CAREER UPDATE: Ending my five-year stint as a public senior high school teacher

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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Mark Pere Madrona

The Filipino Scribe (TFS) is managed by Mark Pere Madrona, a multi-awarded writer and licensed professional teacher from the Philippines. Mr. Madrona earned his master’s degree in history from the University of the Philippines-Diliman last 2020. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude from the same university back in 2010. His area of interests includes Philippine journalism, history, and politics as well as social media. Know more about him here: https://www.filipinoscribe.com/about/.

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