SHINING STARS for all to see

Cover Design: MARIA CRISTINA KABILING (A Filipina)

Our first day to report back to our respective schools for the School Year 2005-2006 is on Tuesday, August 23. I am very optimistic that this year is going to be a brighter year for me and for the whole Jefferson Junior HS community through the leadership of our new principal Mr. Mensa Maa.

This is going to be my third year of teaching here in the same school district, my last year as a newbie teacher. And I have accomplished a lot, and shared to many veteran and neophyte teachers my best and worst days, the pains and triumphs, all my experiences with my students as a DC Public School Teacher.

I gave lecture presentations to DC Area Writing Project Teacher Consultants, and to teachers taking graduate courses, who gave me the push to go on because of their eagerness to learn integrating writing and technology inside their classrooms. They told me that I am the expert in the field where I am in, and more knowledgeable than they were in the topic that I was going to present. Thanks for their motivation. I feel I am getting better each time I face different groups of veteran teachers during my lecture-presentations.

Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I was one of the facilitators during the New Teachers' Orientation in our school district. And since I wasn't able to go to a New Teachers' Induction as big as this (I came in at Jefferson Junior High middle of the school year, remember?), I considered myself a participant too. There were more or less 700 incoming new teachers this school year to the District of Columbia Public Schools, and I saw close to 10 Pinoy new teachers. And guess what, my principal recommended me to be one of the presentors that Thursday to talk on the Survival Kit for almost 30 newbie teachers in my group. How did it go?

This presentation lasted more than 1 hour; I was nervous and freaking out of what other activities to give the participants to keep them inside my room. It was emotional for me because I imparted my own personal experiences as a new teacher. Not very long ago I was in the dark like them. During their first few weeks in school, they are going to feel how it is to be expected to perform like a veteran teacher when it is just their first year of teaching. Ah! I saw fresh faces, full of idealism, eager to go to their classrooms. I didn't want to burst their bubble but I wanted them also to expect the reality that would greet them in their respective schools. I based all my powerpoint presentations from Harry Wong's The First Days of School. I shared with them my personal experiences that I know would help them be educator leaders (not just workers). I wished them the best. I was given a facilitator during my presentation, Ms. Beverly, who gave me full support, assistance and motivation. She asked for my powerpoint presentation to be emailed to her because she said her students need to be "Einsteins" and need the push. I got exceeds expectations and good comments for that presentation.

I was priviledged to work with the hard working people from the DC Public Schools most especially from Logan Office of Workforce and Professional Development. I met teacher leaders who are very inspiring knowing their accomplishments as teachers (National Board Certified, National Teacher Awardees...). I've come to know a Filipina, Maria Cristina Kabiling (cover designer of Shining Stars), who just came in from the Philippines and works for DCPS for eight months now. But she remains humble, smart and who maintains a good interpersonal relationship, very admirable.

I came to know Celine Fejeran better than just seeing her name in the newspapers as the DC Public School's New Teacher of the Year. She is an Asian, from Guam; and she is very inspiring with how organized she does complicated tasks, and how aggressive but polite she deals with people. I was in tears when she gave her speech onstage during the last day of the orientation. I felt every word she said, I saw myself in her shoes, I went through all the situations she mentioned and experienced every emotions she felt.

To all the new teachers who are reading this, you must persist. Any new endeavor may be tough in the beginning. But tough times never last, but tough people do.

NEW TEACHERS' ORIENTATION Powerpoint Presentation (click here)

VIDEO of the presentation (click here)