The Man Behind the Metaphors


The skies had been dark like a storm is coming. It had been raining the whole night long and when I woke up that day, I had fears that Sir Jonathan can’t come to school anymore due to the heavy downpour.
I opted not to ask for I may just get the dreaded response. I prepared for school. Ate breakfast, brought my laptop since I thought I may just have to stop by a coffee shop after school and finish the item analysis I am doing.

It was very difficult to get a ride. I wish I can afford to buy a car and save myself and my stuff from getting wet and so that I can bring more things to school for experiments and so that I can to all the places I wanna go to and I don’t have to worry about over-packing stuff and I have thought about all of these just because its raining heavily and I have no school bus anymore L

When I arrived, the school seem deserted. No kids nor parents were at the gate. The guard told me that the principal decided to suspend the class lest the heavy rains could make a lot of children and parents stranded anywhere while going to school. So I texted Sir Jonathan that the classes were suspended but he can still come to school should he want to. 

After an hour, the principal retracted the suspension and said the classes are to resume as soon as possible since the national government had announced that there were no class suspension anymore. And I have two students to teach for the day. We just gathered students from other classes and convened in a single room. Children were given different activities in Math and English. 

 Finally, at 9am, I saw the man at the gate, carrying two bags of goodies, biscuits and tamarind for me and pencil sets for my kids! How generous of him, to think that it was our first personal meet up. While leading the way to the corridors, he tells me about some bits and pieces of his vacation, his adventures in downtown Tarlac and the visit to Baguio where he met two bloggers.

Our sharing of stories was cut short because of an emergency meeting. He asked if he could look around and I said yes. After the meeting, I found him in front of the class, teaching the kids with rhyming words! Teacher Jonathan is still at work while on vacation!


Lucky enough, there were only 14 kids  present. I think he was a bit shocked because the boys were a bit unruly, flying airplanes while he was talking in front of the class. Boys who seem to know the answers were shouting and had been wanting to catch his attention to be called to answer.
As he had said, there’s a reason behind the suspension, it was for him not be shocked by their dementor state of being….. hahaha….

He taught them words, draw pictures on the board, played hangman with them and gave them gifts!


Thank you Teacher Jonathan, my kids together with the others sections' kids were just so blessed to experience having a teacher like you even just for a few hours. 



One kid asking me, “Babalik pa po ba sya?” I said, “Naku, hindi ko alam kasi sa malayo sya nagtuturo nang mas maliliit pa sainyo.”

The class were dismissed and we continued our conversations over lunch at Felicity Resto-Café at Don Antonio, a few blocks away from my house. It was almost past 2pm when we decided that we should part ways and I know that he also has a lot of personal concerns to attend since he was about to go back to Thailand on Tuesday evening. We hugged, I said my thank you again and our goodbyes. Parting ways after a great conversation with someone had always been one thing I’m not good at. 

Teacher Jonathan, I couldn’t thank you enough for taking time to visit me, the kids and for the gifts. Thank you and may you be blessed with great adventures! I had been trying to find words to express my excitement and gratitude towards you but I know in my heart that there can never be enough words. I hope to visit you in Thailand too J

Meeting someone like him  inspires me more to continue what I am doing right now-- writing, teaching and striving to be a good person. All of which are a struggle but as long as I continue being inspired by the likes of him, I know I'll get by. He may be comparing himself to different kinds of things around him, but for me, upon knowing him more, I know I had found a treasure of friendship with him.
Maraming, Maraming Salamat at Hanggang Sa Muli Nating Pagkikita!


Comments

  1. Wow ang saya naman! Kayo na mga dugong guro... hehehe

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    Replies
    1. hehehe... go and teach na din Senyor :)

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    2. Gusto kong makitang magturo si senyor, baka maging variety show, magaling daw siyang host, narinig ko lang naman o sinabi niya sa akin, lol!

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  2. Just like Ms. B, I will comment later, hahaha!

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  3. dakilang guro. mabuhay kayon'g mga teachers! teaching is not a profession. it's a passion :)

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    Replies
    1. thanks Kuya Bino! there will be times na nakakapagod din, pero push pa din...

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  4. Aw. Ang sarap naman talaga kapag nararamdaman mong nakainspire ka. :D

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  5. Astig naman! nameet na rin pala ni sir Jonathan ang fellow pusa ko na si Teacher Kat. Ang da best part pa ay may kasama pang gifts at libreng teaching for the kids. Galing naman talaga :))

    Keep it up sir Jonathan!

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    Replies
    1. hahha... it was a great experience... sobrang di mawala yung tuwa ko nung araw na yun...

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    2. Si- nend ko pala sa mga barkada ko yung link nito and sabi nila:

      Maganda siya!
      Bagay kayo!
      Galing naman!
      Bakit ka naka- shorts?
      Galing niyang sumulat!
      Wow, nakakatuwa naman!

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    3. haha.. iremember nga yung tanung nung guard, "asawa nyo mam?"

      ahihi....

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  6. Wow! May guest teacher ka pala...What a nice meeting, nakatulong pa sa pagtuturo sa mga kids! Very inspiring!

