Students, students, and more students!

Being a teacher, I thought was the best profession one could ever had. Unlike being a bank accountant, a manager, a doctor, or anybody else's job and responsibility would seemed to be monotonous to me (at least just for me). You get to deal with the same issues, documents, papers, and other things consistently. But to become a teacher is a learning experience all the time. You get to have different kinds of students. Despite having the same subject matter to teach, you get to deal with different people from various backgrounds and different styles of learning.  You get to divert and change every so often activities that is dealing with the same topic.
When I started teaching some 12 years ago, I was assigned to fifth and sixth graders. They were  11 and 12 year olds.  Their maturity was yet starting. Being so immature myself (back then and I guess up to now), I enjoyed being chummy with them.  I would even hang out with them every so often. There came a point that parents have entrusted their children (my students) to me.  There was occasional times that these students would use my name to cover up a wrong thing they did to their parents. Although I did not tolerate the wrong doing, I was there ready to defend and to give advice. One thing is sure though, I did not have the much needed patience for these little ones. I could not stand their endless wondering, talking, childishness, and most of the time, their silliness.  There would be questions that require obvious answers.  Silly, isn't it?
Then, I went to teach in the tertiary level. This time I had 17-20 year olds. I was teaching professional English courses. All the more, my students became my gang. We always hang out, in fact almost every night. One thing I need to clear with them was that we are friends outside of school but inside, we should treat each other as to what is expected. Too bad I only stayed in this job for a short time.
Then I moved to an exclusive school for boys. I was assigned to some 12-13 year olds who are really from the upper class of the society.  Cars, mansions, money, branded things, name it!  There were several jargons that I did not understand. They are so updated with current events and that they had a wide access to everything--technology, gadgets, travels--yet my frustration is that they don't comprehend as I thought they should. I mean, having all the access and resources, even the capability to use the English language better than I do, I thought that they could be even better than me in comprehension. I had to do what I had to do. Luckily, we started speaking in the same tongue. I was so amazed to have made one student come up with a literary analysis of Hercules' tales in a very comprehensive way totaling to 16 pages. Despite just in 6th grade, he was able to present Hercules' tales as some kind of survival of the fittest. He was so smart and absorbent of any learning. He was my favorite; he knew that until now. Funny thing, he was the one that signed me up an email address and paved the way for me to using the net.
My students graduated elementary and again, I left for another job. Despite distance and opportunities of encounter, they manage to still stay in touch with me to seek professional advice about school, life, and anything.  Some of them have gradated college now.  Some may have landed high-paying positions or some sort.  Some may have proceeded graduate courses.  My favorite student? He is now in a medical school.
I moved again to a different school and this time I was with all girls as students. They were now a bit matured as they were in their teens. I taught them literary criticism. They were so stunned. Just like my all-male students, they also are from the upper class economic status. Most of them, or should I say, all of them have access to everything whatsoever. However, like my previous boys, they were not exposed to the kind of processing that I would like them to do. Too bad I had to leave again in search for a greener pasture.
I moved to teach in the United States and was assigned to teach 11-13 year olds. I started with a shock. Every inch of expectations I had, seemed to be different from theirs. I thought that teaching in America would be easier for me. On the contrary, I struggled.
There were a lot of things to learn. Differentiated instruction, small group rotation, leveled reading texts, indicators, state curriculum, cumulative folders--these are just some of the things I needed to be a master of. Another difficult thing is technology. There are a number of technology equipment in each of the classrooms for use during instruction. I have to train myself on the use of these equipment. Luckily, or maybe because I learn visually and fast, I was able to find ease using them in no time.
Another issue is the diversity of culture. When you enter the classroom is like entering and seeing a real-life society. Students come from different ethnicities and that as a teacher, I must learn about what things are acceptable to them and significantly the what-nots. I sometimes neglect what I think is acceptable for me in as far as my cultural background is concerned. But, this is how we do it; That is the way to do it! As the saying goes, "when you are in Rome, be a Roman."
Although I struggled, overwhelmed, and torn, I managed.  Year after year, I know I am quite successful.
My first year was a struggle.  I had middle schoolers (7th grade) and mostly African-American. I came late in the school year as I arrived in the country in October--first quarter was almost over. There were no rules set, no bulletin boards displayed, no routine established. On my first day, I wanted to go home. As I reflect now, maybe it was because I was still learning the ropes; maybe because I was also troubled with financial obligations and management; maybe because I was unprepared in the battle I was in. I decided to leave this school and moved to a new school the following year.
My second through fifth year was at a highly Hispanic populated classroom. With my background in the Spanish language, I found it easier this time. However, every year different kinds of students and situation came in front of me. One thing is common, they found it difficult to learn. I tried to seek answers to the endless questions I have in my mind. I tried to devise methods of clearing confusion and making sure that schemata remain as background knowledge and not forgotten right at the moment they are stored. There were successful ones and there were those that I discarded.  There were those that I found to be effective, and those that do not even apply.
Many things happen.  I had a little misconception and misunderstanding that again (for the nth time), I wanted to move.
I landed a job at another school, and this time, as an ESL teacher.  The job was great!  The people are, believe me, the best!  Administrators were very accommodating and sweet.  I love the job.  But they say, make the most of some happiness because we will never know when will it last.  After two years, I had to leave due to immigration issues.  I would have to have another blog for this topic.
I was getting ready to just go home (although there were other options), when I landed a teaching job here in Guatemala.
I am just here since July and I am telling you, I am loving every piece of it.  My students are great!  They are sweet, behaved, and willing.  Of course there are always exceptions.  In the next blogs, I should be telling you more about them.  In the meantime, I just love my students. I wish they feel the same to me.