WHOLE COMMUNITY SERVED BY A TEACHER IN CHARGE

Looking back to my past in connection to my chosen career I unexpectedly ventured to the accomplishment of activities that was sidelined into my teaching career. First at age 23 when I entered into my teaching career who would believe that I could build a schoolhouse within the period of one year. This is what happened why I landed into that new activity to my newly acquired multi-grade school class in a remote area in our province of my former country the Philippines. First I would summarized why I got the position of Teacher-in-Charge of a multi grade class composed of about 50 pupils ranging from Grade I, II, III and IV grade levels. I must tell that I was assigned here by my District Supervisor having garnered the No. I place to pass the Division Entrance Test for Teachers in the Second Division of our province at Cagayan Valley Philippines This is a permanent teaching position earmarked for the school district. At this point I was still enjoying the honor of passing the Teacher's Entrance Test with flying colors being on top in the roster of the whole Division of Cagayan II. When the District Supervisor accompanied me to the place of my assignment the Barangay Chairman welcomed me and later on I was led to my makeshift schoolhouse, a temporary chapel that is use only for the annual Easter Mass and then utilized as an animal barn. I can't describe my feeling when we entered the shack with mud flooring and the children greeted me" Good Morning Ma'am." The School

District Supervisor already left without introducing me to the schoolchildren. How could I start to teach right away when the room is bare, only the hanging blackboards that were placed on the walls. Since my teaching experience is based only on my Practice Teaching in college that was my springboard to write my lesson plan for the day dividing the two classes of Grade I and II and the other class Grade III and IV. Beforehand I received school materials from the District Custodian, my only reference for doing my daily activities is to stick what I've written and execute them. Since there were two classes in the makeshift classroom, I supposed there was a difficulty how two grades can be taught simultaneously. Just imagine in Reading subject, if one class is reading the other class would be writing. There were times when two subjects were combined for both classes like Music and Arts but different ac tivities. The most challenging part of my teaching position was the clamor of the community to put up a school building as they had promised to the District Supervisor, the very reason why the Division Superintendent approved a new school in the district. I supported their project by showing my interest by staying during weekends and attended to the other community projects that would benefit the residents. Most households don"t have individual sanitation so I contacted the Municipal Health Inspector to look into the provision of water sealed toilets and this was approved The people in the community were very cooperative where I could see in the construction of the school building. I think they contributed to fill up a community fund from their past harvest seasons of palay ( rice grain) and they used it to buy the construction materials of cement, tin roof and timber logs that they sawed, lumber for the walls. The building was half-concrete and half -wood. While they were constructing the building I continued to look into the possibility of providing a livelihood when I usually hear from parents particularly women saying "Good for you Madam, you sure is earning,". My answer to them :You are better than me because you are staying home doing nothing." I talked to the Barangay Chairman about the concern of the women in particular and I told them that the Municipal Agriculturist could be invited and see how each household can set up its own Backyard Garden and the seeds would be given free. The ladies were more than happy to accept the proposal and they began to dig up their backyard gardens and vegetable seeds were delivered in due time. The community athmosphere has changed when everyone has to do something and they have waited to harvest what they have planted. There were also handicraft that were produced by some families like basket weaving from the rattan, a vine coming from the forest nearby and mat weaving coming from a plant. This is commonly use as beds in the Philippines. To promote their products we brought them into town when the Garden Day was held and we also prepared Filipino Fold Dance to entertain people coming from other places belonging to the same school district. Parents from our barangay were very excited having participated here for the first time. After all of this activities since the community has already their own gardens which is expected to be maintained continually, one resident expressed her desire that there must be a Community Park where they could plant flowers and set up other decorative art like driftwood and benches where they could visit and bring their children to play. They work together for this project again and soon the park and playground was finished. My parents were just as willing and supportive to what I'm doing in the community as my mother is sitting as a No. I voted Municipal Councilor for many years. She was well known in our town. The rainy Season arrived and our province was also visited by typhoons. After the typhoon left with devastating effect to our barangay my classmate in the elementary level coincidentally was the coordinator for relief goods giving it away to typhoon victims and so our barangay got its share. The more the people in the community were inspired to finish the school building. I felt being burnt out to all of the activities I had attended to and the closing of the schoolyear was fast approaching. Now the School Division Supervisor was the one who came to visit my school. When I told her that I can no longer teach or continue for another year she blurted to me, "Are you stupid? Where will you get your money? You did a very great job doing all these projects not only your schoolwork but also to the community being an in -charge of all these is a very big deal. The Superintendent don't know you were the one who put up the building as reported by your District Supervisor. This will reach his office." That's how she close our conversation. I was not aware of a vehicle carryingthe Division Superintendent to come and visit the remote barangay where I was teaching. I learned from the Barangay Chairman that they ran around to see the physically accomplished innovative and

cooperative ventures in the community. The inauguration of the new school building was held at the early part of the next schoolyear where it was announced that I will be transferred to my own barangay within the school district. My parents were very impressed of my accomplishment and now my teachers in my elementary school became my co-teachers.