I Miss My Former Students!

Every day of the year is a hectic time for teachers as they complete lesson plans, grade papers, attend meetings, and more. There is a part of us that will miss our pupils for both small and large reasons, even though we are "teacher fatigued" after all of these demanding school duties. My former students from the previous international school I worked with made me miss them because of this. Due to my attachment to them and my awareness of how quickly they were growing up and becoming young adults, I was overcome with emotion as I looked at the images. One of my favorite aspects of teaching is hearing the hilarious things students say and do every day—the kinds of stuff you just can't make up. I hope to see them one day and hear from them again.

I'll miss watching them develop. There is nothing better than watching our kids truly "understand" something after a full academic year with them, whether it is long division, identifying the subject, or paragraph writing. Knowing that I contributed to their development gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

I will miss their enthusiasm. It makes me pleased when my students genuinely enjoy learning and are engaged in every activity we undertake. As a teacher, it is my mission to always find ways to make learning enjoyable.

The bonds I formed with each pupil will be missed. By the time the school year is over, I will genuinely miss my students since I have grown quite close to them. Every year (most years, at least), I get the impression that I'll never get to know and love a new class as I did the previous one. Nevertheless, the reality is that when a new year begins, new connections are forged, and the magic happens once more.

The final thing is that I'll miss watching them develop. Similar to planting seeds, teaching entails observing young plant growth but hardly ever mature plants. I'm always interested in the progress and outcomes of "my pupils." One of the most rewarding experiences for a teacher is to hear from a former pupil who left the classroom years ago how much they enjoyed it, how much it meant to them, and how much they remembered about what you did in class. Although the end of the year is always chaotic, I know that on the last day of school, when the walls are empty and the desks are empty, and I'm saying my goodbyes, I'll miss my children for all of these reasons and many more.

Virtual High School Mini Reunion

One of the events that many alumni look forward to the most is the class reunion. The opportunity to finally catch up with old friends after so many years will be present during the most treasured occasions of their formative years.

Although the pandemic is still present, my high school classmates decided to get together for a small gathering, especially since one of my classmates had recently returned from Japan to celebrate her birthday while also inviting the rest of our section.

Since some of us are based presently abroad, the decision to have a virtual meeting while the rest are personally convening in the Philippines. With the aid of this technology, we were able to observe the celebration while also mingling.

The joy we felt that day was gigantic as we were in high school days. We're looking forward to having another gathering with the hope the whole part of our section would be able to come and indeed those overseas like me could go home and be at the get-together one day.

A Break From Blogging

After vacationing in the Philippines for a month, I recently returned. Because of my constant involvement with schoolwork while in Thailand and my efforts to amuse myself, it sometimes took me a while to blog.

Apart from the fact that being busy has taken up all of my time, it has taken me so long to blog because I haven't thought about it in a while, to be honest. I needed to write the sentiments in my online journal, but I haven't had the time. 

Returning to the Philippines is akin to taking a medicine that will cure all your emotional and psychological pain and stress. 

One of my stress relievers when I don't feel like talking to people, especially those who are close to me, is blogging. This is how I express myself and give voice to all of my hurts, sadness, anger, and joy. I'm glad I started blogging when it first gained popularity in the early years of 2000. In this way, I could speak my mind without anyone stopping me or preventing me from doing so.

Because of the popularity of vlogging, blogging is no longer as popular as selling pancakes, but I still prefer the traditional methods. 

Although getting a notebook and starting a diary is the traditional way to journal or write, I find that using the benefits of online journaling makes me happier.

It has been three months since I took a blogging break, but I am now finally back. I suppose the three-month break is sufficient, and it is imperative to resume blogging.

Finally Back Home

After three years of being unable to travel due to the pandemic, I was finally able to return home. Because of the pandemic, it took me three years and something to finally be able to fly home without fear. I usually return home every two years.

The only major requirement for returning home is an antigen test for those who are unvaccinated and have not received any booster vaccinations, which I did.

The only thing that made me nervous about returning home was the weather because I arrived in the middle of the stormy season in the Philippines.

But God is truly good; I just returned home safe and sound, and the weather was perfect, just as it was when I returned to Thailand from a much-needed vacation in the Philippines.

I took a few photos, but the majority of them were of the landscape of the place where I used to love to wander around as a kid when we were in Visayas. Here are some photographs of the natural landscape on the island of Siquijor. By the way, some of the shots were of tourist attractions on the island that I planned to visit.

The three weeks of vacation weren't enough because I wanted to stay for a longer period of time and take a break from work abroad. But returning overseas is necessary because I need to work again and save for the repair of the family's ancestral home.