Meeting my favorite teacher was a bit unusual. It started when, fresh from college, I was working at my first job things weren’t going too well. Not a good start for someone in a new phase of her life. I felt depressed and needed to get away from my job’s toxic environment. My self-esteem was very low. I never thought that a simple greeting through a social app would take away all that negativity and change my life for the better.
This is where I met my favorite teacher. He told me that he was a photojournalist and a literature professor in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. I was impressed but a bit skeptical about what he can do, but still got fascinated by his craft. Not too long we became friends, then best friends, and ended up being soul mates.
With him being a professor, I wanted to know his way of teaching his students and more so, the environment and culture of the university he teaches. So I went with him during one of his classes and listened along with his students.
He’s a great professor; I saw that he had mastery of the topics he discussed and provided the students relevant readings about the true state of our society. I saw how fascinated and interested his students were at the end of his class.
His students were not the only one he was teaching but he also taught me things I could have ignored and would have never grasped if not for him. Before, I was just an ignorant and self-indulgent millennial. I disliked protesters and rallies, maybe because of false information some family members told me. He still managed to educate me about the real struggle of our nation, and why these events are essential for social change and peace. He opened my eyes to the battles of our farmers, workers, women, youth, and national minorities. He showed me the importance of the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front, as well as the role of alternative media in boosting the voice of the masses towards collective action and change. He would always tell me to love not just him but also the country, and so I did.
I grew-up with a low-self esteem, but he taught me to be more confident in everything I did, especially during the time I failed in an entrance exam that I really wanted to pass. I felt so stupid and depressed but he taught me to be strong, that it’s not the end of everything and that I could always try again.
He also taught me to lower my pride because it’s bad for a relationship. Recently after an argument, he told me not to get too mad at everything because it affects everyone around me. Overall he helps me to be the better version of myself.
All I can say about my favorite teacher is that this country needs more educators like him.
To my favorite teacher, thank you for keeping up with my endless questions, and thank you for sharing your knowledge to me and to your students.
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