CAREER UPDATE: Ending my five-year stint as a public senior high school teacher
Last 10 October 2022, I officially marked my last day as a public senior high school teacher for Batasan Hills National High School (BHNHS) where I served for a total of five years – from 2016 to 2017 and from 2018 to 2022.
It’s hard to summarize in a single post, but I will try. My tenure in the school coincided with the principalship of three highly-esteemed men: Dr. Diego Amid, Dr. Proceso Lera, and Dr. Eladio Hermida Escolano.
When I first entered the school back in August 2016, I was assigned to the English Department under now-Dr. Josephine Miranda. She’s probably the best leader one can serve with. From the start, she knew I needed help since I was new to teaching at the basic education level. At that time, I was the only one with a teaching item for senior high school since BHNHS didn’t have yet a formal senior high school unit then.
Hence, it was incredibly helpful that she assigned me to the Grade 10 level under then-Master Teacher I Ms. Gina Salmorin. There, I came to know colleagues who are my friends to this day. They taught me the ins-and-out of the public school system pretty well.
By March 2017, I won second place in the International Women’s Month essay writing contest for “Die Beautiful” – a big recognition for the school. I went on to win first place in the said compatition for 2019 and 2020.
My stay in BHNHS was suddenly interrupted by June 2017 – despite being tapped to join weeks-long mass trainings – when I together with several other SHS teachers with provisional appointment were not reappointed including people I now consider my lifelong friends.
Later that year, I successfully passed the licensure examination for teachers which meant that as 2018 rolled in, I can finally apply for a permanent position with DepEd. After significant drama again, I was finally got in.
However, the landscape in BHNHS has dramatically changed in just a year. There’s now an established SHS unit and many new teachers were hired. Fortunately, old friends including the late Dr, Noel Adino and now-department head Mrs. Ruthchin Nolasco helped in easing the transition by introducing me to my new colleagues.
As a returning SHS teacher, I was ably assisted by my coordinators Mrs. Cecilia Bautista (2018-2019) and Dr. Maria Carmen Polache Caseros (2019-present).
I am grateful too to have served under assistant principals who truly believed in my capabilities:Dr. Rommel Mar de Guzman, Dr. Joel Porcadilla, and Dr. Miranda who I was so happy to have been able to work with again.
I would like to thank some of my colleagues for the friendship that we have built through the years, and I hope we can maintain it. Looking to the coming years where we will all advance further in our careers!
Lastly, I’d like to give a special mention to the thousands of students who’ve been under me during my stay here. Some of you have already graduated, while a lot of you are getting there.
I am happy to have played a role in your educational development. I hope you will all make us proud in the end, the way I hope that you will all be proud of having me as your teacher.
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