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    1. Thank you Ric! Ikaw i volunteer din kita for drawing classes :)

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    2. ayun, pwede din! magugustuhan ng mga bagets yan... mahilig sila magdoodle..

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  7. Si sir konathan kahit saan ilagay on the go siya , wow! Isa to siguro sa mga hndi nia mkakalimutan n journey sa bakasyon niya

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    1. Julapitot, nagpalit ba tayo ng first letter? Hindi ko talaga malilimutan ito, ano nga ba ang ginawa ko? Mister, teacher ka rin no, i volunteer ko siya, yccos!

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    2. hehehe... one of these days, mapapaturo natin yan si sir kulapitot :D

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  8. Pangalawang balik ko na dito sa blog mo girl hindi ako nag comment muna hinihintay ko si Teacher Jonathan ha ha.

    Ang swerte naman ng mga kids sayo they have a teacher by heart. I wish I had that passion when I was younger. Additional swerte sa mga kids at may guest teacher by heart. Ulan kung ulan walang pakialam as in sugod talaga at may bitbit pang give-aways :)

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    1. May comment na po at may blog posting pa. Siya na yung last sa series :(

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    2. Susugod talaga si Sir Jonathan Ms. Balut kahit gaano pa kalakas ang ulan, gaya nung puntahan niya ako dito sa Tarlac.

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    3. oo nga po, i was thinking of meeting him nga sana for lunch na lang sa trinoma kaso ni-lift din yung suspension at ayun, may iilang bata pa din na pinapasok na lang... at gumanda na din ang panahon....

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  9. ang generous naman ni sir jonathan, at talagang nag turo at nabigay pa sa mga kids ahh
    nice thumbs up sir!

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    1. May giveaway din ako sa iyo pero hindi tayo nagkita, ha,ha,ha. Ay ginawang chat room itong bahay ni yccos!

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    2. all hands up! hahaha... mecoy, sa susunod, tayo na ang bibisita kay sir jonathan sa thailand :D

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  10. Para bumalik si Ms. Balut, eto na ang comment ko...

    I was moved by your plea for support through ink, paper, books, even prayers and I told myself I wanted to give something in return for all the blessings I have been receiving. When you agreed for me to visit, I was so excited I need to get something for the children.

    I even looked for a book just in case you will be asking me to do some teaching. The strong winds and the distance from my house to your school were irrelevant as I wanted to capped my stay in Manila with something grand, a visit to see you and your students.

    Remember when you asked me to sit in during your meeting, I declined because I was just a visitor so I ended up going back to the classroom. The stories shared by the children made me sad but I know that the younger generation of teachers, including you, are far different and have more patience than the older ones.

    I will miss the children who wanted to show off through drawings and answering even without their quiet hands. Their incessant asking of "ser, turo ka pa! Ser, mag game pa tayo!" showed so much enthusiasm. Looking at them, my students looks like they appreciate very little their situations and own learning.

    I gave them pencils but you will be the one to teach them to write. I gave them erasers but you will be the one to rub off their low self confidence. I gave them mechanical pencils but you will be the one to push them to their best. I gave them sharpeners but you will be the the to sharpen their skills. I gave them pencil grabbers but you will be the one to guide them.

    Thank you so much. Kudos to you and to all your colleagues in school that day. I enjoyed the Grade 3 Idol part of the morning.

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    1. i heard my student, si Jhon Raniel, yung naturuan nyo, nagkukuwento sya sa mga classmates nya about his pencils and what you did nung monday morning na yun, and sobrang proud nya na isa sya sa mga naunang nagka-pencils. he teaches his classmates nga how to use the pencil grip, the caps and the mech pens.. hehe.. he was also trying to remember the rhyming words they had learned that day.Balik po kayo sa school, sa uulitin! hihihihi

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    2. Teacher, may gustong ma meet ka in person, hehehe. Guwapo naman siya.

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  11. Hello Ms. Yccos, na-inspire naman ako sa dedication ninyong dalawa ni Sir Jonathan sa teaching. Idol ko na kayong dalawa niyan.

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  12. hello aboutambot.. bat di ako makapasok sa page mo? bawal daw 15 yrs old and below...charot lang! hahahaha

    Salamat po sa pagvisit sa page ko... I was very honored to meet sir jonathan.. sobrang humble and generous na tao.. sana marami pang tulad nya tayong makapadaupang-palad.

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    1. naju pasensya ka na kasi nung subukan ko magblog samut-sari lng at puro kasabawan ang napipiga ko sa utak ko kaya ganun yon. nahiya naman ako kasi sa lahat ng blogger friends ni Sir Jonathan ako lng yata ang pangmatanda haha.

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    2. Hello aboutambot,

      Ikaw naman ang may pinakamataas na pinagaralan kaya ikaw na ang principal namin.

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  13. it's really nice to be inspired by other people's kindness and generosity.. im happy for you :)

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  14. Really nice and inspiring. I miss being a teacher.

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  15. Very touching ang pagkikita nyo. I wish na andon din me sa classroom being your pupil too. Great teachers! Both of you:)

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