math teacher?

Ahhhh if only my 7th grade math teacher could see me now! Who would've said I would ever be seen as a math teacher myself? I know I wouldn't have. But then again, life has a funny way of turning things around on you and this has got to be one of them.

My main objective when coming to Siargao this time around was to fulfill a long-time dream of volunteering at a school where the means are scarce and where a contribution, however small, may have a significant impact. I've been coming to Siargao for 4 years, and fell in love with the school near my friend Gai's resort, in the town of Malinao. After meeting with the Principal and explaining my plans, all seemed to be arranged and being almost 8km away I figured what better way to keep fit than to cycle there and back daily. The plan was set...or so I thought. As I returned home that afternoon, my other friend Susan who also runs a resort beside where I am staying asked me if I had been to the local school here (in the town of Catangnan, beside Cloud9 and only a 5 min cycle away from my place).  Now I know why. This 2nd school is really quite neglected and needs all the help it can get. As she then pointed out, it's a lot closer (so now the fitness is confined to a daily 4km cycle into to the market for food and upplies instead). This 2nd school has 160 students split between grades 1-6 and only 4 teachers.  And to be honest, they were so glad to take me in with my offer, how could I resist. And that is how my 3 days a week volunteering began (cause the other days they teach in Tagalog or Visayan and do other subjects). The Principal at the other school fuly understood as she had been a teacher in Catangnan previously and knows how neglected it is.

And so after speaking with the Catangnan teachers about my time and availability, I offered to teach English and help with any other subjects I could. That is how "math" suddenly came into the picture.  If any subject can be deemed universal, it has to be math. Numbers are numbers, no matter what language you teach them in. And so, I was offered the chance to help teach 5th and 6th grade math. The teacher mentioned she only had 1 book, and it is the one she used herself to teach, i.e. the kids don't have a book. They follow what is taught on the chalkboard in front of them in a 60 sq metre room with dusty and often-times broken windows on either side. The slats on these windows, often missing, become peek-a-boo games for the younger ones next door when something exciting like a foreign girl comes to teach math. The students each have a spiral notebook and use pens. So my gift of pencils and erasers proved useful for math, considering the amount of erasing and re-calculating we often have to do (well, if my own personal experience is anything to go by). So promising I would take utmost care of the book, I took it home that night to review what is being taught, and thank goodness for that too! Dividing by double and triple digits, or adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions with different denominators is certainly something I can do....but so many years out of practice had me back with the pen and paper trying to figure it all out myself first, and then making a plan of how to teach it. Ay ay ay!!!! Ahhh if my math teacher could see me now, after so many after-school remedial classes I put up with (or rather SHE put up with!)

So as I arrived, all the students got up from their chairs and chanted in unison, "good afternoon Miss Teba, thank you for teaching our lesson today!!" yes...excalmation marks because they were screaming at the top of their lungs. One sentence... that is all it took to feel humbled and bring tears to my eyes. And so, slightly nervous at my performance and what mischievous business might be taking place behind my back as I wrote on a chalkboard,  I set foot inside the classroom at 2PM on a balmy september afternoon to begin my lesson. Today: Dividing by double digits (traditional style... no calculators... try it: 68952 / 373) I won't say it was easy... after all, despite understanding some English, it gets harder to get why one must round 373 to 400 to guesstimate how many times it fits into 689... ya know how it goes.
And so, after 2 hours of explaining, trialling, practising and grouping teams to solve problems, one team against the other, I concluded my 1st day of school. It is hard not to feel humbled (yes, I know I am repeating this description but really no other word springs to mind), and at the same time so blessed for the superb education, facilities and opportunities we have received while growing up, that perhaps these children may never have. There is no videogame or computer to be seen anywhere, no track, tennis courts, swimming pool or library around, no swings or established playground (save the vast field facing the school with roaming carabau water buffalo) and no sophisticated cafeteria or lunchboxes anywhere... no swanky new back packs, tennis shoes or polo shirts to show off to your neighbouring student, no shiny cars to pick up and drop off the kids.... just 20 students in their best kept uniforms sitting eagerly (well most of them...I'm not gonna lie to you, the slackers are everywhere on earth!)  and listening while their teacher explains and requests their work. After school is out at 4PM (after a 7AM start), it is time for "clean-up"...which means helping tear out the weeds in the garden. How wonderful a way to care for your school and feel involved with the place where you are at. These are the things that remind me of how important travel is. We learn so much from seeing how others behave and live, we appreciate so much of what we have and have had and often take for granted.

And I won't kid myself. Looking around and remembering how lucky I have been sometimes draws out pity. However, I have realised how the pity is sometimes unnecessary and at times comes too close to feeling superior. Indeed, it takes but a humble and natural gesture from a 10 year old island kid to make your world come tumbling down and drive you to realise how much you have yet to learn. I parked the bike outside the other day on a sweltering hot day and left it out in the sun. One of the children came to me and said "your bicycle is in a very hot place" and I dismissed it saying "oh it's ok....the seat will be a little hot later but that is fine" only to find the kid (Anna-Mae was her name, by the way) looking at me worried exclaiming "... but your tire might pop". A-ha! There I was thinking "whatever" and here is a 10 year old kid who's probably seen this happen a million times and knows that spending 35 pesos to fix it (60 cents) is something her parents cannot afford.  I might be teaching math, but here's me doing comparative life learning.

Homework for me? You bet! I'll be in touch with my school very soon to try and get text-books donated, perhaps set up a pen-pal system and who knows... some teachers may wish to take some time out and volunteer over here. Every little bit helps. In the meantime, I plan on staying for a month, continuing with my Monday, Wednesday and Friday Math class.