Back to school, Back to...

5 more days and then game on. The smell of fresh young bloods in a bright, crisp morning. The very first Flag Raising Ceremony. The sight of freshly ironed school uniforms. The neatly packed notebooks in a school bag. New shoes, new socks, new pencils and crayons. New faces but same old feeling. 

I should be excited by this time to go back to school and go to National Bookstore and buy some stuff ('di lang naman estudyante ang namimili ng school supplies ah! hehe). By this time, I would probably be cleaning my own table/space. I should be given my load and schedule for this school year. But I will not...

Instead, I will fix my things and leave my table behind or "pack away" in pre-school's term. The table I kept for the past years. The things I accumulated from 1,100 students for almost 3 years. The co-teachers/mentors that I will be leaving behind. My first ever advisory class from school year 2008-2009 that will graduate this year. And how could I ever forget Bryan? (Sino na ang magbabantay sa kanya?) I will be leaving my old school and just like a freshie, I will be moving to a new school.

Although I've been teaching in the same school for almost 3 years, I am not a permanent teacher. Permanent teacher -meaning- you don't have a "permanent item" from the government (Dep.Ed., DBM, etc.). You get a "permanent item" either if someone retires, dies or if they gave you a "fresh" new item (which is rare). Or you know someone who has a "pull" inside the you-know-where. You know right?! **wink wink** That's just the surface, how about the issues regarding lack of textbooks, teachers, classrooms and other deficiencies. Arrgh, I don't want to talk about Government issues here (ito ay masalimuot na usapin). So let's move on...

I have two options; either go back to my old school with my old status or transfer to a new school with a higher chance of being a permanent teacher. I weighed the pros and cons. I don't want to leave 'coz I don't want to adjust but I want a more clear career path. It was a very hard decision but I chose to leave. I went out of my comfort zone and went to a battle blindfolded.


Oh yes, 5 more days and then back-to-school fever is on. And I'm not going back to my old school. I will still be assigned to a public high school in Quezon City (hoping that this will be my permanent home). It took me two days to finally have the courage to decide. 


I felt anxious and jittery the moment I saw my new school. It felt like I was brought by my mom to my first big school. I met my new principal and she seems nice. We discussed a few things and briefed me with her "expectations".

Going home, I felt weird. I was so anxious and excited at the same time. Irony it is. But change is inevitable. We all know that.


Back to school and I'm not going back  to my school. New school, new students, new faces, new friendships, but still the same passion. Let's hope and pray that this school year will be a blast! Welcome new students! Welcome new teachers!