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Teachers come in many forms but all have one thing in common. They inspire us and help us to be the person that we are today. Their works if piled up would help build great men that could contribute well to make a great city.

In celebration of the World Teacher's Month, let us honor the people that taught us something and has impacted in our lives forever.

Our parents

Our parents or guardians are the first people to teach us. Long before we learned singing the ABC's, our mothers have thought us some words like "mama". Patiently repeating the same syllables until one day we grew tired listening to her and we finally gave her the satisfaction. We uttered "mama" when she was not in full attention. One family member heard us and told her so she went again mumbling the same word for us to say it again, "mama" we said. She clapped her hands happily, kissed us and even grabbed a phone so she could have a record to send to daddy and other family members. Success!

Some of our family members, neighbors and random people

In one way or another, they have contributed to our learning. I'm sure while our mothers went out to expose us to the sunlight back then, neighbors would come and demonstrate to us how to do "beautiful eyes, align and approve". They would do this everytime and they would be delighted if we follow after them.

Pre-school Teachers

The most patient ones. The lessons for us back then was simple but our teachers made sure that their materials are colorful and appealing to us for us to be attentive in class. They too are goofy and child-like when they first teach us some action songs. The next day these teachers have lost their voices but still keeps on teaching us. They also deal with toddlers who don't like to go to school. These are the kids who cry when their moms are out of sight. There are also kids who love to grab and eat another kid's snacks. This would result to trouble. All these faced by a teacher everyday.

SpEd Teachers

I have two roommates back then who were SpEd teachers. Their instructional materials are different and though the lesson materials are easy, it would be the delivery that is hard. I remember they would always come home tired and consumed. There are students that are bigger than them. Students that would throw tantrums every now and then. Students that would call them names and spit on them.

But still they have finished their tasks strong. They would be happy and fulfilled when their students finally learned a new skill even when it is just tying their own shoe laces or identifying colors.

Elementary Teachers

These are the teachers that taught us the basics and the foundation. The teachers who let us memorize by heart the multiplication table and would make us recite a poem or sing a song before the actual class starts.

They also introduced us to gardening. Cultivating our own cabbage. From seedlings to watering them after class everyday and in the next morning, to finally harvesting them. Of course, it would be sold and the money would be set aside for the Christmas Party.

There were also feeding every wednesday or friday. Our mothers would cook "landang" for the whole class. Then months later, the malunggay noodles were introduced. It is paired with a piece of bread. The combination is believed to be one of the solution to fight malnutrition.

Secondary Teachers

They are our facilitators. They would allow us to learn by ourselves but they would also provide proper guidance. From our science experiments to baking and cooking for our TLE subjects to assembling and disassembling computers. They let us do the work even with the fear that we might not do it successfully. They still allow us to experience and learn by ourselves.

College Instructors

They come in different peronality. Some are strict, some unreasonable, some weird and then there are compassionate. But they are equally gold. They have contributed to our learning.

Our experiences

Our experiences could be great teachers, only if we apply what we learned from a certain experience. At some point in our lives, we may have been into a wrong relationship. Our experiences from that relationship would teach us to love ourselves harder and guard our heart better. As they say, "Experience is the best teacher". But as for me, "Learning from the experience is the best teacher". You can go on in life with many experiences but if you don't reflect on it, it will all be worthless.

Other's experiences

These are blessings for we don't have to undergo the same pain other people went through because we learned from their experience. It is a wise learning experience. You won't get hurt nor troubled but you get the same lesson, only if you are keen and careful.

We are all somehow a product of the patience and dedication of our teachers. We may be doctors, nurses, engineers, farmers, seamen or writers by now but one thing is for sure and one thing is common to us all, we have met a teacher before that touched our lives like no other.

Until then. Thank you for reading.

*Lead Image is from Unsplash.com