the life of her students.

Thanks Madam Ellen for being an influential persona in my life. Thanks for all the lessons you taught. Thanks for being a part of my life.

Thanks Mom for being such a great teacher of life!

PS: People in the primary picture are my classmates in high school who also became students of my mom.


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"A teacher’s influence on the life of a student can never be quantified or measured in terms of distance and number of years."

During the May 2007 election in Taysan (Batangas), some teachers, supervised by Nellie Banaag had just finished counting the votes and were about to bring the ballot boxes to the Taysan Town Hall when masked and armed men arrived with firearms. These men poured gasoline on the ballot boxes and all over the place. The teachers and some crew burned inside the building.

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Imagine, for just one small town election? Lives were destroyed. This is just one of the tragic stories that happened and continues to happen to teachers every election. For P3,000 as compensation, the lives of the public school teachers are put to risk. The teachers are required to serve during elections mainly because of the lack of manpower. But more important than that, teachers are considered to be the most honest and credible members of the civil service.

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My dad died when I was 9 years old. This happened during the summer after my 3rd grade in Elementary school. When I started Grade 4, I had this teacher in Home Economics who knew my dad and also about his death that summer. My teacher’s daughter was a student of my dad in Saint Louis University. I will never forget that teacher of mine, Mrs. Esperanza Sabater. She was old, about 50 years old during that time, skinny, she wore glasses that magnified her wide compassionate eyes, and she had short curly hair.

I learned a lot from her Home Economics class - the perfect combination of foods like champorado & tuyo, mami & siopao, suman and thick tsokolate drink. I learned to clean fresh fish, to sew manually and to use a sewing machine. I had the impression at that time that they were rearing us, girls, to be good housewives someday. But aside from that, I can never forget her because during our break time, she always called me aside and gave me money to buy snacks. Sometimes P50, sometimes P20. Actually, my mom already gave me my snack & lunch money that morning. I dunno, did she pity my “orphan” situation? Did I look like I haven’t eaten for a day? As I can remember, I was quite healthy & round during my 4th grade. I was even one of the tallest and healthiest in my class. Anyway, I will never forget Mrs. Sabater because she cared about me, a mere student of hers. She was like a nice grandmother to me. In the eyes of a child, the kind deeds that she showed will always be in my heart up to now.

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A teacher’s influence on the life of a student can never be quantified or measured in terms of distance and number of years. What a teacher taught us will still be with us wherever we go, how old we become. Teachers are called second parents for a reason. They should be the role models outside our homes. They are presumed to be more knowledgeable and masters of their subjects. We should listen to them and appreciate their hard work. They are human too. They commit mistakes; they may not know the answers to some questions. But in the end, their only objective is to teach us what we need to know. That is their main concern.

DELECTABLE FINALE:

Among all the teachers in history, the greatest one of all is Jesus Christ. With His parables and stories which always contained lessons, He thought the people about goodness and compassion to fellow brothers. He introduced us to that Big Guy in heaven who loves us so much. He didn’t need a classroom or a blackboard. He was simply there for the people. His presence and His teachings enlightened the people’s path so they may not stray.