My Substory

January 10, 2022

Two months ago, I started my journey as a substitute teacher at a public highschool thirty minutes away from my home.
It was unexpected! The Deped Division of Southern Leyte has been calling qualified applicants that time to inform them of their respective items. I still remember how it thrilled me when I read of a message from a teacher thanking and wishing everyone the best before leaving the group chat. That was the sign that the are off to another journey and another group chat.

Day after day, we waited for our turn while congratulating anyone on their success. It was weeks after when I accepted that I have to apply again next year. Being in the list of the Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA) is not a guarantee that you will be given an item in DepEd. There is no perfect procedure really, no one-size fits all policy. There are applicants who attempted many times to pass the LET but were given an item in DepEd just right after their first ranking. There were also applicants who passed the LET on their first take but they struggle in the ranking process. You can tap and befriend a DepEd personnel and do the magic. You can use your charm, your money or your wit. You can strategize but your one strategy won't fit to all.

Two years after graduation and passing the LET, people have been telling me and my parents to tap principals or head teachers for me to get an endorsement to easily get an item in DepEd. My parents aren't rich and famous and we can't afford to befriend them. So, when I wasn't called for an appointment even when I'm among the first page of the list,  I gave up hoping and praying. I surrendered and thought of applying another job.

It was weeks after when my name was among the list of teachers who were unreachable when they called. A principal then message me and inform to call the number indicated in the list. I leap with joy hurrying to buy a load to call. I thought I got a permanent item in DepEd but it turned out it was just a subsititute item. Nonetheless, I felt happy and thankful for the opportunity entrusted to me.

On my first day of work, I was mistakenly branded as a student. I can't blame the school guard for I really look one. The principal had to do some school errands so she entrusted me to a master teacher. This teacher is strict. She has a hair like a boy and she has a manly body- built. I thought she was just chill but she is not. She is serious. On the next day, I was given the subject load of the teacher who took a maternity leave. They then assigned me to a vacant room which served to be my home for the past two months.

Days have passed so swiftly. I feel like I have just been here for days. Though we work from home two days a week, I still go to school every weekdays just so I can complete the task given to me besides I don't have anything going on during the day. Most of the time, I spent printing modules. After that I sort them and staple. Then I would make a budget of lessons before printing another set of modules again. After retrieving modules and distributing new set again, I checked the outputs and record their scores.

My collegues are fun and easy-going. There were just two retirables and the rest are younger. They have been helpful to me since day one, guiding me and sharing to me their experiences, successes and foods. I like it there because I'm the youngest. I feel like I have a brother, a mom and a bunch of titas. The school guard would even remind me to take my meals and come home before it gets dark. I feel like I didn't work. My experience was a mixture of fun, excitement, thrill and worthwhile. I pray that the experience would never end. I liked to do just what I did. Sadly, it was just all temporary. My collegues has been hoping that I would be absorb by the school. I just smile and hope in silence. I would be forever thankful to God for giving me some kind of plot twist in my career before 2021 ended. I thought that I would end up hating the previous year but no, He provided a way. He colored it. Today might be an end of a journey. It may be bittersweet. I would miss everyone from the school and everything in my temporary classroom. But I know that we are meant to be moved and there is some place where God intended us to be.

Thank you for reading. Until then.