Filipino Teachers in Maryland Schools

I've read in the newspaper recently:

Special-ed teacher helps peers cope in Baltimore

Many of the Filipino teachers recruited to teach in some of Baltimore's worst schools this school year are reeling from the culture shock of out-of-control classes and disrespectful students. Aileen Mercado, a special-education teacher who's become the coordinator of the group, works relentlessly to pump up demoralized colleagues who want to quit and return home. The Sun (Baltimore)

I wonder how true this is. Well, they say that Baltimore, MD has the toughest neighborhood and the highest crime rate in the US. I was just with some of the Pinoy Teachers from PG County MD last night during the Paskong Pinoy Concert sponsored by the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. Although their first year experiences are not different from ours, most of them are holding on , having fun with free spirit.

Let me tell you my "initiation by fire" first year experiences...

I still remember this incident: "I was asked to report at this Junior High School. During my first day, I woke up early, took the train then the bus and went up the hill passing by two other huge public schools, before I saw the building that said the name of the school.

First day. The principal made me wait for almost three hours before he toured me around the Center. This was an ED Center (Center for Emotionally Disturbed Children). I have never seen a place like this in my country except for Boy’s Town; I wanted to back-out. It was like a juvenile prison where the administrators were acting as the wardens.

Second day. I was asked to watch three classes. One was the class of a very good music teacher, who was able to “pacify” her students through positive approach in discipline. Another was a class handled by a reading teacher, whose strategies were also good but not as effective. And lastly, I observed the class of a seasoned teacher who cannot teach because of power struggle with the students.

I had my first traumatic experience in that third class. One student was sleeping; the teacher asked me to wake him up. So, I carefully said “Excuse me, your classmates went to the cafeteria, you might want to join them”. He looked at me. His eyes blazing red! I stepped back. He quickly grabbed a sharpened pencil and poked it on my throat. He threatened, “Do you want me to cut your throat with this?” Just then the aide came in to check on us and immediately called the security when she saw what the student was about to do to me. Whew! That was a near death experience! Never went back again to that Center."

Luckily, the school where I teach right now is far better than that first school assignment. The teachers challenge me to be the best neophyte teacher I can be. And my students, though they're very challenging too, they can be sweet and cooperative to me.

"What used to be - children are to be seen and not heard - we don't really live by that anymore, thank God! But children now have other issues, like how to stay alive."

- Michelle Pfiffer, Dangerous Minds